A pragmatic approach to education during the pandemic

The recent COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to adapt and find new ways to do things. This was especially true for educational institutions when in person teaching and classes were closed to prevent new infections.

Dr Makhulu Makumane, a lecturer at the National University of Lesotho, examined how pragmatism (i.e., combining experience with actions to deploy whatever works in specific situations to achieve the desired outcome) was portrayed in publications discussing the use of digital technology use for education during the pandemic. Two questions served as the study’s compass:

1. How does pragmatism manifest itself in academic works on COVID-19?

2. Why are there specific ways that pragmatism is represented?

Findings demonstrate an onslaught of digital tools (Learning Management Systems and SMS-based technologies) employed in education during the COVID-19 era, contributing to the introduction to 5IR. The 2020 academic year was salvaged by practically all higher education institutions because of this pragmatic approach of staff and students to realise their needs, despite the difficulties that they encountered.