Nelda Mouton, Lorraine Rajagopaul, Verona, Leendertz
Abstract
Covid-19 affected lecturers at Higher Education Institutions in many ways and has not only forced HEIs to teach online, but also to make use of virtual education. This resulted in research that focuses on the training and development (T&D) of lecturers, which also includes the experiences of lecturers during the Covid-19 period. The objectives focus on the preparedness and willingness of lecturers to learn new skills and strategies to support lecturers in order to provide sufficient T&D opportunities. The researchers further employed exploratory research to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under investigation, as it allowed for the exploration of new ideas, concepts, and potential relationships. Purposeful and convenience sampling strategies were selected to determine the sample.
Eight Centres for Teaching and Learning (CTL) staff from eight different HEIs in South Africa, who trained lecturers to use the LMS, were included in the population for the qualitative approach. Analytical, inductive reasoning was used to analyse the qualitative data. The recommendations included that it is necessary to improve LMS user-friendliness and that regular usability testing is necessary. Higher Education Institutions severely felt the impact of Covid-19 on the one hand, but on the other hand, strategies to overcome many obstacles led to new ways of thinking and programme offering within Higher Education.