Adjusting to Deliver Quality Education in Response to COVID-19
- July 31, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Education, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VII, July 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Adjusting to Deliver Quality Education in Response to COVID-19
Afam Uzorka (PhD), Yakubu Ajiji Makere (PhD)
Kampala International University Kampala, Uganda
Abstract: – With school closure across the globe due to coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), students can continue their education through e-learning platforms.
Key Words: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Pandemic, Crises, Outbreak, Education, E-learning.
I. INTRODUCTION
WHO declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), to be a pandemic on March 12, 2020 [1]. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, 107 countries had implemented national school closures by March 18, 2020 [1]. On March 18th 2020, the president of the Republic of Uganda, HE Yoweri Museveni in his address to the nation regarding the coronavirus status in Uganda, ordered all schools to be closed by midday 20th March 2020 [2]. Closures of schools are one of the control measures to contain COVID-19 Infection.
With the coronavirus outbreak, people need remote access to work or school for them to continue their classes while their schools are closed. Although the ability to support remote access differ from country to country and from school to school. Higher educations are ready to move teaching and learning online to preserve and continue its educational mission during the current pandemic [3]
Most institutions around the world have started exploring the e-learning approach in response to COVID-19. There is need for this adjustment requiring all tiers of education to respond to a new and evolving strategy in order to have a continuous flow in education process, making education accessible, affordable, anytime and anywhere, mitigating and restraining the effects of any gaps created by any form of disruption in education system.
E-learning is one of the most outstanding educational innovations that offer learners an alternative and innovative learning environment through different platforms [4]. “Higher education institutions (HEIs) have embarked on rigorous programs that promote the use of ICTs for effective contact and online teaching and learning and for developing cognate skills needed to make socio-economic contributions in the knowledge world” [4]. E-learning has been adopted by vast number of HEIs [5,6]. However, there has been a low rate of adoption and implementation of e-learning in HEIs in developing countries [7, 8, 9].
