Higher Education and Covid-19 Pandemic: Matters Arising and the Challenges of Sustaining Academic Programs in Developing African Universities
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic to higher education by identifying matters arising and the challenges of sustaining academic programs with specific attention to developing universities in African context. In carrying out this study, secondary data analysis was conducted wherein systematic literature, policy documents, as well as related models between Covid-19 and Higher Education were reviewed. The findings from study indicated that the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed universities in different nations beyond their limits toward developing appropriate and creative alternatives such as transitioning to remote learning, training of academic staff in the use of online instruction materials and tools and encouraging students to complete their education requirements through online learning in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The present study explored higher education in the current and post Covid-19 pandemic in the global perspective thus fostering broad scope thereby affecting interpretations and generalizations. Findings from this study can be useful for researchers, policymakers, and university leadership in terms of developing policies and program as well as education contingency measures that can address future pandemic and support sustainable learning. As Covid-19 pandemic is a fairly new research area, this study makes an original contribution to the research base of higher education institutions (HEIs) and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.
Keywords
References
- Anderson, R. M. , Heesterbeek, H., Klinkenberg, D. & Hollingsworth, T. D. (2020). How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic? https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30567-5/fulltext accessed 21 April 2020.