"I'm Not against Online Teaching, but What about Us?": ICT in Ghana Post Covid-19

"With the limited access to ICT resources and institutional challenges in its implementation in Sub-Saharan countries such as Ghana, there is a need for the government and education sectors across the country to address contextual and environmental difficulties faced by needy and rural school students who are excluded from the e-learning platforms which are no fault of theirs."

Ghana's government has invested resources and initiated policies to ensure information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible to every student in Ghana because of its pivotal role in education. Despite these efforts, roadblocks remain: Ghana ranked 112th among 175 countries in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s global ICT development index in 2016, after being ranked 123rd in 2014. In the wake of the COVID-19, which has forced Ghana and many other countries and educational sectors to adopt online learning, issues around barriers to online learning and challenges with integrating ICT into schools for online learning have come strongly to the fore, especially in rural schools. This paper identifies critical factors that affect online learning, recommends post-COVID-19 strategies to promote e-learning, and presents a conceptual model for emergency transition to e-learning.

Barriers to e-learning in developing countries like Ghana that have been identified in literature include: high cost, inadequate infrastructure, lack of ICT skills, rejection of e-learning by faculty members, and lack of accessibility to quality internet connection and electricity. A literature review also illuminates some of the interrelated factors impacting ICT integration for e-learning, which include curriculum, teacher characteristics, training and development, infrastructure, school leadership, school culture, and a supportive framework.

The study adopted a qualitative method using a narrative inquiry approach. Specifically, the researcher conducted interviews using WhatsApp with 15 students from Greater Accra, Ashanti region, and Central region. They came from universities, teacher training schools, and nursing training schools.

Key results:

• Most of the students interviewed indicated that the online learning is the best alternative approach to teaching and learning during this pandemic. However, because of its spontaneous nature, and not an approach to education carefully thought of by school leaders and the government, they felt online learning was not effective as they hoped for. Many believe difficulty with internet access and network challenges will result in a negative effect on learning outcomes.
• Among the barriers they described: high cost, breakdown of the online platform, need to secure their own ICT tools (e.g., phones and laptops), lack of experience with or knowledge of the online mode of learning, poor internet access, and insufficient electricity.
• Many students indicated that orientation of teachers and students on ICT for teaching and learning is integral for successful integration of online learning in schools. Some called for the provision of ICT tools for schools and students who can't afford them. Students mentioned that school leaders should liaise with the government to improve online learning; they believed school leaders could act as a channel for their voices to be heard. They also said that increasing motivation of both teachers and students would improve online learning.

In addition to past studies on the matter, respondents' viewpoints shaped the following list of post-COVID-19 strategies to promote e-learning:

• Providing electricity - Solar power gadgets and human-powered electricity have emerged as promising solutions to the increasing digital divide as a result of lack of electric supply.
• Fostering acceptance of e-learning - Some strategies include: improving instructor and student self-efficacy, increasing media literacy (such as the use of social media), providing opportunities for collaborative e-learning, and communicating a clear paedagogical rationale for online teaching that is rooted in an instructor's personal philosophy of teaching and learning.
• Conducting user-need analysis for adaptive e-learning - Adaptive e-learning has to do with the personalisation of e-learning in accordance with individual user's knowledge and behaviour, and one way to ensure that is by taking into account the learning styles of individual learners when creating, selecting, and evaluating e-learning platforms.
• Boosting users' digital literacy - Training should be provided for both learners and instructors. School leaders can ensure students develop their own skills by: supporting them during orientation activities on technology, facilitating peer learning, and encouraging them to use personal technology. Course facilitators should be trained on computer literacy, for example.
• Ensuring infrastructure and technical support - Studies have shown that availability of telecentres that are equipped with computers and internet connectivity in poor rural communities can help in the integration of ICT in developing countries. Ideally, e-learning centres would be staffed with professionals such as technology specialists, media, administrators, and faculty support specialists.
• Securing funding - Institutions that are new to online learning can charge some type of fee (convenience fee) or online tuition rate.
• Building motivation - Incentives and reward systems can motivate teachers and students to engage smoothly in e-learning.
• Establishing supervision and evaluation processes - For example, feedback of users on e-platforms can help evaluate the success of e-learning, which can inform school leaders on what to include in subsequent workshops.
• Considering blended learning - A combination of online and face-to-face interaction could mitigate the challenge associated with geographical distance.

Finally, the paper presents a conceptual model for emergency e-learning course creation. Adapted from Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso (TTUHSC EP) in the context of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the model suggests that for successful implementation and sustenance of e-learning programmes in emergencies, school leaders should: first, inform faculty leaders about available resources and the best method to ensure the transition; create a simulation course, train and assist faculty/staff, and incorporate their feedback and suggestions; submit the course; and set up an e-learning compliance committee (eLCC) to conduct peer evaluation and to acquire copyright permissions to keep the e-learning platform functioning. (See figure above.)

In conclusion: "Overall, findings of the study provide novel insights for educators and policymakers for the transition and usage of e-learning in the and post COVID-19 pandemic....It is...vital for stakeholders in education to integrate ICT in education in Ghana, and implement realistic and rigorous ICT policies to ensure effective online learning where the needs of both urban, urban poor, and rural students are taken into consideration. The author recommend[s] that future research examine the effectiveness, challenges of e-learning and ICT integration in other contexts [and] support their findings in literature with empirical evidence using a quantitative approach with a large sample."