COVID-19 Pandemic in Higher Education: Critical Role of Emerging Technologies in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 affects Zimbabwe’s education sector leading to disruption of teaching and learning activities across the country. Though there are positive results from the implemented COVID-19 measures, however, higher institutions remained closed as cases continue escalating. COVID-19 poses tremendous challenges in higher institutions and opportunities to revise education policies and adopting emerging technologies for teaching and learning purposes are not yet explored in Zimbabwe. Therefore, this study aimed at providing a special reflection of the effects of COVID-19 in higher education and their responses to the pandemic to ensure safe re-opening. Also, the paper presents the critical role of emerging technologies in teaching and learning. To achieve that we applied literature search of memos, reports from the Ministry of Higher Education, COVID-19 reports and guidelines and articles from Google Scholar, Elsevier and Web of Science. The study revealed that there is significant progress in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and reopening is inevitable. The study recommends colleges and universities improve internet bandwidth, provision of psychosocial support services, create hybrid learning model, increase Wi-Fi access points, change of learning and pedagogical policies, implementation of phased learning approach and training of staff and students as institutions of learning reopen.

Keywords: COVID-19, Teaching and Learning, Emerging Technologies