Dear All
The digital divide is a phenomenon that has known different stages since technology prevailed in societies. This phenomenon has been common in higher education, too. Some universities have adopted ICT as a must but others, especially in developing countries, lag behind. The circumstances of the spread of COVID 19 have pushed many campuses to think about resorting to online input. However, there are countries that need some time to get ready for implementing such a solution and others that will implement it hastily. In either case, technology may result in more harm than good! Do you think the online solution is doable in your country? What are the benefits and the risks? In these circumstances, is half a solution better than quite a comprehensive one?
AB
No, no scholar of educational technology will tell you that an emergency will make it easier, what an emergency does is multiply the mistakes and make the mistake more easier to institutionalize. It will be years before education using technology recovers from this situation.
I think the world of knowledge is beginning to take great strides, so all means are available
The technology integration for learning may get smoothened when there is a desperate need to avoid human contact for personal safety.
Hi Abdelmajid,
In Morocco, the experience of covid19 has made me draw the conclusion that the digital divide can also be observed at a local level among the managers, the practitioners and learning institutions. Thus, the crisis has seen some managers, especially those who have already had training in E-learning and those who work in the private sector, react abruptly to ensure online learning for their students and to boost the skills of their partners, whereas those managers (school headmasters, Deans etc.) who have never had experience with E-learning tools and resources have gone 'radio-silent' and took longer to react. Overall, it can be said that- of course based on my personal observation- the solution has been hastily resorted to as you mentioned but a large number of professors and learners were not ready for it. There is, therefore, 1- lack of systemic and strategic thinking; 2-Very little or even lack of leadership (taking initiatives, Influencing others to embrace the change etc) 3- lack of coordination and flexibility; 4- prevalence of bureaucracy and central management (which is not aligned with the requirements of the crisis we are going through and does not provide effective results when it comes to adopting digital solutions); 4- Lack of communication especially from top management (the change has of course seen resistance from a group of people mainly professors who felt reluctant about adopting a digital solution. This group of people require special mentoring and follow up but as far as I know nothing has been done at this level. This leaves us with scattered individual initiatives taken by professors who felt the need to react and either hone their digital skills or take up internet courses to learn from scratch. At the public level, lack of readiness at different levels of the crisis management has resulted in not even half a solution but an awkward attempt to deal with this situation. While this attempt might be credited as a responsive reaction to a crisis, it fails to capture the needs of the moment at many levels.
It has changed the dimension of teaching to digital mode although controversies are their regarding its merit