http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/5458 Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:21:46 GMT 2026-04-03T20:21:46Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7450 Title: Research and Research-Related Activities in the COVID-19 Era: Implication for Higher Education Institutions Authors: Girma, Melaku Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore different perspectives of how to go about conducting academic research in COVID-19 era and to trigger greater debate in Ethiopian context. A May 27, 2020 Science Magazine article outlines that Universities are expected first and foremost to come up with safe protocols/guideline for safe practices in order to move forward. Schiffer and Walsh (May 20, 2020) hinted that America’s top research institutions identify and explore the challenges that research operations are facing. They are related with social distancing requirements, university finances are stretched, the expectations of pre-pandemic research grants and contracts, and international activity, and recruitment. As cited in Clay (March 19, 2020) members of APA’s Board of Scientific Affairs, offer advice among other thing to: work remotely, modify the research and analysis, protect the human participants and animal subjects, cross-train staff, do the things that researchers never have time for, support junior colleagues, and keep things in perspective. The Leaders of Africa (July 6, 2020) suggested that the COVID-19 era presents us with a learning process in which survey organizations and partners must adapt and be flexible. The Canterbury Christ Church University (April 17, 2020) advises students that there is a need for guide to decide whether their research can continue at the start, followed by some generic resources and suggestions. These are followed by some more subject specific suggestions, and finally by suggestions for Desk Based Research and Action Research. The University suggested that there are a number of alternative research strategies that students could consider. For example, analysis of existing media content, analysis of archival data and texts acknowledging shortcomings in the thesis, meta-analysis of published studies, and systematic literature review. Finally, regarding COVID-19 and private higher education, Wondwosen Tamrat assessed the Ethiopian context. In his newsletter article in the University World News (May7, 2020), he stressed the immediate mounting difficulties on private higher education vis-a-vis public higher education institutions. Accordingly, the private sector was not and still is not able to move smoothly toward online provision to ensure continuity of teaching and learning. He emphasized that while the obstacles are substantial and still growing in many cases, now is the time to scrutinize the major issues explicitly and prepare for the decisions needed in the months ahead. In this regard, recommendations include: revisiting the national directives, bailing out the private sector and, planning and preparing to enter the post-pandemic era by making hard decisions. Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7450 2020-09-08T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7449 Title: Teaching and learning in the COVID-19 era: A case of Botho University Eswatini Authors: Rosah Bothloko, Sthembile Hlatshwayo and Emmanuel Lungile Howe Abstract: Higher education is important for producing the quality of graduates required for a country’s economy. Failure to sustain or ensure effective higher education learning systems can often lead to unfavourable situations where learners are unable to learn and uncertainty about the future of education happens. The COVID-19 pandemic has created substantial challenges and opportunities for the higher education community worldwide. The sudden COVID-19 disruption exposed many higher education institutions to various challenges such as reduced resources to respond to the crisis, personal and academic challenges and the transition from the traditional face-to-face learning approach to online learning. The lack of resources, academic capabilities and online teaching readiness to transition to online delivery were the major factors that affected institutions. Few higher education institutions that had the resources offered online delivery. The overall concern was the readiness of higher education institutions in unpredicted digital learning situations. This research employed a qualitative approach and online questionnaire survey with students with the intention to explore how teaching and learning presence is fostered and maintained during the COVID era. Online surveys were utilized to gather the level of transition and measurement of various constructs which included learner characteristics, online learning awareness, technology skill readiness and access. The findings were organized into three main categories, forms of communication, online delivery approaches and teaching presence and the conclusion is that the level of presence between the lecturer and students, the degree of involvement demonstrated by the lecturer significantly influences the quality of learning under crisis related situations. The findings show that maintaining online teaching presence, adoption of a continuity plan, utilization of existing learning tools or platforms and constant feedback with students are all fundamental elements that tertiary institutions can adopt to address unexpected situations that may disrupt their learning processes. Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7449 2020-09-08T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7448 Title: The Impact of COVID-19 on Private Higher Education in Argentina from a Latin American Perspective Authors: J. Salto, Dante Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic and national government’s consequent lockdown of all nonessential activities in March 2020 hit an Argentina already on the brink of economic crisis. All universities but one switched their course offerings for the new semester online. This presentation addresses the impact of COVID-19 on private higher education in Argentina as an example of a country where government provides little to no support to the private sector in higher education and the public support is fully funded by the government (tuition free). Although the private sector has been hit hard by the crisis, the impact will certainly be different depending on type of institution. Especially notable is how non-elite subsector universities have developed capacity to offer online education in the past fifteen years, creating a sizeable niche that neither private elite nor public universities had exploited. Whereas online offerings mark PHE’s most striking intersectoral advantage, the quite decisive distinction in funding sources marks its most striking disadvantage. The only public funding to PHE is for research and only a few private elite and religious institutions do research. While private elite institutions will likely survive the impact of the pandemic, non-elites, specifically those that have not adapted to online education, may lose some of their students to other private institutions. Also, due to the economic crisis and the loss of family income, students may switch to public tuition-free universities. Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7448 2020-09-08T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7447 Title: Employment Characteristics, Transition and Status of SMU Graduates’: The Case of 2016 to 2018 Graduates Authors: Zewide, Daniel Abstract: St. Mary’s University has been trying its best in producing qualified professionals in the fields of Business and Informatics to the labour market in the different economic sectors. To continue competitive in offering quality education, a tracer study was conducted to investigate the employment characteristics, transition to employment, and satisfaction of graduates in the jobs they are engaged. Moreover, it emphasized on studying how graduates have been employed, their job-hunting strategies, duration it took them to secure their first jobs and how their works related to their fields of studies. This survey focused on graduates, who completed their studies between 2016 and 2018 academic years in the undergraduate programs. Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7447 2020-09-08T00:00:00Z