Technology has taken center stage in our lives. Technology has also transformed how university students and lecturers learn. Before 2020, some institutions have already shifted to some type of online teaching and learning. Then, with the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, computerized education became widespread in many regions of the world.

Yet, universities alone cannot provide technology platforms. People who impart knowledge, such as lecturers, must be skilled. They must also be able to adequately support their students through any difficulties associated with online education platforms.

Most students entering higher education in South Africa, as in many developing countries, are unfamiliar with online learning. Then again, who doesn't? Students have difficulty navigating university learning management systems. The dilemma is made worse when instructors don't have the abilities needed to facilitate classes and tutorials online. This lack of abilities on the part of their professors might have a negative impact on students' performance and achievement.

I did a study to investigate how lecturers' e-learning skills, expertise, and experience effect student support. The study focused on the largest open distance e-learning institution on the African continent. It does not provide any face-to-face instruction. Prior to the pandemic, instruction used a blended learning technique in which written materials were mailed to students while others accessed them online through the university's learning management system.

As a result, its teaching staff should be especially skilled at using online technology to teach and support pupils. My participants were academic staff employees who had completed a training program to improve their digital skills.I also gathered input from students' discussion boards to determine how their learning experiences differed when their lecturers were technically minded vs when they were not.


Before the training, I discovered that most professors lacked the knowledge and digital skills required for open distance e-learning. This had a considerable detrimental impact on their opinions toward the use of technology in the classroom. It also limited their ability to effectively serve students. The capacity-building program they completed, on the other hand, significantly enhanced their digital literacy. It also helped to change their perceptions.

My findings show that institutions should provide continual professional development in distance education and e-learning to their faculty. This would enable professors to provide better support to students and increase the quality of their learning experiences.

What I found

The research focuses on digital abilities created through an international collaboration aimed at increasing academics' capacity for e-learning. Previous studies had already proven that these types of collaborations were an effective way of providing academics with knowledge in information and communication technologies. This is due to the fact that facilitators from developed countries, who have a comparatively extensive experience, access, and knowledge of online learning technology and practices, are better placed to assist people in developing countries such as South Africa.

I gathered information from participants in a variety of ways, including interviews and online questionnaires. Between 2013 and 2015, the academic staff I worked with all took part in a capacity-building program given through a collaboration between the University of South Africa and the University of Maryland Global Campus.

In addition, I examined over 1,000 student messages on online discussion boards about two modules posted on the university's learning management system.

The majority of my participants claimed the course helped them better understand distance education theories. It also allowed them to utilize those notions while developing learning materials and conducting online learning. They also felt empowered to promote student participation by building online student groups, for example. The study found that a lecturer's lack of online facilitation skills can negatively effect learner outcomes. Lecturers cannot teach students abilities or facts that they do not possess: you can't teach what you don't know.

Steps to take

Based on my findings, I suggest that universities, whether they are partially or fully online, should:

  • conduct institution-wide surveys to assess the readiness of academic staff for online teaching. The feedback can inform skills development plans and support systems both for academic and support staff.

  • create a platform for staff members who complete online teaching training programmes to share information and their experiences. This will contribute to the wider implementation of e-learning. Staff members who complete formal e-learning training programmes also need to be strategically co-opted in research, discussions, and projects within the university to share their knowledge more widely.

  • ensure that staff are properly trained and prepared to adapt and to adopt new technologies

  • ensure that students are creatively and actively engaged using the digital platforms developed as part of e-learning programmes. This includes being visible on digital platforms such as discussion forums and actively interacting with the students.

Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any business or organization that would profit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant relationships beyond their academic post.

Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise is a lecturer at the University of South Africa.