Abstract
The aim of the study was to provide an understanding of the viability of online learning in the context of South Africa. Informed by current literature on the topic, a gap was identified as students’ experiences with online learning in the country were not fully understood. Prior to COVID-19, online learning was not a widely implemented and accepted method of learning in South Africa. Thus, the sudden shift to online learning necessitated by the pandemic acted as an invitation for scholars to investigate the experiences of students. The study employed a qualitative approach to investigate the challenges and the strategies that students used to cope with online learning. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to select 12 participants and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the data from the selected participants. The main findings from the study are that online learning is beneficial due to its flexibility and convenience, which allow students to perform other personal activities such as working or focusing on self-development simultaneously. However, lack of access to resources is a major determinant of students’ negative online learning experiences. Lack of access to resources such as compatible devices, stable network connection, unlimited internet and electricity, excluded many students from participating and performing well online. Using the concepts of intersectionality, power and inclusivity, it was determined that a suitable approach would be flexible blended learning. Through these theoretical lenses, analysis of the data reveals that on the one hand, students were excluded from online learning due to lack of access to resources, race, citizenship and geographical location. On the other, the use of pre-recorded and readily available content that students can use at any time suggests that online learning promotes inclusivity through pre-recorded and readily available content that all students can understand at their pace, regardless of the medium of instruction.