Tertiary distance education and technology in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The study reviews tertiary education in Sub-Saharan Africa, in light of persistent pressures to expand access to education, despite declining quality, and mere funding possibilities. It identifies multiple symptoms for this fundamental imbalance, such as overcrowded, and poorly equipped learning facilities, declining research output, and irrelevant curricula, as some of the most notorious. The argument questions how Africa might improve the balance between access to tertiary education and funding, without sacrificing quality of education. Briefly, distance learning may provide an answer, complemented with a selective application of information, and communication technologies. Discussions provide an overview of tertiary-level distance learning, and technology experience throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and the world, highlighting the relevance for those African nations, committed to an increased participation in the global knowledge-based economy. Conclusions suggest an assessment of current distance learning practices, to develop explicit national strategies in the subject, and, support this strategy through an initial institutional, and human resource capacity-building process, to then design organizational structures, to accommodate the unique requirements of distance education, in contrast to conventional teaching.