Hybrid Education, Pedagogical Continuity and Instructional Efficiency amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cameroon Universities
- July 26, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue VI, June 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186
MUKUM Cenotar Engwari (Msc), MATSIDA KAMTA Marcelle Annie (Msc)
Research Assistant, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovations(MINRESI)
Abstract: The advent and propagation of the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted a big blow on the manner in which knowledge is imparted and acquired across the globe. While some schools and universities have simply been shutdown, most Cameroon universities have resorted to the adoption of both online and offline ways of course delivery to students as a means to ensure pedagogical continuity. The question that arises however is, what are the impacts of hybrid education model in Cameroon universities? This study therefore examines the opportunities and challenges relating thereto. It is a mixted study, involving interviews and questionnaires. The content analyses approach was used with the help of Homi Bhabha’s Hybridity theory and results revealed that in as much as instructors and learners were not adequately prepared to cope with the situation and there is an acute shortage of technological infrastructures and facilities to sustain effective teaching-learning, the COVID-19 pandemic period is disruptive in the positive sense and innovative as it has ‘upskilled’ and reconfigured their previous practices. From these results, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic period is both a curse and blessing to Cameroon university instructors and students.
Key words: Hybrid education, Pedagogical continuity, Instructional efficiency, COViD-19 pandemic, and University.
I. INTRODUCTION
At the close of the year 2019, the World was hit by a virus that mankind has never experienced. This disease is said to be caused by acute respiratory syndrome, Corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It appeared in Wuhan-China and succeeded to take away the lives of a few thousand Chinese within the first fifty days of appearance and spread. It later spread worldwide; hence, calling international attention. On March 12th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the corona virus disease a pandemic and named itCOVID-19 (Shereen and al., 2020). According to the same source, the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on March 18th 2020 estimated that about 107 countries had implemented national school closures due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. On a whole, the pandemic has affected about 1.38 billion learners all over the world (UNESCO, 2020).The yet to be eradicated COVID-19 pandemic is severely affecting economies and educational systems around the globe. See illustration below:
