ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING CHALLENGES FACING THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT STUDENTS IN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

The emergence of the global pandemic Coronavirus has caused a sudden shift from the traditional approach of teaching to an online mode of teaching and learning (T&L) across the world. The sudden shift has not been without some challenges especially in the African context, particularly, South Africa with stubborn levels of inequalities and unequal access to opportunities. This paper aims to investigate and evaluate challenges associated with online teaching and learning with specific focus on Construction Management and Quantity Surveying (CMQS) students at Durban University of Technology (DUT). The paper adopted a quantitative research approach with 77 students from both undergraduate and postgraduate (Honours) participating from a higher institution of learning in South Africa. The key findings from quantitative results indicated that the class attendance, internet connections, lack of technical skills and lack of infrastructure support are key challenges facing the delivery of online learning and the academic performance of the students. Furthermore, these challenges were regrouped and classified into four groups namely technical, psychological, social and infrastructure challenges. This study revealed these challenges negatively impacts on the academic performance of students and the successful implementation of online learning. The study recommends that higher education institutions should develop strategic plans coupled with digital literacy and resources to equip both students and lecturers to address these challenges.