The Integration of ICT into Education During a Crisis: Lessons Learnt at the State University of Zanzibar and the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe in the Face of COVID-19

Abstract

The provision of education using information and communications technology (ICT) has been adopted by many institutions in Africa. The use of ICT is critical in knowledge-based societies, such as those in Zanzibar and Zimbabwe. COVID-19 has changed the way educational institutions do their business in a number of ways. This study looks at how the Midlands State University (MSU) and the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) have each increased the use of ICT for teaching and learning as well as communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has become inevitable, during the current COVID-19 crisis, for educators to integrate ICT in their teaching and gradually replace traditional teaching methods with modern ones which are ICT-led. The main objective of this study is to find out how ICT has been integrated into the university systems during the COVID-19 crisis. This chapter also discusses the challenges and opportunities of using ICT in education and how its use impacts on communication during a crisis.