The Itinerant Curriculum as an Alternative Pathway for Responsiveness in African Higher Education in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, and it has serious implications for education globally. The educational curricula used in the first, second, and third industrial revolutions may not necessarily be useful in this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), as societal and organisational demands have changed. Curricula in African higher education needs therefore to adapt to the changing demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or else students may be unprepared for the demands of future organisations and the society. Therefore, to enhance the responsiveness of the curriculum in Africa, this paper examines the itinerant curriculum as an alternative pathway to other highlighted curricula in the literature. The study posits how the itinerant curriculum can be used to achieve curriculum responsiveness, economically, culturally, disciplinarily, and in learning. The study concludes that the itinerant curriculum is an important tool that can help African higher education achieve curriculum responsiveness in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.