INVITATION – Education Collaborative Virtual Conference 2020

Stakeholders of African Higher Education are invited to join the Education Collaborative virtual conference as we share context-specific successful university strategies, administration, teaching and learning approaches in this COVID -19 period; obtain insight on ways to capitalize on our innovations to create a “new normal” for institutions in the near future for the transformation of the African continent.

This will be a one-day virtual conference on zoom – with a live broadcast on Facebook, AAU TV, and YouTube.

Theme: Changing the Narrative of African Education

Tuesday 16th June 2020

 Participation is free

Scheduled sessions are as follows:

Executive Conference

Join university executives in African higher-ed to share, learn, and reimagine the future of higher education, to give context to current issues and strategize for continuity after a disruptive world.

Stakeholders forum: The COVID-19 Test of Ghana’s Educational System: Policy Implications and New Pathways

Time: 10:00-11:00 AM GMT

Though the novel virus has ravaged different sectors of the economy across the world, one area undeniably affected is the educational system. In Ghana specifically, schools from the basic to the tertiary levels, have remained closed for the last two months, with its related challenges. As the government of Ghana and other African countries prepare to ease these restrictions on gatherings and school closures, there is the need to assess the higher educational system, the lessons we’ve learned, the gaps that have arisen, and the challenges we’ve overcome, and chart new pathways to maximize the almost-disguised-opportunities that this pandemic has opened up for education delivery in Ghana.

Panel session: Transitioning to online: The contextual realities of the go, no-go decision

Time: 11:30-12:30 AM GMT

The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt brought education leaders to the point of making some of the toughest decisions in their careers. Transition online or not to transition online, and to what extent. In our African-context, that decision is not a simple go-no-go-decision. Besides the continent-specific challenges, there also exist institution-specific challenges. In weighing the factors to transition online or not, the right decision in a crisis such as this for some is a no-go decision.

In an emergency, “speed trumps perfection”, and one size does not fit all. Join education leaders on the African continent as they discuss the actual factors that went into making the decisions they made in the face of COVID-19 campus shutdowns.

Faculty and Administrator workshop

Join faculty, course trainers, administrators, departmental teams, classroom facilitators, to explore faculty-administrator collaborations, develop hands-on techniques to facilitate classroom instruction and continuity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and build a network of support in Africa.

Parallel Sessions: 2:00-3:00 PM GMT

Workshop A: What next? Implications of our new normal on the future of teaching and learning in Africa.

“COVID19 is widely seen as the unwanted, uninvited enemy of 2020. And for good reason. […] But for just a moment, I invite you to consider how this unwanted enemy may in fact be the best gift Higher Ed could have ever asked for. Many schools will adapt in the short-term and then return to the status quo. But the perceptive and innovative institutions will seize on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and be transformed by it.” (Andrew Allen, 2020)

In this COVID-19 pandemic, higher-ed institutions with prior face-to-face instructional pedagogies have redesigned courses to match with the online teaching and learning. How and what can we carry forward to transform how we teach and learn for the better? This session unpacks the approaches adopted in this period and what it holds for the future of instruction in African higher institutions

Workshop B: Integrating immersive learning methods: The future of higher education

Local and regional universities are best suited to solve the pressing needs of learners today, but if they don’t adapt quickly, their value proposition won’t be enough to serve students and competitors will take their place.  This is the best opportunity we’ve had in decades to re-design higher ed. And embedding learning by doing into the academic design is the key to our future as institutions.

Facilitator: Andrew Allen, Director of the Magelli Office of Experiential Learning, Illinois Gies College of Business

Parallel Sessions: 3:30-4:30 PM GMT

Workshop A: Re-thinking remote access online for students with disability

As schools adopt remote learning channels during this COVID-19 pandemic, are the needs of students with disabilities being fully considered? What are some of the opportunities that these transitions have presented for inclusion of students with disabilities, and what are some of the challenges faced in developing institutions’ capabilities to support in this period. What lessons and practicalities does this hold for the future of instruction and administration of higher-ed in Africa?

Workshop B: Preparing Students for work after the New Normal

The World Bank’s report in 2017 indicates that the expeditious change in technology, information, and related developments are creating corresponding changes in the world of work on the continent. The present pandemic has fast-tracked this change with the emergence of new forms of work; with remote working revealing new possibilities for expenditure and resource management. The nature of work post-COVID19 will likely take on a new look that will require new strategies for talent and career development. As educators, join this session to look into this trend, identify new administrative and teaching approaches to adequately prepare students for a changing future of work.

Note: Zoom registration links for the sessions will be sent via email after registration confirmation.

Register here to reserve a seat

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