Obstacles Encountered by University Students during Teaching and Learning amid Load Shedding in South Africa

Recent years have seen a sharp increase in the electrical crisis, which has an impact on our daily lives. In South Africa, load shedding is a common occurrence due to its ageing electrical infrastructure and rising energy consumption. This has led most educational institutions to rely more on blended learning to ensure that teaching and learning continue. The utilisation of blended learning in South African learning institutions saw an enormous disparity in student's household incomes, which directly affects their access to digital material and internet connections. During load shedding, technology-based tools and the internet are interrupted, and as a result, learning tools like Moodle become inaccessible. Many institutions have responded to load shedding upon observing the impact it has on them and their students. Therefore, this study seeks to identify the obstacles encountered by university students during teaching and learning amid load shedding in South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative approach with a target population of 150 students at the University of Zululand. A questionnaire with closed-ended questions was shared electronically with respondents using Google forms. The responses were captured and analysed using Google forms. The data was then presented using graphs, charts, and tables. The study was conceptualized using the Shannon and Weaver communication model and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The findings revealed that most students experience connectivity problems, limited access to digital resources, dark venues, and student absenteeism during load shedding. It is recommended that management should provide all staff and students with up-to-date power usage statistics and early warnings on what staff and students must do to minimise the impact of load shedding. Load shedding apps and schedules are available and easily accessible which the university could further assist by sharing this information with students. Academics also need to plan for offline tasks, and it is imperative that students are timeously aware of any load shedding interferences. This time during load shedding can also be used to engage in collaborative tasks such as team building activities and fostering social cohesion. Higher education also needs to invest in alternative power solutions to effectively mitigate the impact of load shedding on the teaching and learning process.