An Investigation into the Challenges and Solutions of e-learning in Tertiary Institutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The move to online learning from traditional methods has increased recently. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, this change was suddenly at the doorstep of more students. The closing of educational institutions, with particularly stringent rules on tertiary institutions, resulted in numerous challenges faced by students and lecturers alike. This systematic literature review (SLR) investigated the challenges of e-learning implementation faced during the pandemic globally. The main challenges identified included: (a) the digital divide; (b) adaptation to home studies by students; (c) governmental contributions; (d) course quality and content and lecturer competency; and (e) methods of assessment. These challenges were consistent within 36% of the articles analysed. The review discusses useful solutions and innovative teaching methods, including (a) amendment to teaching policies and curriculum design; (b) e-learning workshops to enhance teacher/learner capabilities; (c) cultivation of strong online communities, (d) blended learning methods and (e) course design with the guidance of thinking-based instruction theory. The solutions were consistent in 34% of the articles analysed, while innovations were discussed in 11% of articles. The challenges were generally observed within developing countries. The solutions and innovations were varied across different demographics. Discussion of the challenges with the known requirements can be informative to major stakeholders within the educational landscape such as parents, investors, unaware students, and educators. The solutions and innovations discussed may be tailored according to the context in which an institution exists to enhance the digital learning and teaching experience.