Integrating a digital pedagogy approach into online teaching: are academic librarians at Universities of Technology in South Africa prepared?
| Date | 12 November 2024 |
| Pages | 192-213 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-01-2024-0012 |
| Published date | 12 November 2024 |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
| Author | Mousin Omarsaib |
Integrating a digital pedagogy
approach into online teaching:
are academic librarians at
Universities of Technology in
South Africa prepared?
Mousin Omarsaib
Department of Library/Information Systems, Durban University of Technology,
Durban, South Africa
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to explore whetheracademic librarians at the Universities of Technology(UoTs)
in South Africa have the pedagogy and digital skills to implement a digital pedagogy approach for online
teaching.
Design/methodology/approach –A mixed-method approach in the form of a sequential explanatory
design was selected to explore the topic in which the quantitative was followed by the qualitative phase.
Instrumentsused included an online questionnaire and semi-structuredinterviews to explore the pedagogy and
digital skillsof academic librarians at UoTsin South Africa.
Findings –The quantitative results and findings revealed that academiclibrarians lacked the pedagogy and
digital skills for onlineteaching. Similarly, results and findingsin the qualitative phase also showed academic
librarians lacking these skills for online teaching. Consequently, the results and findings derived from both
phases were triangulatedand the cohesive nature of the data was absolute.
Research limitations/implications –(i) Library schools include an elective module covering pedagogy
and teaching with technology for librarians;(ii) library professional bodies create opportunities for academic
librarians to developpedagogy and digital skills; and (iii) higher educationlibraries need to create knowledge-
sharing opportunities to improve the pedagogy and digital skills of academic librarians with teaching
portfolios.
Practical implications –Higher education librariesand library schools must promote the teaching identity
of academiclibrarians by helping them improve their pedagogicaland digital skills for online teaching.
Social implications –This topic requires further exploration as academic librarians are fast becoming
integratedinto the teaching and learning agenda of institutionsglobally.
Originality/value –The current study is novel in that it explores the pedagogical and digital skills of
academic librariansat UoTs in South Africa foronline teaching.
Keywords Higher education, Pedagogy, Academic librarians, Digital skills, Online teaching
Paper type Research paper
© Mousin Omarsaib. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and
create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to
full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at
http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
ILS
126,3/4
192
Received29 January 2024
Revised16 September 2024
Accepted9 Oc tober 2024
Informationand Learning
Sciences
Vol.126 No. 3/4, 2025
pp. 192-213
EmeraldPublishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-01-2024-0012
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/2398-5348.htm
Introduction
Pedagogy, as the science of teaching and learning, is essential for individuals such as
teachers, facilitators and lecturers (Beetham and Sharpe, 2019). Constituents of pedagogy
include learning theories,curriculum design, teaching methods, learning activities,as well as
social and cultural norms (Engeness, 2021: 109). Furthermore, technology can be endorsed
as a support mechanism that seamlessly interlocks with pedagogical principles to enhance
teaching and learning in multimodal environments. Although technology is a support
mechanism for pedagogy in multimodal environments, knowledge of how to effectively
synchronize both elements in an online environment allows educationalists to stimulate
active learning activities with students (Sadiku et al.,2019). However, this requires
educationalists to constantlykeep abreast of the latest pedagogical practices and educational
technologies to ensure that online teaching methods do not become obsolete. Borup et al.
(2020) agree that knowledgeof appropriate educational technologies and teachingprinciples
is key when teaching in an onlineenvironment.
These technologies include digital creation tools such as presentation software, digital
workspace services, content management software and gamification. However, Bond et al.
(2020) posit that educational technologies are merely tools used to augment online teaching
and learning. Nonetheless, it is key that educationalists involved in online instruction
understand the role technology plays in pedagogicalunderpinnings for online teaching (Blau
et al., 2020;Stone and Springer, 2019). Hence, the term “digital pedagogy”is succinctly
described as using technology to improve teaching and learning through philosophies of
education (Nanjundaswamyet al., 2021).
At higher education institutionsworldwide, librarians, like educationalists,have an online
teaching identity (Nichols Hess, 2020). Academic librarians teach library-related content
online, either as once-off training, workshops, standalone crediting-bearing modules or
integrated within a specific course(Amegashie and Ankamah, 2020). However, every higher
education institution is unique in terms of its online library instruction. Fernández-Ramos
(2019) concurs that, globally, it is difficult to determine the implementation levels of online
library instruction as every institution is unique. Although not ubiquitous and unique on a
global scale, online libraryinstruction is designed to meet specific learning outcomes. Before
the COVID-19 pandemic, pockets of online library instruction were being offered, but
face-to-face was the preferred medium for teaching and learning (Martzoukou, 2021).
However, as higher education institutions adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
digital environment gained prominence, resulting in library instruction being offered online
(Mehta and Wang,2020).
In the case of Universities in South Africa, whether preceding, during or at the endemic
stage, the literature related to online library instruction is limited (Mashiyane et al.,2020).
Therefore, it was important to ascertain whether academic librarians who are custodians
of library instruction at UoTs in South Africa are prepared for online teaching.
Consequently, this study aimed to explore, probe and ascertain whether academic
librarians at UoTs in South Africa had foundational knowledge as educationalists for
online teaching. The purpose was to determine whether academic librarians at UoTs in
South Africa had pedagogical and digital skills for online teaching. Therefore, the
objectives of the study were:
•to explore whether academic librarians at UoTs in South Africa have the pedagogical
skills for online teaching; and
•to ascertain whether academic librarians at UoTs in South Africa have the digital
skills for online teaching.
Information and
Learning Sciences
193
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