Covid-19 has created the greatest disruption to education systems in human history. The pandemic affected nearly 1.6 billion learners across over 190 countries. According to the United Nations, the closure of schools and other learning institutions affected around 94% of the world’s student population and as much as 99% of learners in low and lower-middle income countries. Ensuring learning continuity amid global lockdowns and school closures has been a key priority for governments the world over, many of which turned to information and communication technologies to deliver lessons online.

“We need to see technology as an enabler. But technology doesn’t dictate teaching methodologies,” says Mmaki Jantjies, an associate professor of information systems at the University of the Western Cape. That being said, it can promote innovation and address the education industry’s resource gaps. “Open educational resources enable a child sitting anywhere in the world to access learning materials, at any time. This changes our understanding of what learning is – using technology, learning moves outside of the classroom.”