Coronavirus (COVID- 19) Pandemic and Online Learning Nexus in Colleges of Education in Ashanti-Brong Ahafo Regions (ASHBA), Ghana
- June 11, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: COVID-19, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue V, May 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Ephraim Armstrong Awinbugri (Ph.D)1, Nicholas Aning Boadu2, Edmond Nyarko Nkrumah3, Davis Mawuena Aweso4, Florentia Adai Nottinson5, Samuel Baah –Duodu6, Edem Wotortsi7, James Badu Afari8, Richmond Amoh-Yeboah9, Patrick Cudjo Dogli10
1Lecturer- University of Education, Winneba (IDL), Ghana
2Ag. Vice Principal- Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, Ghana
3, 6, 8, 9, 10Lecturer- Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, Ghana
4Ag. College Secretary/Lecturer-Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, Ghana
5College Secretary-Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, Ghana
7Snr. Accounts Assistant-Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, Ghana
Abstract:- The research explored Coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic and online learning nexus in Colleges of Education in Ashanti-Brong Aha foregions (ASHBA),Ghana
Online survey was administered to 4,550 respondents out of an overall population of 10,466 students, selected from all the 13 Colleges of Education within ASHBA.
The respondents reiterated that 0.55 of their lecturers were familiar with online learning tools such as zoom, facebook live, moodle etc. The above average score of lecturers on handling e-learning tools was linked to a seminar organized by T-TEL in conjunction with Dr. Dimitrios Vlachopoulos of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences as facilitator. Similarly, a handful of 0.37 students preferred online tutorials to face to face, reiterating unreliable internet, high level of illiteracy in ICT education and inadequate funding for online studies as few of the constraints observed.
The researchers recommended that adequate public education be intensified for a holistic adoption and subsequent inculcation of online learning as part of the mainstream curriculum even after COVID-19. Additionally, Colleges of Education should find innovative ways of providing tablets/android phones with affordable data to all students/lecturers at a subsidized rate to facilitate the fervency of e-learning during, before and after crisis.
Key Words: COVID-19, Online Learning, T-TEL, Ghana
I. INTRODUCTION
The upsurge of Coronavirus(COVID-19), announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020 within the global stage has created the resurgence of online learning in Ghana’s educational sector. As the virus continues to spread at an exponential rate, government has since announced closure of all educational institutions thereby augmenting the popularity of online education in Ghana as many stakeholders continue to adopt pragmatic steps to maximize the time loss for learning at this crucial time.
