An analysis of e-learning as a mode of curriculum implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic in selected Zambian universities: practices, standards and applicability.
Date
2025
Authors
Mphande, Brian
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
University education is an important aspect that needs to be accessible to everyone. E-learning is one mode of ensuring access to education but requires well defined policies and standards to guide technologies, applicability, methodologies, as well as technological infrastructure. In Zambia,
however, the extent to which e-learning should be integrated as a mode of curriculum implementation in universities had been left undefined. This cultivated concerns over the quality of university education provided by universities through e-learning across all study programmes. This study sought to analyse e-learning as a mode of curriculum implementation in Zambian universities to inform and guide the practices, standards, and applicability of e-learning amid the lack of concrete policies and standards on ICT selection and pedagogy. For comprehensiveness, the study was guided by three theories, the ‘E-learning Systems’ Theoretical Framework’; the Community of Inquiry (Col); and the ‘Online Collaborative Learning’ (OCL) theory. Guided by the Pragmatic research paradigm, the Mixed Methods approach, and particularly the Convergent Parallel Design, both interview guides and questionnaires were employed as data collection tools. There were 255 participants in total, out of whom 240 were randomly sampled undergraduate
university students, 8 senior university lecturers, 6 university ICT administrators, and 1 Quality Assurance Director from HEA. The 6 universities, which included both public and private universities, were arrived at by clustering them into 3 groups from which 2 universities were randomly sampled. Collected qualitative and quantitative data sets were analysed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics, respectively. Findings showed that e-learning practices varied across universities primarily due to classifications of programmes offered in universities, investments made by universities in ICT, as well as computer literacy among students and lecturers. Universities developed their own policies to guide e-learning implementation using
guidance from HEA. It was also evident that e-learning had the most limitations in the delivery of natural science-based content, while it was effective in the delivery of social science-based programmes. Blended learning and synchronous modes were also confirmed as the most effective and applicable modes of learning virtually, while 93.7% of students recommended learner-centred methodologies, along with lecturers. The converging of qualitative and quantitative data led to the establishment of a framework for implementing e-learning in Zambia that centres on the Virtual
Learning Environment (VLE) being informed by students, lecturers and content. It was concluded that the applicability of e-learning should be defined with respect to programmes of study in universities. The study also led to the recommendations of having HEA co-create e-learning policies with universities, restricting the application of e-learning to programmes with suitable pedagogical approached, as well as having HEA provide comprehensive technological standards to guide LMS adoptions.
Key Words: Blended Learning, E-learning, E-learning Framework, Curriculum Implementation, Learning Management Systems, Virtual Learning Environment.
Description
Thesis of Master of Education in Curriculum Studies.