EQUALITY AND EQUITY ISSUES RELATING TO ONLINE TEACHING IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING

Abstract

There is an increasing concern on the major gap that exists in the level of equality and equity that emanates from online learning. During the Covid lockdown that occurred worldwide four years ago, online teaching and learning was adopted as the most viable avenue to ensure continuity of learning. It was an alternative that produced both equality and equity challenges from the onset. The objective of this desktop research is to address the gender issues around equality among the different sexes of university students in the same home. It focused on which gender was allowed time to concentrate on learning and why. Was the male child allowed to concentrate with studies while the female interrupted to perform other duties amidst learning. Was fairness practiced or were there discrepancies in how parents administered online learning? Equity, which is a by-product emanating from the process, will only focus on the effect of preferential treatment on one gender over the other on how that would in turn hamper with the future opportunities of the affected gender. A cross-sectional review of recent studies was analyzed to compare results and draw conclusions which led to certain possible positive recommendations on curbing the effects post lockdown as well as prevention of reoccurrence of the same in case of any future pandemic or global lockdown. The essence is to recognize that each person may have different circumstances, but resources and time must be allocated equally to enable all reach an equal outcome.