ICT policies' implementation to promote access, equity, and quality in South African higher education.

Abstract

While higher education institutions have increasingly adopted technology for teaching and learning activities, the digital gap has widened and has excluded many from participating in the global economy. Policies are pivotal in providing guidelines for technology adoption for increased access, equity and quality. In South Africa, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies in higher education aimed to improve access, equity, and quality. The government supported these efforts by funding ICT infrastructure, including high-speed internet, digital libraries, and online learning platforms. Institutions developed their own ICT strategies, integrating technology into curriculum design, delivery, and research. E-learning and distance education programs were introduced to reach students in remote areas. Additionally, training programs were provided to educators to enhance their ICT skills, ensuring high-quality education through technology. This study aimed to investigate the national policies of South Africa to establish how they envision the role of technology in promoting access, equity and quality in higher education in South Africa. To achieve this aim, the study employed qualitative methods to explore the policy-related practices of participants from four higher education institutions in South Africa. By analysing policy documents and interviewing participants from the selected higher education institutions, this study identified practices and approaches that HEIs can adopt to address the policy-related gaps in terms of achieving access, equity and quality in the adoption of technology for teaching and learning. The two theories that were used to form the conceptual framework of this study are Hanson and Holmberg’s (2003) model, which describes what policies consist of, and Sutton and Levinson’s (2001) socio-cultural approach to educational policy. This research interrogated how ICT policies advocate for strategies that can overcome access restrictions and inequalities, while promoting quality in teaching and learning practices. The following are examples of practices that were viewed as increasing technology access, equity and quality in education; grant-funded projects to increase access to marginalised groups, epistemological access to underserved students, Open Education Resources (OER) development, micro credentialing and student tracking. In the implementation of HE policies, support and training in the usage of technology by lecturers was identified as a practice that can increase and sustain the adoption of technology for learning and teaching to the benefit of all. Keywords: Access, equity, equality, implementation, policies.