Online teaching and learning through the students’ eyes – Uncertainty through the COVID-19 lockdown: A qualitative case study in Gauteng province, South Africa

Introduction In South Africa, online learning has been adopted to maintain the momentum of learning. The need for social distancing has resulted in the cancellation of many face-to-face activities that comprised the curriculum within higher education. This study explored the experiences of undergraduate diagnostic radiography students of online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Methods A qualitative case study design was adopted. Purposive sampling was employed to select undergraduate diagnostic radiography students at the study institution. One-on-one online interviews were audio recorded with fourteen (n = 14) students from second to fourth year and were transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed through content analysis. Results Two main themes emerged: (1) Maintaining balance in the new ‘normal’; (2) Enablers for an inclusive learning environment. The change in the method of teaching has highlighted the requirements for adequate teaching and learning. The students in the study were of the view that they deserve an equal opportunity to quality online education. Conclusion The study reveals that the participants were concerned about the transition from face-to-face lectures to the online system. They felt they were required to adjust without adequate consideration of the prerequisites for the process, such as devices and data availability. Implications for practice Radiography is both technical and theoretical. Therefore, the integration of online teaching and learning could be used to enhance digital literacy within the South African context.