Design and Implementation of a Blended Learning System for Higher Education in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a Response to Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Until now, the higher education system in the Democratic Republic of Congo has relied on the traditional face-to-face teaching method, which consists in the real physical presence of students and teachers during classes and lectures. Thus, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is currently advocating e-learning as the only alternative for education in the COVID-19 era. It goes without saying that this requires specific frameworks and appropriate resources, including access to a good quality internet connection. Several countries around the world have implemented this recommendation since the first quarter of 2020 to protect their populations from the significant risks of Covid-19 contamination. In educational environment however, given the disadvantageous realities of the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the cost and quality of internet, the low rate of electrification, and the lack of experience of the educational stakeholders involved, the shift to e-learning remains a challenge. Thus, we propose in this paper a blended learning model that can smoothly introduce e-learning through a platform specially designed to integrate the traditional way of delivering courses in Congolese higher education with e-learning based on ICT.