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Unintended consequences of online teaching
Author: Riaan J Rudman
Published: 29/10/2021

The article entitled Emergency online remote learning's unintended consequences by Prof Riaan Rudman was published in University World News (Africa Edition) on 28 October 2021. Here is a short excerpt:

In 2020, the higher education sector, notoriously known for reacting slowly to change, was forced to 'pivot' towards the emergency online remote learning space. Some did it well, others did not.

Lecturers and students learned how to use new tools overnight. Tertiary institutions made structural changes, not only to physical infrastructure, but also to how they operate.

Lecturers, students and administrators innovated, adapted, and in the process, they tacitly agreed to waive various rights and due processes to ensure the transition to online learning was successful, because there wasn't enough time to consider the consequences.

As is the case with any new technology implementation, organisations had not caught up with all the changes during the initial stages of the pandemic. Universities were no exception.

Despite the changed context in which lecturers worked, the traditional academic and professional expectations on staff remain unchanged. Staff had to navigate a new world of life and work.

They had to balance personal and professional decisions, as well as the added responsibility of the governance of disruptive technologies. Streaming and recording lectures undoubtedly hold benefits, but also risks.

Notwithstanding the practical issues relating to online learning in a developing country, such as stable electricity supply, reliable connectivity and unequal access to resources and education, there are risks relating to streaming and recording lecturers which gather around three themes, namely teaching practices, student experience and institutional strategies and responsibilities.

  • To read the full article, please click here.

  • Riaan J Rudman is an associate professor at the SU School of Accountancy. This article is based on his paper 'Understanding the unintended consequences of online teaching' published recently in the South African Journal of Higher Education.

  • Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash