The Fourth Industrial Revolution and COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa: The Opportunities and Challenges of Introducing Blended Learning in Education

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the opportunities and challenges of introducing blended learning in the education sector in South Africa post the COVID-19 disturbances. The research applied a literature review approach using unobtrusive research methods like conceptual and documentary analysis of authoritative documents. The study discovered that the COVID-19 pandemic created opportunities for the introduction of blended learning postCOVID-19 which can help to expand access to education in South Africa where access was limited by space, especially at the tertiary level. However, the study discovered that introducing blended learning is associated with challenges related to high levels of inequality, massive digital divide, resource constraints and skills shortages. Therefore, the study recommends that for blended learning to be successful it is important to ensure that there is a policy platform for addressing challenges related to inequality, skills deficit, and the massive digital divide. This means that policies that are geared towards addressing all the challenges above should be prioritized if blended learning is to be effective in South Africa.