Connectivity can bring quality education to all | Opinion | Mail & Guardian

"Equitable access to educational opportunities for all South Africans, coupled with enhanced chances of academic success – will we be able to deliver on this vision of the National Development Plan (NDP) in the next 15 years? It was with this challenge in mind that I attended the policy forum hosted by International Council for Open and Distance Education and Unesco in Bali late last year. Senior management in higher education gathered to discuss, among other things, the contribution of technology-enhanced higher education to the future education agenda and to the development of 21st-century sustainable societies. Our discussions focused on broadband connectivity and its potential to bridge education divides, transform learning and improve skills for a globalised economy. As an educator and sociologist, I shared in the discussions of the forum with guarded enthusiasm and cautious optimism. Unisa recently learnt the hard way how crippling the lack of affordable broadband connectivity can be. It has severely hampered Unisa’s ability to turn traditional distance learning into full-scale online education on our journey towards a definitive e-learning model. Hence the university has had to pursue a blended learning model across our academic offering. In practical terms, this means that some modules are offered through the traditional mode of printed courseware and others are available online – two entirely different learning modalities. The dire consequences of this hybrid model were comprehensively demonstrated during the industrial action last year by post office workers. Poor access to affordable broadband and information technology services mean that a significant number of our students, who still interact with the university by post, could not submit assignments on time (not to mention receive study materials) and assessed assignments and assignment solutions did not reach them in time to help them prepare for the final exams. It required innovative internal measures to safeguard the integrity of our academic programme and continue to provide a modicum of support for our students ..."