Examining Student Experiences of Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BY: .

Completing a Master’s degree in Media and Cultural Studies represents both a personal milestone for Ms Sqedile Mbambo while also contributing to ongoing conversations about digital equity in Higher Education.

Her dissertation, supervised by Dr SJ Pitcher, explored student perceptions of staff readiness to teach online during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted how the digital divide shaped learning experiences across the University.

Mbambo’s interest in the topic was shaped by both national realities and her own academic journey during lockdown.

“One of the many societal concerns that the COVID-19 outbreak emphasised was the existing digital divide,” she explained. “Not a week goes by without me recalling how I was academically affected by the pandemic, especially since I was in my final year of undergraduate study.”

Building on earlier honours research that examined student responses to emergency remote learning, she extended her focus at master’s level to evaluate how prepared lecturers were for online teaching as experienced by students themselves. This approach allowed her to assess whether the shift to digital learning met student needs during a period of unprecedented disruption.

Her study revealed important differences in how students experienced online learning support. While some postgraduate students reported positive interaction with lecturers, many undergraduate students described feeling less supported and less connected to teaching staff during the transition.

“Undergraduates in particular felt that lecturers could not offer the intimate engagement or personalised support they needed,” Mbambo said. “They were looking for more adaptive strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.”

The research also showed that socio-economic realities shaped how students perceived the effectiveness of online teaching. Factors such as geographic location, schooling background, and level of study influenced access to resources and engagement with lecturers, highlighting the complexity of the digital divide within a single cohort.

Mbambo believes the pandemic permanently changed expectations around teaching and learning in Higher Education. With students suddenly studying away from campus infrastructure such as computer laboratories and reliable connectivity, many began to rely more heavily on lecturers for guidance and support.

“The baseline for what students expect in terms of digital support has permanently changed,” she noted. “The expectation now is that Higher Education must move toward a level of digital fluency where engagement is no longer constantly restrained by a lack of access.”

As a staff member at UKZN Press within the Research Division, Mbambo brought a distinctive perspective to the project. Her daily engagement with academic publishing strengthened her commitment to producing research that contributes to institutional development and future scholarship.

“My resilience to push until the end relied on the realisation that this is not just 154 pages of written words, but a vital piece of a larger puzzle meant to inspire future researchers and innovators,” she said.

Balancing professional responsibilities with postgraduate study presented its own challenges, particularly when conducting retrospective interviews about experiences that occurred several years earlier. Despite this, she remained committed to documenting student perspectives in ways that could inform future planning.

Looking ahead, Mbambo intends to continue researching digital literacy and access in Higher Education while applying these insights in her professional work.

“My goal is to continue fighting for digital equity by producing research that challenges existing theories and advocates for permanent, systemic change,” she said. “I want to ensure that the knowledge we produce reaches everyone, regardless of their level of digital access or socio-economic background.”

Her study stands as an important contribution to understanding how universities can better prepare for future disruptions while ensuring that student needs remain at the centre of teaching innovation.

Words: Lee Rondganger

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini