Caught off guard by covid 19 and the subsequent crisis of locking down world economies, education was among the most affected sectors, sending millions of children out of schools at all levels of the learning cycle. From March 2020 until the re-opening of education institutions in January 2022, Uganda had had the longest closure that saw over 15 million school going children staying home. However, given the prevailing social economic class divides, a few ‘privileged’ ones, embraced new learning fora to ensure educational continuity for their children. With this, came the new terminologies ‘synchronous and asynchronous’, which although common in other contexts, had not made it to the Ugandan vocabulary. The empirical article discusses the challenges and opportunities that presented with the ‘new normal’ to: 1) institutions of learning, 2) the instructors and 3) the learners. It is based on in-depth interviews with four (4) leaders of higher education institutions two private and two public, ten (10) lecturers and twenty (20) students. I also provide personal insights and lived experience as a teacher and parent during the two years of virtual instruction. On one hand, opportunities such as adaptation to change, lifelong learning and resilience are discussed. On the other hand, challenges of technological inadequacies anxiety, stress and monotony are highlighted. The paper suggests that institutions of learning should be better prepared for uncertainties, for instance, by building the institutional capacities, investing in technical resources and continued skilling for instructors if they are to remain relevant during emergencies.

Authors:
Alice Wabule, Cavendish University Uganda, Uganda

About the Presenter(s)
Dr ALICE WABULE is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at Cavendish University Uganda in Uganda

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