Exploring space, place and distanced education through the experiences of staff and students during and post the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of a historically black university in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on higher education environments, both during and post-pandemic, in particular on previously disadvantaged, historically black universities (HBUs). One of its impacts was the imposed transition of academic staff and students at residential universities to online instruction, a measure necessitated by the social distancing regulations at the time. Five years postpandemic, the restrictions on face-to-face instruction have long been removed, yet many institutions have retained hybrid models of teaching and learning in which faceto-face and virtual elements are blended. There is a growing focus on digital integration in education, with universities developing policies and implementing strategies to support students and academics to navigate digital integration. In light of the temporary removal from place due to pandemic restrictions, this study sought to investigate the effects of online teaching and learning on students and academics at an HBU in the Eastern Cape. The study explored participants’ perceptions of their transformed higher educational experience, and preferences. It investigated the challenges faced, the strategies employed and the ways in which spatial and socioeconomic backgrounds and factors influenced these experiences and perceptions. This study employed a qualitative dominant mixed-method research design, with data collected using questionnaires distributed to staff and students. The findings revealed that, having experienced both in-person and online learning, students and staff prefer face-to-face instruction. This was mostly a result of the digital divide in HBUs that led to students’ and staffs’ dependence on campus-based facilities like Wi-Fi and libraries. This highlighted that the digital divide and accessibility issues extend beyond the matter of being temporarily removed from familiar places, as happened during the pandemic. The findings emphasized that for HBUs, stable, place-bound education is the most effective format for teaching and learning, as infrastructural challenges hinder at-home online learning in rural settings. The study noted that participants’ negative experiences on being temporarily removed from place exposed the extent of the impacts of already existing spatial and socio-economic challenges that shape HBUs. Thus, HBU academic staff and students cannot afford to lose access to place-based education.

Ubhubhane lwe-COVID-19 lube nomthelela omkhulu ezindaweni zemfundo ephakeme, kubalwa ngesikhathi sobhubhane nangaphambi kobhubhane, ikakhulukazi kulabo abantulayo, ngokomlando amanyuvesi abamnyama (ama-HBUs). Eyodwa yemithelela kwakuwushintsho lomthetho owabekwa kubasebenzi kanye nabafundi ezindaweni zokuhlala kwizikhungo kuya kumyalelo wokufunda oku-online, umyalelo owadalwa yimigomo ye-social distancing ngaleso sikhathi. Ngemuva kweminyaka emihlanu yokudlula kobhubhane, imigomo yokuhlanganyela ubuso nobuso yayisisusiwe kudala, yize izikhungo eziningi zasebenzisa izindlela ezixubile zokufundisa kanye nokufunda lapho ukuhlanganyela ubuso nobuso kanye nokufunda oku-online kwakuxutshiwe. Kuya ngokukhula ukugxila ekuhlanganisweni kwemfundo edijithali, lapho amanyuvesi ethuthukisa imigomo futhi eqamba amasu ukweseka abafundi ngokusebenzisa ukuhlanganiswa okudujithali. Ngenxa yokugudluzwa kwesikhashana endaweni kuya kwimigomo yobhubhane, lolucwaningo lihlose ukuphenya imithelela yokufunda nokufundisa oku-online kubafundi nezifundiswa zeHBU e-Eastern Cape. Lolucwaningo lubheka uvo lwababambiqhaza mayelana nezehlo eziza nenguquko kwimfundo ephakeme. Luphenye izingqinamba ababhekana nazo, amasu asetshenzisiwe kanye nezindlela izimvelaphi zasemiphakathini ezibe nomthelela kulezi zehlo kanye nendlela ababuka ngayo. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzisa ucwaningo lwezinhlobo ezixubile ze-qualitative, idatha yaqoqwa ngosizo lwamaphepha okufaka imibuzo ahanjiswe kubasebenzi nakubafundi. Imiphumela iveze ukuthi ngemuva kokusebenzisa indlela yokufunda ubuso nobuso kanye nokufunda oku-online, abafundi kanye nothisha baqoka ukufunda ubuso nobuso. Lokhu kwakuvame kakhulu ngenxa yomehluko wedijithali ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme yama-HBU okwaholela ekutheni abafundi kanye nabasebenzi bathembele kwizinsiza ezise-campus ezifana ne-Wi-Fi kanye nemitapo yolwazi. Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi ukuhlukaniswa kwedijithali nezinkinga zokufinyelela kudlula udaba lokususwa okwesikhashana ezindaweni ezijwayelekile, njengoba kwenzeka ngesikhathi sobhubhane. Imiphumela igcizelele ukuthi kuma-HBU, imfundo ezinzile, ethintwe indawo iyindlela yokufundisa nokufunda ephumelela kakhulu, njengoba izinselelo zesakhiwo zivimba ukufunda ku-inthanethi ekhaya ezindaweni zasemaphandleni. Ucwaningo luphawule ukuthi ulwazi olungeluhle lwababambiqhaza ngokususwa okwesikhashana endaweni lukhombise umthelela omkhuluwezinkinga ezikhona zasezindaweni nakwezomnotho ezakha ama-HBU. Ngakho-ke, abasebenzi bezemfundo nabafundi be-HBU abakwazi ukulahlekelwa ukufinyelela kwimfundo esekelwe endaweni.

Umbululazwe we-COVID-19 ube nomthelela omkhulu eendaweni zefundo ephakamileko, ngesikhathi nangemva kombulalazwe, khulukhulu emayunivesithi ebekade angewabantu abamnyama [historically black universities (HBUs)], adinywe amathuba ngaphambilini. Omunye wemithelela yawo kwaba litjhuguluko elikatelelekileko labasebenzi bezefundo kunye nabafundi lokusuka ekufundeleni emayunivesithi baye ekufundeni nge-inthanethi, igadango elalikatelelwa kugadungana ngaleso isikhathi. Sele kudlule iminyaka emihlanu ngemva kombulalazwe, kanti nemikhawulo yokufundisa ubuso nobuso yasuswa kade, kodwana amaziko amanengi asasebenzisa iindlela ezihlangeneko zokufundisa nokufunda lapha ukufundisa ubuso nobuso kuhlanganiswa nokufundisa ngeinthanethi. Liyakhula itjhejo lokuhlanganisa idijithali kezefundo, lapha amayunivesithi athuthukisa imithetholawulo namaqhinga wokuyisebenzisa ukusekela abafundi nabafundisi bakghone ukusebenzisa ukuhlanganiswa kwedijithali. Njengombana kwaba nokususwa kwesikhatjhana endaweni ngebanga lemikhawulo eyeza nombulalazwe, isifundo lesi sihlose ukurhubhulula imithelela yokufundisa nokufunda nge-inthanethi ebafundini nebafundisini bezefundo eHBU ese-Eastern Cape. Irhubhululo leli lihlolisise imibono yabahlanganyeli ngelemuko labo elitjhugulukileko ngefundo ephakamileko nalokho abakukhethako. Liphenye ngeentjhijilo ekuhlangenwe nazo, amaqhinga asetjenzisiweko neendlela ubujamo bendawo nomnotho wezehlalakuhle kube nomthelela wamalemuko nemibono leyo. Isifundo lesi sisebenzise indlela yokurhubhulula ehlangeneko nedzimelele kukhwalithi, lapha idatha ibuthelelwe ngokusebenzisa amapahepha wemibuzo anikelwa abasebenzi bezefundo nabafundi. Imiphumela itjengisa bonyana abafundi nabasebenzi bakhetha indlela yokufunda ubuso nobuso, ngemva kwamalemuko walokhu kokubili ukufunda ubuso nobuso kunye nokufunda nge-inthanethi. Lokhu kubangelwa khulu kuhlukaniswa yidijithali ema-HBU obekwenza abafundi nabafundisi bathembele eensetjenzisweni ezisekhamphasi ezinjenge-Wi-Fi namalayibhrari. Lokhu kuveze bonyana imiraro yokuhlukaniswa yidijithali nokufumaneka kwayo kungale komraro wokususwa kwesikhatjhana eendaweni ezijayelekileko, njengalokha kwenzeka ngesikhathi sombulalazwe. Imiphumela igandelela kobana ifundo yema-HBU enzinzileko nedzimelele endaweni iyindlela esebenzako yokufundisa nokufunda, ngombana imiraro yemithangalasiseko iliya ukufunda usekhaya nge-inthanethi eendaweni zemakhaya. Irhubhululo leli litjheje kobana amalemuko amambi wabahlanganyeli ngokususwa kwesikhatjhana endaweni kuveze ubukhulu bemithelela yeentjhijilo ezibumba ama-HBU ebevele zikhona zeendawo kunye nomnotho wezehlalakuhle. Ngalokho-ke, abasebenzi bezefundo nabafundi angeze bakghona ukulahlekelwa kufumaneka kwefundo edzimelele endaweni.