Abstract:
The aim of article is to analyse the remote teaching and learning
experiences of students, as expressed in online discussions among firstyear students at a South African university, to enhance understanding of
how learning remotely during Covid-19 lockdown affected students’
lives and their academic commitment. The article draws on data collected
from 45 students, mainly aged between 18 and 22, registered for an
academic literacy course. These students came from diverse racial,
socioeconomic and schooling backgrounds, although most were black
students. These participants’ Covid-19 and remote learning experiences
are used in this case study as qualitative datasets. To generate rich
narratives, a set of open-ended questions were designed and posted on
the course’s Blackboard page. The questions focused on the
socioeconomic, psychological and academic effects of Covid-19 during
the lockdown. At the end of the course, a thematic analytical approach
was used to identify and categorise participants’ online discussions into
key themes. The datasets were then interpreted through the lens of
predetermined concepts such as resilience, resilience and agency. The
data show that some students saw remote learning as an opportunity to
be creative and innovative, but for others, their socioeconomic situation
negatively affected their lives and academic commitment. Students’
remote teaching and learning experiences revealed moments of resilience
and agency, but also a deep sense of resignation to the socioeconomic and
psychological burdens of Covid-19. Based on these findings, this article
discusses some implications for the future of higher education in South
Africa and recommends possibilities for further research.
