The Place of E-Learning in Africa's Institutions of Higher Learning
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The Place of E-Learning in Africa’s Institutions of Higher Learning Fredrick Muyia Nafukho College of Education and Health Professions, University of Arkansas, 100 Graduate Education Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
The paper seeks to accomplish four objectives. The first is to examine the need for e-learning in Africa’s institutions of higher learning. The second is to discuss the policy, institutional, pedagogical, copyright, and quality assurance issues that need to be addressed. The third is to critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning in African universities. The fourth is to provide a practical partnership model for design and successful delivery of e-learning programmes. To achieve these objectives, a critical analysis of relevant literature and case studies was conducted. The literature search included computerized search of accessible and available material on e-learning in Africa and world over, manual search of existing literature, and communication with key subject matter experts to locate published and unpublished studies. The results of the study show that e-learning has a future in Africa’s universities and that there is need to build e-learning programmes based on genuine partnerships from other successful partners within and without Africa. Higher Education Policy (2007) 20, 19–43. doi:10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300141 Keywords: African Universities; information and communication technologies; e-learning; distance education; quality assurance; higher education
Introduction Existing empirical evidence demonstrates that the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the instruction processes is spreading faster than any other form of curricula change and innovation in the world (Gilbert, 1997, http://ts.mivu.org). Thus, advances in technology have led to a paradigm shift in the instructional processes (Nafukho and Park, 2004). A key question to address right from the onset of this paper is what is e-learning? A thorough review of the literature revealed that e-learning environments can be of three types: (a) using e-learning instruction as a supplement to face-to face instruction; (b) using e-learning in a mixed mode with face-to-face instruction; and (c) using e-learning instruction instead of face-to-face instruction (Berge et al., 2000). As noted, ‘The online environments of the third type are referred to in the literature as web-based instruction, virtual learning, online learning
Fredrick Muyia Nafukho Place of E-Learning in Africa’s Institutions
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and e-learning’ (Mishra, 2002, 493). While the terms web-based and online instruction are mainly used in educational setting, the business world uses the term e-learning to refer to the training and education provided through the use of ICT. In this paper, the terms are used interchangeably. On the growing importance of e-learning, it is noted, ‘Online learning is attracting increased attention from individuals, school districts, higher education providers, and for-profit companies’
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