Enhancing institutional policies and frameworks for E learning: A case study of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Uniteted States International Africa
Abstract
The onset of Covid-19 has made learning online an important component of tertiary-level
education. However, for the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST),
the challenge has been the lack of a clear policy guiding teaching and learning within online
environments. Instructors seem to be unclear about which standards/policies are expected of
them when delivering instructions in online settings, and learners are equally unsure of the
ethics and responsibilities that come with online learning. This research thus sets out to address
this problem by developing frameworks for the institutionalization of a codified E-learning policy
for KNUST to guide/regulate online teaching and learning. The research adopted a convergent
parallel design in which qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Three key
institutional E-Learning innovators and 73 lecturers from different Departments and Colleges of
KNUST were conveniently and purposefully sampled to interview schedules and survey
questionnaires for data collection. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and coded.
Furthermore, a focused group discussion was conducted with seven level 400 students. The
quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistical methods (including standard
deviations, percentages, means, and graphs where appropriate). From our preliminary
qualitative results, participants agreed that existing policies and infrastructure in KNUST are
inadequate and do not fully address online teaching and learning needs. In terms of policy
recommendations, while teaching staff are concerned about and advocate for policies that
regulate learners’ ethical behavior within online learning spaces; learners are interested in
policies that regulate the ethical behavior of learners and those that specify standards of
teaching for facilitators. Some learners emphasized the need for policies to include adequate
support staff for each online learning activity to ensure that both learners and facilitators uphold
the standards. Seventy percent of the respondents indicated the need for designed institutional
sanctions for student misconduct during online teaching and learning engagements. Again,
more than 50% of respondents indicated the need for specific and clearer ethical and copyright
guidelines for online teaching and learning as well as clearer instructions regarding student
behavior within online teaching environments. The findings that emerge from this research seek
to make specific recommendations to address the barriers that hinder effective teaching and
learning in online environments. The authors hereby recommend that government institutions
such as the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission should strongly encourage stakeholder
discussions for a nationwide E-learning policy from which tertiary institutions could use as a
springboard in drafting policies/guidelines, policy audit, and conducting a needs assessment.
Description
This article is published by United States International Africa, 2024
Keywords
Citation
Uniteted States International Africa