Assessing the Readiness of Kenyan Universities for Online Education During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study was based on online university education during the COVID-19 period in Kenya. The purpose of the study was to establish the readiness of Kenyan universities for online education during COVID-19 period. Online survey method generated data from 11 universities through content analysis. The data were analyzed qualitatively and interpreted. The major findings showed that majority of the universities under study adjusted in different ways during the COVID-19 period by hiring more teaching staff to teach online, however, the capacity of these job applicants to competently teach online courses was not clearly verified before they were hired to teach at the university. The study also found that even though majority of the universities had a functional Learning Management System (LMS), its utilization was below par. The study concluded that many universities did not offer quality online education as required by the Commission of University Education (CUE) in Kenya but were using online education language for marketing and sustainability purposes. To reduce the digital gap in institutions of higher learning, the study recommended that all teaching staff at the university level must be computer literate.