Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Issues and Challenges in an African Context

This edited volume explores current practices in African higher education during and post the global pandemic. It fills a gap in the existing literature by focusing on student engagement and online learning in South Africa and examines how pandemic restrictions amplified pre-existing inequalities within the higher education sector.

The book is divided into 3 sections: The first section discusses various methods of instruction and the use of online tools for facilitating learning; succeeded by a section focusing on the resource implications of moving to online learning platforms from a social justice perspective; and finally the last section considers issues and concerns about online assessments and quality assurance.

Drawing on lessons from the experiences of South African educators and students during the pandemic, this book provides a knowledge base essential for the effective management of online teaching and learning in Africa. It is intended for academic stakeholders, to develop and engender an improved higher education climate.

Mariam Akinlolu is a Lecturer and the Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange at the School of Built Environment at London Metropolitan University, UK. She holds a PhD in Construction Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  Mariam publishes in the areas of sustainable built environment education, EDI issues in construction, and construction health and safety.

Manyane Makua is the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Teaching and Learning, and the Senior Director at the Teaching and Learning Development Center at the Mangosuthu University of Technology, South Africa. He is the Founder and Chair of the flagship Teaching and Learning Focus Conference. He publishes in the scholarship of teaching and learning, language policy, and academic development.

Nomalungelo Ngubane is the Director of the University of the Free State Academy for Multilingualism, South Africa. She is a former Senior Lecturer at the Nelson Mandela University Medical School, South Africa. She has also worked as a Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Education, South Africa. Her research interests are Multilingualism, Teaching, and Learning of English FAL, and Ubuntu pedagogy.