Online education heralds changes

The shift to empower people with accessible knowledge is well under way in Africa. A new report by e-Learning Africa says that many educational institutions on the continent are embracing information, communications and technology in the dissemination of learning materials in some shape or form.

But will these much-lauded initiatives accomplish what it is hoped they will? Will free or partly free online studies be a panacea for Africa's learning deficit? From a business education point of view, will online programs stimulate entrepreneurial growth and improve practical business acumen?

Research in this area is still scarce, but a recent study carried out by Businessweek showed that despite the rush by most top-tier institutions to get online, online certificates are not helping people find jobs, even though these certificates are from the likes of Stanford, Harvard and MIT.

Traditional degrees favoured

The big businesses remain steadfast about hiring people with traditional degrees, believing this equips people better for the working world.

The study says there are many things to consider if online education is going to replace traditional forms of education and be effective, especially in the African context, where unemployment is high, skills low, and access to education limited.

To be effective, online learning must be delivered in an appropriate way, based on an understanding of what learning is, how people learn, and why they feel the need to learn.

Simply making intellectual content available online will not necessarily result in learning. Learning is a complex process that takes place in the head of the learner, who engages with the material that is presented in a certain way and in a certain context.

A key part of this process is that people need to experience learning. They need to feel it happening, similar to an athlete who can feel the burn in his muscles as he trains. For learners this should happen through interaction with peers in the classroom, or back in the workplace, where learning is doing, where theory is put into practice.

In the online environment, it is crucial that learners be given the incentive to embark on this kind of experiential learning journey. Content must be delivered in a way that demands that learners try out what they are taught. Learning really only comes alive when it is given personal meaning. What is learned is only a small part of the equation. How the knowledge is used afterwards counts for everything.

The online education process is a blessing for the many who have little chance of gaining access to high-quality, credible educational material. But instead of blindly following the international rush ito get content online, higher learning institutions in Africa should become more rigorous about their roles and responsibilities in developing the intellectual capacity of nations.

If the aim is to empower more people to learn and to be effective in business, as entrepreneurs and in their chosen professions, any course of action that does otherwise is sterile.

Source: Financial Mail via I-Net Bridge