COVID-19 and emergency education strategies in University of Ghana: Students' knowledge of emergency remote learning

Emergency education strategies have become a new phenomenon in our educational sector because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter aims to understand University of Ghana students' knowledge of emergency remote learning tools as they try to adjust to this new way of learning. The study used a descriptive survey design, in which 265 students participated. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for collecting data to answer the study's research questions. The results revealed that most students have access to either a smartphone or a computer that they were able to use during the virtual learning period. It was also established that about 22.9% of these students had no smartphone or a computer to enable them to take part in emergency remote learning. Additionally, some 12.48% of the participants indicated that they lack the basic knowledge of using the smartphone or a computer to access the Sakai learning management system. Independent T-test analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between gender and knowledge of online learning. The results established that there is no statistically significant difference between males and females' knowledge of emergency remote learning. The authors, therefore, recommend that, in the University's quest for helping to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, there is the need to consider running some of their programmes using the blended mode to help give access to more students. It is also recommended that the University should organise more sensitisation workshops for students to help them prepare adequately for virtual learning since this is gradually becoming the mainstream mode of education. The findings from the study might stimulate discussions on students' knowledge about emergency remote learning and its implications for higher educational institutions, which has become the norm in most educational institutions across the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic.