Social work education in Botswana amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Reflections, strategies and lessons

Abstract

When the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic originated in China, hit the shores of the African continent, Botswana, like many other countries, introduced a raft of measures aimed at arresting the rapid spread of the virus. The measures put in place included effecting a countrywide lockdown. Most institutions, including the University of Botswana (UB), temporarily closed their doors and sent staff and students to their homes. Authorities at the institution, among other things, began to explore possibilities of introducing remote learning (or online teaching) for students. The paper reflects on the experiences and strategies that the Department of Social Work considered at UB for virtual course delivery and related issues and considers lessons learnt to date and implications for the country's future social work education. The strategies included exploration of various online teaching and learning platforms.