2024/11/27 by Dube, Lihle, Makaye, Jeriphanos
#FOS: Educational sciences
paper · doi:10.71946/joiip-v1i1-2023-03
This study sought to assess the level of preparedness of lecturers and students in higher education institutions on the use of online and other innovative educational technologies in teaching and learning in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. Preparedness for this study focused on both structural and psychological preparedness. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to the adoption of online and other innovative educational technologies for teaching and learning as institutions tried to minimize direct contact with students. The use of online learning in Zimbabwe was, however, not wildly institutionalised in most universities. The study employed the constructivist paradigm, qualitative approach and a phenomenology design. The study was underpinned by the Technology Acceptance Model as propounded by Davis (1989). Three universities in western Zimbabwe were involved in the study. The sample comprised thirty university students and nine university lecturers who were purposively selected. The participants responded to open-ended questionnaires via WhatsApp. All ethical issues, particularly informed consent, the right to anonymity and confidentiality, were guaranteed. The results of the study revealed that lecturers and students’ level of preparedness to use online technologies in the postCOVID-19 era was low, although they had positive views about the perceived usefulness of online technologies. It was also revealed that most lecturers did not possess the skills required for online teaching and, therefore, experienced demotivation. Challenges of lack of proper technological gadgets such as computers and laptops/smart phones, WIFI and reliable internet connectivity, were reported in the universities studied. The study recommends the following: that more workshops be done for both lecturers and students on how to effectively use online platforms for teaching and learning; that universities should use a hybrid of teaching methods which consist predominantly of online teaching pedagogies and a bit of traditional face-to-face lectures to ensure a smooth transition to online teaching; and that more studies be carried out to assess the level of preparedness on the use of online technologies in other educational institutions of Zimbabwe and using different groups of participants.