The aim of the presentation is to identify key considerations and lessons from a Zambian perspective in the TVET sector of the role of curriculum development for online learning

1. Curriculum Development for Online Learning:
Considerations and Lessons from the Zambian
TVET Sector Landscape
Gabriel S. Konayuma
Ministry of Technology and Science, Zambia
BA. Ed., (UNZA), MBA (MANCOSA), MEd. (UCT)
Presented at the Quality Learning Conference in Durban
21 September 2021

2. OUTLINE
▪ Introduction & Background
▪ Aim of Paper
▪ Objectives
▪ Theoretical Framework
▪ Literature Review
▪ Methodology
▪ Findings
▪ Discussion
▪ Conclusions and Recommendations
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3. INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
▪ From the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, there has been a shift of learning from
mainly face-to-face learning to blended learning and/or online learning in the
technical education and vocational training (TVET) sector.
▪ A number of Zambian learning institutions were unprepared for this shift.
▪ Those that offered TVET programmes through ODFL were better prepared.
▪ However, In most learning institutions, the curricula was tailored for face-to-face
learning institutions.
▪ As the COVID-19 pandemic lasted longer than anticipated, learning institutions
were faced with the challenge on how to transform traditional in-person learning
to blended and online learning.
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4. INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
▪ The Ministry of Higher Education directed TVET institutions to close during the
first, second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and offer TVET
programmes through distance and online learning.
▪ However, a number of institutions faced a number of challenges such as
inadequate or inappropriate devices amongst students and some staff (especially
in rural areas), lack of or poor/erratic power supply, lack of digital literacy amongst
students and teaching staff, lack of or poor Internet connectivity and high data
costs.
▪ Using curricula and learning materials meant for face-to-face or in-
person to deliver online and distance learning for TVET programmes.
▪ The role of curriculum development for online learning is quite key.
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5. AIM
▪The aim of the paper is to identify key
considerations and lessons from a Zambian
perspective in the TVET sector of the role of
curriculum development for online learning.
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6. OBJECTIVES
▪ Identify the key theories of online learning
▪ Identify the key benefits of online learning for TVET programmes.
▪ Identify the key challenges of online learning for TVET programmes
▪ Recommend changes required to curriculum development that is suitable for online
learning
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7. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
▪ The Community of InquiryTheoretical Framework (Garrison, Anderson and
Archer, 2000) is used as a structure for the process of online learning.
▪ The Community of Inquiry (CoI), a model of inquiry-based teaching and
learning, is based on the work of John Dewey and constructivist views of
experiential learning.
▪ Research has shown that there is a relationship between the three presences and
students’ perceived learning, satisfaction with the course, satisfaction with the
instructor, actual learning, and sense of belonging (Akyol & Garrison, 2008;
Arbaugh, 2008; Richarsson , et. Al., 2017).
▪ The paper discusses how the three presences of the CoI framework (social
presence, cognitive presence and teaching presence) can be used to
inform curriculum development for online learning.
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8. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
▪ With the migration of vocational training institutions into an online-distance
form, a renewed interest in the CoI’s theoretical ideas in the pandemic-driven
educational spaces may be relevant.
▪ The CoI framework sets out three inter-linking and interdependent “presences” in
online learning spaces. They present the concepts of teaching presence, social
presence and cognitive presence in a Venn diagram (see Figure 1) with
overlapping spaces such as setting content, supporting discourse and setting
climate to characterise these overlapping areas.
▪ Teaching presence encompasses pedagogical action from the teacher such as
course design and organisation, catalyses discourses, and provides instruction.
▪ Social presence is set in motion by the instructor or included in discussion
tools embedded as part of the design of the course.
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9. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
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Fig. 1. Community of Inquiry Framework

10. LITERATURE REVIEW
Key theories of online learning
▪ Online learning is a subset of learning in general – thus, we can expect issues
relevant to how adults learn generally to also be relevant in an online learning
context (Herrington & Oliver, 1999).
▪ Effective learning environments are framed within the convergence of four
overlapping lenses. They argue that effective learning is community-centred,
knowledge-centred, learner-centred, and assessment-centred (Bransford, Brown
and Cocking (1999)).
▪ Learner-centred, according to Bransford and colleagues (1999), includes
awareness of the unique cognitive structures and understandings that learners
bring to the learning context.
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11. KEY THEORIES OF ONLINE LEARNING
▪ Knowledge-centred: John McPeck (2000) and other critical thinking theorists
argue that teaching general thinking skills and techniques is useless outside of a
particular knowledge domain in which they can be grounded.
▪ Assessment-centred: Quality online learning provides many opportunities for
assessment opportunities that involve the teacher, but also ones that exploit the
influence and expertise of peers and external experts, others that use simple and
complex machine algorithms to assess student learning, and perhaps most
importantly, those that encourage learners to reflectively assess their own
learning (Anderson, ).
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12. KEY THEORIES OF ONLINE LEARNING
▪ Community-centred: The community-centred lens allows us to include the critical
social component of learning in our online learning designs. Here we find
Vygotsky’s (2000) popular notions of “social cognition” relevant, as we consider
how students can work together in an online learning context to collaboratively
create new knowledge.
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13. BENEFITS OF ONLINE LEARNING
▪ No need to relocate
▪ Easier to achieve optimal school-life balance
▪ Makes it possible to keep one’s job
▪ Easier to concentrate and participate (University of St. Augustine, 2021).
▪ Convenience and flexibility
▪ Student enrichment
▪ Cost-effective choices (WorldWideLearn, 2021)
▪ Efficiency
▪ Accessibility of time and place
▪ Affordability
▪ Suits a variety of learning styles
▪ Improvement of student attendance (Gautam, 2020)
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14. CHALLENGES OF ONLINE LEARNING
▪ Inability to focus on screens
▪ Technology issues
▪ Sense of isolation
▪ Teacher training
▪ Managing screen time (Gautam, 2020)
▪ Computer literacy
▪ Adaptability struggle (Kumar, 2015)
▪ Understanding course expectations
▪ Uncertainty about the future (Friedman, 2020)
▪ Learning resource challenges
▪ Learning environment challenges (Barrot et. al, 2021)
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15. METHODOLOGY
▪ A qualitative study was used.
▪ Interviews were done by phone and in-person.
▪ A total of 7 participants took part in the study.
▪ 1 was from TEVETA (responsible for curriculum development) &
6 from TEVET institutions (responsible for curriculum implementation).
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16. FINDINGS: KEY BENEFITS OF ONLINE
LEARNING FOR TVET PROGRAMMES
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Benefit n
Accessibility 3
Efficiency 2
Continuity of learning 2
Promotion of green learning 2
Flexibility 2
Learning anytime 1
Access to OERs in various fields 1
Globalisation of learning 1
Teacher-student & student-student
interaction
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17. KEY CHALLENGES OF ONLINE LEARNING
FOR TVET PROGRAMMES
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Challenge n
Digital skills for both teachers & learners 4
Affordability of Internet & devices 3
Lack of Internet 3
Lack of devices 3
Reliable Internet connectivity 2
Lack of eLearning Assessments 1
Low perception from industry 1
Lack of policy direction 1

18. DISCUSSION
▪ Lack of digital skills for both teachers and learners is a major challenge.
▪ Lack of capacity in use of technology for teaching and learning ODFL poses a
challenge in effective teaching and assessing of TEVET programmes taught online
and via distance learning in TVET;
▪ Addressing the curriculum for teacher training to include technology-enabled
learning or
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19. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT SUITABLE FOR ONLINE
LEARNING
Recommendations
Integrate ICTs in education (use of Edtech) in Teacher training
programmes.
Provide Internet enabled learning centres for online learning.
Inclusion of ICTs in education in the curriculum.
Blended Learning delivery: Teach theory online and practical's
in-person.
Emphasis on internships/attachments for online learning programmes.
Creation of e-Learning specialists in colleges.
Wider consultation with stakeholders
Enhance technical skills of delivering online.
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20. THANK YOU
▪ Gabriel Konayuma
▪ Email: gkonayuma@gmail.com
▪ LinkedIn: Gabriel Konayuma
▪ Twitter: @GabrielKonayuma
▪ Slideshare: https://www.slideshare.net/GabKon
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