COVID-19’s Impact on the Student Learning Process in Rwandan Higher Education Institutions

The coronavirus pandemic has not only challenged health systems, buthas also had a significant impact on education systems across the globe.This study analysed COVID-19’s impact on the student learning processin Higher Education Institutions in Rwanda. A quantitative research designwas adopted and pragmatism was selected as the research philosophy.Primary data was collected from 1 170 students in 30 institutions using aclosed-ended questionnaire. The data was analysed using descriptive andinferential statistical tools. The results indicate that the pandemic has led tochanges in the academic calendar, suspension of examinations, and final yearstudents being unable to conduct research and serve internships. Ithas also affected the quality of learning and learning from peers due tosocial distancing. Students in rural areas and those from vulnerable familieshave been worst affected. Key words: COVID-19, learning, higher education institutions, onlinelearning, students

The Methodological Consistency of Master’s of Education Dissertations at Eduardo Mondlane University (2013 - 2018)

This study examined the methodological consistency of Master of Educationdissertations defended at Eduardo Mondlane University (EMU) from 2013 to2018 using the typology of educational research proposed by Postlethwaite(2005), Norman et al. (2002), and Creswell (2012). The qualitative, comparativestudy employed a grounded theory design. Data were gathered from apurposive sample of 33 dissertations, available on the university’s OpenInstitutional Repository. Coding and anonymous analysis were performedof the dissertations’ title, research methodology, and findings. The findingsreveal that a large number of these dissertations are not methodologicallyconsistent and thus do not lay the foundation for further research and otherinterventions for school improvement. They thus point to the need to improve the quality of supervision and research in postgraduate studies in Education at EMU.Key words: EMU, Master’s dissertations, educational research, methodologicalconsistency, supervision

Social Innovation in the Academic Curricula of Chemical Science Degrees in South Africa

Social innovation is growing internationally and is a focus area for sub-Saharan Africa. While studies have been conducted on the factors thatcontribute to the failure to incorporate social innovation in academic curricula,there is a paucity of such research in the South African context, especially inrelation to university curricula. This qualitative study explored chemicalscientists’ perceptions on the interventions required to introduce socialinnovation to the academic curricula of the chemical science degree inSouth African universities. Semi-structured interviews were conductedwith 14 chemical scientists and the data was analysed using thematicanalysis. The key findings included the overall lack of awareness andunderstanding of social innovation and the social challenges confrontingSouth Africa. These factors hamper the development of sustainableacademic curricula, effective community engagement and societal change.Furthermore, academic institutions’ reluctance to embrace change is causefor concern. Key words: Social innovation, chemical sciences, academic curriculum,South African universities

Continuous Workplace-based Assessment as an Indication of Clinical Competence in Paediatric Dentistry

An authentic workplace setting provides the ideal opportunity for assessmentof students’ clinical competence at the ‘does’ level of performance.Final-year dental students in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at theUniversity of the Western Cape are evaluated in the clinical environmenton a daily basis through multiple clinical evaluations which assess clinicaland diagnostic skills over a year. An additional end-of-module clinicalassessment in the form of a single-blinded patient case (BPC) determines ifstudents have reached the expected level of clinical competence in terms ofpatient evaluation and diagnosis. However, the reliability and feasibility ofthis single end-of-module clinical case have been questioned in this setting.This study aimed to determine if the current continuous workplace-basedassessment (WPBA) results could be used as an indication of final-yearstudents’ clinical competence at the end of the module. A retrospective,quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted of all complete assessmentrecords. The correlation between the continuous WPBA components wasanalysed together with an evaluation of the reliability and validity of theassessment results. The continuous formative WPBA practices were foundto be both valid and reliable when using Kane’s (2013) and Royal’s (2017)frameworks for analysis. However, the BPC should be reconsidered due tofeasibility and reliability concerns. Key words: Dental education, Paediatric Dentistry, clinical skills, workplace,summative, formative, continuous assessment

The Impact of Tertiary Students' Entry Characteristics and their Academic Performance

This article examines the effect of tertiary students’ entry characteristicson academic performance using the ‘value added’ approach and METPolytechnic, Ghana as a case study. The input-process–output-contextframework presented in the Global Monitoring Report (2005) by Scheerenswas used to select appropriate variables for the study. The studyfocused on three generic courses - African Studies, Communicative Skills,and Computer Literacy. Data from different sources, including secondarydata and administrative records from the Polytechnic were analysed usingmultilevel analysis. The overall effect of the selected variables was mixedand outcomes specific. For example, English language impacted positivelyon African Studies but negatively on second-semester Computer Literacy,while age and gender had a negative effect on first-semester ComputerLiteracy. Although the findings may not directly benefit analogous institutions,several lessons, including the need to create appropriate institutionaldatasets for future comparisons across institutions can be learnt. Key words: Age, gender, department context, previous achievement, SES,‘value added’.

Experiences of Student Affairs Professionals in Facilitating Co-Curricular Leadership Development Programmes in South African Universities

Despite the important role that student affairs practitioners play in supportinguniversities to produce well-rounded graduates, few studies have beenconducted on their lived experiences. This article examines the challengesconfronted by these professionals in interacting with student leadersand facilitating leadership programmes in South African universities. Aqualitative methodology was adopted and semi-structured interviews wereconducted with 20 student affairs practitioners responsible for facilitatingstudent leadership development programmes. A focus group discussionwas also held with six student affairs experts. The findings point to a lackof seamlessness in the structure, staffing, and operation of these programmes,as well as a lack of university support to professionalise student affairs.Furthermore, student leadership development programmes werefound to lack proper theoretical grounding. Key words: Student leadership development programmes, students,student affairs professionals

Is Transition from Secondary to Tertiary Education Less Likely among Black South Africans than their Non-Black Counterparts in the Democratic Dispensation?

Education provides the building blocks for skills development for acountry’s labour market. Investment in education is hence an importantdeterminant of economic growth and has been associated with various economicbenefits. However, non-transition to tertiary education is a common phenomenon.This study examined the probability of a specified age cohort transiting to tertiaryeducation in South Africa and compared Black South Africans with otherpopulation groups considering environmental and individual factors. Usingcross-sectional data from the 2016 South African Community Survey, the studyrevealed that the difference in the probability of transition to tertiary educationbetween Whites and Blacks was not statistically significant. The findings will beuseful to policymakers in formulating strategies to improve the quality of thelabour market, and thus South Africa’s economic competitiveness.Key words: Transition to tertiary education, South African education system,apartheid education, post-apartheid education, economic development

The Nigerian Diaspora’s Contributions to the Development of Higher Education

While engagement with the Nigerian diaspora has focused on attractinginvestment and remittances, recently, attention has also shifted to its contributionto the development of higher education. The descriptive andqualitative study on which this article is based drew on secondary datathat was analysed through content analysis. The findings revealed that acombination of factors motivated Nigerians, including intellectuals, toemigrate, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s. This compounded existingproblems in Nigeria’s higher education sector. Since 1999, successive governmentshave engaged the diaspora in national development, includinghigher education. The study found that through the Linkages with Expertsand Academics in the Diaspora Scheme, the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme’s Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals, andthe World Bank assisted Nelson Mandela Institution, known as the AfricanUniversity of Science and Technology, as well as alumni associations inthe diaspora, Nigerian diaspora academics have been returning home totransfer knowledge in universities. Other contributions include projects,donations, and programmes. However, several challenges constrain thetapping of their full potential. The article recommends that the Nigeriangovernment should create an enabling environment, ensure clarity ofexpectations, provide adequate funding and adopt long-term approaches toengage with the Nigerian academic diaspora. Key Words: Nigerian diaspora, higher education, brain-drain, brain-gain,knowledge transfer

The Multiple Waves of the African Academic Diaspora’s Engagement with African Universities

This article analyses the various historical phases in the evolution of theAfrican academic diaspora’s engagement to support the development ofhigher education in Africa. It examines the drivers and motivation for suchengagement and its implications for higher education development onthe continent. The data were derived from a critical review of secondarysources, supplemented by primary observations by one of the authors whois engaged in a programme that supports diaspora academics to travel toAfrican universities for engagement, as part of the third wave. The analysisof the secondary material shows that while the first wave of engagement wasdriven by a strong sense of Pan-Africanism at the global level and laid thefoundation for the establishment of universities across the continent, thesecond wave became trapped in Cold War rivalries that limited engagementand drove more academics from African universities into exile, mainly inEurope and North America, thus swelling the ranks of diaspora academics.The third wave has been caught up in a similar situation. While the forcesof globalisation and internationalisation that are driving this wave ofdiaspora engagement have the potential to support African universities toachieve international standards, they can equally undermine and mute thedesire for higher education decolonisation. The article recommends thatAfrican countries and higher education institutions should play a centralrole in designing the broad policy context that drives engagement and thatthe activities undertaken by African diaspora academics should align withnational higher education priorities.