E-Learning Challenges and Opportunities in West Africa During COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 drastically changed our lifestyle, and education has been one of the major areas disrupted. E-learning has quickly become an essential tool for universities during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, though e-learning shows massive adoption, this new learning approach in developing countries has some pros and cons. This paper aims to highlight e-learning challenges, opportunities and potential avenues for its improvement. This study uses a quantitative approach through an online survey. It included 1653 respondents from West African countries. The survey analysis revealed a general agreement that online courses are particularly relevant, useful, helpful, and indispensable during the COVID-19 outbreak due to their location and time flexibility, with 49.22% satisfaction feedback. Moreover, online learning provides rapid, convenient, and comfortable education, solves distance problems and reduces transportation expenses. The challenges and difficulties raised by students during online courses are technology and socio-economic issues, i.e., related to Internet quality and cost, and ICT skills. The greatest challenge learners highlight is Internet issue, due to its poor quality of service (QoS) and its low speed and bandwidth. It is crucial to improve Internet QoS, reduce its costs, and introduce the use of ICTs in education to fully benefit from e-learning.