Kenya’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions have undergone a significant transformation in online learning, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, TVET education was mainly classroom-based, with rigid schedules and traditional, teacher-centered methods. Digital resources were seldom used, offering limited flexibility and minimal trainee engagement.
The COVID-19 outbreak necessitated a swift shift to online learning, with TVET institutions adopting synchronous delivery methods to maintain educational continuity during school closures. Platforms such as KENET web conferencing, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and Google Teams were utilized for real-time delivery of theoretical courses, marking a shift from conventional face-to-face instruction.
Gradually, TVET institutions began transitioning from synchronous to asynchronous learning models. This shift was driven by the integration of digital technologies, leading to the adoption of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and self-paced learning approaches. These advancements have enabled many TVET institutions to offer fully digitized content, allowing trainees the flexibility to learn at their own pace and addressing diverse learning needs.
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For courses with significant practical components, a hybrid or blended mode of delivery has been adopted, combining online and face-to-face instruction. This approach ensures that trainees acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential to TVET education. The Kenya School of TVET (formerly Kenya Technical Trainers College-KTTC) has led this transition, successfully moving nine of its units to asynchronous learning and setting an example for other institutions. However, this transition has not been without challenges:
- Digital Inclusion: Limited internet access and digital literacy, especially in rural areas, remain significant barriers to effective self-paced learning.
- Digital Divide: Trainees face digital literacy gaps, hindering their ability to engage fully with online resources and reducing the effectiveness of asynchronous learning.
- Pedagogical Adaptation: There is an unmet need for adapting pedagogies that enhance learner engagement, promote active learning, and ensure the application of skills.
- Resource Constraints: Frequent LMS downtime, unstable internet connectivity, and inadequate digital skills present major challenges to fully realizing the potential of asynchronous learning.
- Trainee Engagement: Sustaining engagement and motivation in self-paced environments is challenging due to a lack of innovative instructional strategies and sufficient learner support mechanisms.
- Trainer Capacity: The shift to asynchronous learning demands new skills in digital pedagogy, content creation, and online facilitation, yet many trainers lack the necessary technological proficiency.
- Support Systems: Inadequate support systems, including continuous professional development and technical assistance, hinder the effective implementation of asynchronous learning.
- Assessment Integrity and Feedback: Ensuring assessment integrity and providing timely, constructive feedback in asynchronous environments are critical challenges that need addressing.
- Strong Institutional Leadership: A clear vision for digital transformation is essential for overcoming these obstacles and ensuring the sustainability of asynchronous learning in TVET institutions.
In conclusion, while the transition to asynchronous online learning in Kenyan TVET institutions has brought about increased flexibility and autonomy for trainees, significant challenges persist. Addressing these challenges is crucial to fully realizing the potential of asynchronous learning and ensuring its successful implementation across the TVET sector in Kenya.
By Joyce Nechesa Baraza
She is the Deputy Principal, Academic Affairs, Kenya School of TVET.
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