The Place of Academia and Industry in the Adoption and Adaptation of Educational Technologies for a Post-COVID-19 Recovery in Africa

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted livelihoods on different fronts and at varying degrees globally. The global education sector was one of the key sectors that bore the heaviest brunt, particularly in the teaching and learning delivery modes. For instance, digital educational technologies became vital methods for teaching and learning. In response, a number of initiatives were adopted by countries to lend insight into how to cope with the emergent challenges, as well as how to alleviate the challenges brought about by the pandemic for post-COVID-19 recovery and growth. In this paper, we explore the contribution of industry and academia to post-COVID-19 recovery and growth, with a special focus on education technologies (ICT)'s adoption and promotion of entrepreneurial efforts in Africa. To attain the paper's objective, we used a scoping review approach to obtain crucial literature from credible and relevant databases to demonstrate and deliver succinct, stronger, clear, and clarified findings on the areas of focus. Additionally, we visited websites of certain international organizations that supported sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically focusing on responses targeting the education sector. The findings highlighted in this paper reveal that both academia and industry have a significant contribution to building back better efforts for a post-COVID-19 recovery and growth. Such efforts operate within the realms of adoption and adaptation of technology in the education sector, and increased emphasis on involvement in entrepreneurship practices. The paper also offers salient recommendations on how to better improve academia and industry's involvement in post-COVID-19 recovery and growth efforts.