Institute of Industry and Academic Research Incorporated
Register in
IJEMDS Cover Page
International Journal of Educational Management & Development Studies

ISSN 2719-0633 (Print) 2719-0641 (Online)

h-index: 11

ICV: 78.5

Pedagogical training and support requirements for effective facilitation of online course instructors

Cosmas Maphosa & Sithulisiwe Bhebhe
Volume 6 Issue 2, June 2025

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant restrictions on social gatherings, saw many institutions of higher education transition from traditional face-to-face to online instruction. The transition was forced in response to a pandemic, and there were and still are numerous teething problems with effective online facilitation of learning. This desktop review paper discusses the pedagogical support requirements for course instructors for effective online learning facilitation. The findings of the study reveal that online teaching differs from traditional face-to-face learning due to geographical and physical distances. Instructors must understand and equip themselves with necessary knowledge and skills for effective online delivery. The discussion is premised on the view that effective online facilitation of learning should be based on sound pedagogical principles that bring to the fore the interplay between technology, content and pedagogy. The paper recommends deliberate and sustained training opportunities for online course instructors in all facets of online teaching and learning.

online teaching, facilitation of learning, university lecturers, lecturer support

Cosmas Maphosa. Corresponding author. Institute of Distance Education, University of Eswatini, Eswatini. Email: babakuzi20@gmail.com

Sithulisiwe Bhebhe. Faculty of Education, University of Eswatini, Eswatini

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

This work was not supported by any funding.

Not Applicable

AI tools were not used in writing this paper.

Armstrong-Mensah, E., Ramsey-White, K., Yankey, B., & Self-Brown, S. (2020). COVID-19 and distance learning: Effects on Georgia State University School of Public Health students. Frontiers in Public Health, 8(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.576227

Babu, D. G. S., & Sridevi, D. K. (2018). Importance of e-learning in higher education: A study. International Journal of Research Culture Society, 2(1), 84–88. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=3157515

Bailey, D. R., Almusharraf, N., & Almusharraf, A. (2022). Video conferencing in the e-learning context: Explaining learning outcome with the technology acceptance model. Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), 7679–7698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10949-1

Baldwin, S. J., & Trespalacios, J. (2017). Evaluation instruments and good practices in online education. Online Learning, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i2.913

Berezi, I. U. (2025). Virtual learning environment: Redefining higher educational delivery for efficiency and accessibility. International Journal of Educational Management, Rivers State University, 1(1), 451–467. https://ijedm.com/index.php/ijedm/article/view/38

Boudreau, E. (2020). Toward a global response to COVID-19. Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/20/04/

Chigbu, B. I., Ngwevu, V., & Jojo, A. (2023). The effectiveness of innovative pedagogy in the Industry 4.0: Educational ecosystem perspective. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 7(1), 100419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100419

Chittur, D. (2018). A phenomenological study of professors and instructional designers during online course development leading to enhanced student-centred pedagogy (Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University). https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/935/

Cicconi, M. (2014). Vygotsky meets technology: A reinvention of collaboration in the early childhood mathematics classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(1), 57–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-013-0582-9

Costley, J., & Lange, C. (2016). The effects of instructor control of online learning environments on satisfaction and perceived learning. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 14(3), 169–180. https://academic-publishing.org/index.php/ejel/article/view/1753

Costley, J., Zhang, H., Courtney, M., Shulgina, G., Baldwin, M., & Fanguy, M. (2023). Peer editing using shared online documents: The effects of comments and track changes on student L2 academic writing quality. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 38(4), 865–891. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2023.2233573

D’Alba, O. A. (2014). A case study of student-instructor connectedness in an asynchronous modular online environment (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Georgia State University.

Dennen, V. P., & Jones, M. K. (2022). The role of the online instructor. In Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education (pp. 1–15). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0351-9_62-1

Devi, K. S., Paranitharan, K. P., & Agniveesh, A. I. (2021). Interpretive framework by analysing the enablers for implementation of Industry 4.0: An ISM approach. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 32(13–14), 1494–1514. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2020.1814031

Dona, K. L., Gregory, J., & Pechenkina, E. (2017). Lecture-recording technology in higher education: Exploring lecturer and student views across the disciplines. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 33(4), 122–133. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.3068

Ferriday, R. (2015). Innovative lecture capture. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/42521441.pdf

Flood, M., Hayden, J. C., Bourke, B., Gallagher, P. J., & Maher, S. (2017). Design and evaluation of video podcasts for providing online feedback on formative pharmaceutical calculations assessments. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81(10), 100–103. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe6400

Gallien, T., & Oomen-Early, J. (2008). Personalized versus collective instructor feedback in the online course room: Does type of feedback affect student satisfaction, academic performance and perceived connectedness with the instructor? International Journal on E-Learning, 7(3), 463–476.

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education model. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6

Gormley, C. (2014). Teaching the principles of effective online course design: What works? Irish Journal of Academic Practice, 3(1), 1–31.

Gómez-Rey, P., Barbera, E., & Fernández-Navarro, F. (2018). Students’ perceptions about online teaching effectiveness: A bottom-up approach for identifying online instructors’ roles. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.3437

Graham, C. R., Henrie, C. R., & Gibbons, A. S. (2013). Developing models and theory for blended learning research. In A. G. Picciano, C. D. Dziuban, & C. R. Graham (Eds.), Blended learning: Research perspectives (Vol. 2). Routledge.

Gupta, P. (2017). Role and need of research in higher education. EdTech Review. https://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/2741-research-in-higher-education

Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Qadri, M. A., & Suman, R. (2022). Understanding the role of digital technologies in education: A review. Sustainable Operations and Computers, 3, 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susoc.2022.05.004

Harasim, L. (2012). Learning theory and online technologies. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716831

Houlden, S., & Veletsianos, G. (2020, March 12). Coronavirus pushes universities to switch to online classes – but are they ready? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/coronaviruspushes-universities-toswitch-to-online-classes-but-arethey-ready-132728

Huba, M. E., & Freed, J. E. (2000). Learner-centred assessment on college campuses: Shifting the focus from teaching to learning. Allyn & Bacon. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED438867

Islam, T., & Mahmudulhassan, M. (2025). Bridging the gaps: A bibliometric key theme analysis in multicultural education research (2019–2024). Bulletin of Islamic Research, 3(1), 1–24.

Jacobson, D., Chapman, R., Ye, C., & van Os, J. V. (2017). A project-based approach to executive education. Journal of Innovative Educations, 15(1), 123–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/dsji.12116

Johri, A., & Olds, B. M. (2014). Cambridge handbook of engineering education research. Cambridge University Press.

Karachristos, C., Kouvara, T., Orphanoudakis, T., Stavropoulos, E., Batsi, Z., & Chronopoulou, M. (2020). Defining e-learning facilitation: The Greek case study. In Proceedings of ICERI2020 Conference (pp. 6283–6290). https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2020.1353

Kumar, S., Martin, F., Budhrani, K., & Ritzhaupt, A. (2019). Award-winning faculty online teaching practices: Elements of award-winning courses. Online Learning, 23(4), 160–180. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i4.2077

Kilinc, H., & Altinpulluk, H. (2021, February 19–21). Use of discussion forums in online learning environments. 2nd World Conference on Teaching and Education, Vienna, Austria.

Langset, I. D., Jacobsen, D. Y., & Haugsbakken, H. (2018). Digital professional development: Towards a collaborative learning approach for taking higher education into the digitalized age. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 13(1), 24–39. https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.1891-943x-2018-01-03

Lubinga, S., Maramura, T. C., & Masiya, T. (2023). The fourth industrial revolution adoption: Challenges in South African higher education institutions. Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 6(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcve.2023.5

MacLeod, L., Bergen, A., & Storey, M. A. (2017). Documenting and sharing software knowledge using screencasts. Empirical Software Engineering, 22(3), 1478–1507.

Makda, F. (2025). Digital education: Mapping the landscape of virtual teaching in higher education – A bibliometric review. Education and Information Technologies, 30(2), 2547–2575. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12899-2

Maphosa, C., Bhebhe, S., & Rugube, T. (2019). Interrogating the art of developing self-learning material for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) students. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 8(6), 191–199. https://doi.org/10.24940/ijird/2019/v8/i6/JUN19076

Martin, F., Wang, C., & Sadaf, A. (2020). Facilitation matters: Instructor perception of helpfulness of facilitation strategies in online courses. Online Learning, 24(1), 28–49. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i1.1980

Martin, F., & Bolliger, D. U. (2022). Designing online learning in higher education. In O. Zawacki-Richter & I. Jung (Eds.), Handbook of open, distance and digital education (pp. 1–20). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0351-9_72-1

Martin, F., Ritzhaupt, A., Kumar, S., & Budhrani, K. (2019). Award-winning faculty online teaching practices: Course design, assessment and evaluation, and facilitation. The Internet and Higher Education, 42, 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2019.04.001

Martin, F., Budhrani, K., Kumar, S., & Ritzhaupt, A. (2019). Award-winning faculty online teaching practices: Roles and competencies. Online Learning, 23(1), 184–205.

Mate, K., & Weidenhofer, J. (2021). Considerations and strategies for effective online assessment with a focus on the biomedical sciences. FASEB BioAdvances, 4(1), 9–21. https://doi.org/10.1096/fba.2021-00075

Pappas, C. (2018). 8 tips to incorporate screencasts into your online training course. TechSmith. https://www.techsmith.com/blog/screencasts-online-training-course/

Pavle, G., Nemanja, D., & Danislav, D. (2020). Video conferencing and its application in education. Journal of Traffic and Transport Theory and Practice, 5(1), 45–48. https://doi.org/10.7251/JTTTP2001045G

Picciano, A. G. (2017). Theories and frameworks for online education: Seeking an integrated model. Online Learning, 21(3), 166–190. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i3.1225

Omar, N. (2023). Use of social media for distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic. In R. Hassan & K. Patel (Eds.), Digital media & pandemic: Experiences & ameliorations (pp. 330–334). The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM).

Ouellett, M. (2010). Overview of faculty development: History and choices. In K. J. Gillespie & D. L. Robertson (Eds.), A guide to faculty development (2nd ed., pp. 3–20). Jossey-Bass.

Oxnevad, S. (2013). 6 powerful Google Docs features to support the collaborative writing process. TESL-EJ. http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume14/ej55/ej55m1/

Rajaram, K. (2023). Future of learning: Teaching and learning strategies. In Learning intelligence: Innovative and digital transformative learning strategies: Cultural and social engineering perspectives (pp. 3–53). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9201-8_1

Ramírez-Montoya, M. S., Andrade-Vargas, L., Rivera-Rogel, D., & Portuguez-Castro, M. (2021). Trends for the future of education programs for professional development. Sustainability, 13(13), 7244. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137244

Rapanta, C., Botturi, L., Goodyear, P., Guàrdia, L., & Koole, M. (2020). Online university teaching during and after the COVID-19 crisis: Refocusing teacher presence and learning activity. Postdigital Science and Education, 2, 923–945. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00155-y

Rawal, A. P. (2025). Exploring the community of inquiry framework in higher education: A bibliometric analysis. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2460224. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2460224

Reguera, E., & López, C. M. (2021). Using a digital whiteboard for student engagement in distance education. Computers & Electrical Engineering, 93, 107268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compeleceng.2021.107268

Roslinda, R., Asrina, S., & Siti, Z. (2017). A review on the innovative use of screencast technique for learning 3D animation software. International Conference on Information Technology & Society, July 31–August 1, 2017, Penang, Malaysia. http://fstm.kuis.edu.my/icits/2017/eproceeding/IC-ITS2017%20IT12%20pp42-48%20Roslinda.pdf

Salmon, G., Edirisingha, P., Mobbs, M., Mobbs, R., & Dennett, C. (2008). How to create podcasts for education. Open University Press.

Schleicher, A. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on education: Insights from education at a glance 2020. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). https://www.oecd.org/education/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-education-insights-education-at-a-glance-2020.pdf

Secore, S. (2017). Social constructivism in online learning: Andragogical influence and the effectual educator. E-Mentor, 3(70), 4–9. https://doi.org/10.15219/em70.1300

Siahaan, J., Ping, M. T., Aridah, A., & Asih, Y. U. (2021). The effect of reflective journal authentic assessment on students’ writing competence and motivation. Educational Studies: Conference Series, 1(1), 60–70. https://doi.org/10.30872/escs.v1i1.866

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Skledar, M. A., Šćukanec, S. N., & Farnell, T. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on higher education: A review of emerging evidence, analytical report. European Union Publications Office. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/876ce591-87a0-11eb-ac4c-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

Song, D., Rice, M., & Oh, E. Y. (2019). Participation in online courses and interaction with a virtual agent. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 20(1), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i1.3998

Sony, E. A., Okeke, G. N., Obiorah, C. A. R., Aku, U. T., Nesiama, O., Agbakhamen, C. O., & Okoro, O. P. (2025). Ethical standards in research: A professional imperative. International Journal of Innovative Scientific & Engineering Technologies Research, 13(1), 94–104. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14875237

Soto, M., & Ambrose, R. (2016). Screencasts: Formative assessment for mathematical thinking. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 21(2), 277–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-015-9272-6

Spaska, A., Kozub, H., Abylasynova, G., Kozub, V., & Koval, Y. (2025). Evaluation of innovative teaching methods using modern information technologies. Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Terapan Universitas Jambi, 9(1), 422–440. https://doi.org/10.22437/jiituj.v9i1.38107

Szabó, Z. A., Soós, S., & Schiller, E. (2025). Deductive content analysis as a research method in the field of education sciences – A systematic literature review of journal articles in Web of Science (2019–2023). Journal of Adult Learning, Knowledge and Innovation, 7(2), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.1556/2059.2023.00094

Thurmond, V. A. (2003). Examination of interaction variables as predictors of students’ satisfaction and willingness to enrol in future Web-based courses while controlling for student characteristics [Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas].

Tiwari, V., & Tiwari, A. (2021). A study of effectiveness of online mode of education in Pune region. International Journal of Future Generation Communication and Networking, 14(1), 2177–2190.

Tisdell, E. J., Merriam, S. B., & Stuckey-Peyrot, H. L. (2025). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons.

Tracy, S. J. (2024). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

University of Florida. (2018). Authentic assessment in online learning. http://citt.ufl.edu/online-teaching-resources/assessments/authentic-assessment-in-online-learning/

Wagner, E. D. (1994). In support of a functional definition of interaction. The American Journal of Distance Education, 8(2), 6–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923649409526852

Watson, F., Castano, B., & Ferdinand-James, D. (2017). Instructional strategies to help online students learn: Feedback from online students. TechTrends, 61(1), 420–427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0216-y

Wichadee, S., & Suwantarathip, O. (2014). The effects of collaborative writing activity using Google Docs on students’ writing abilities. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 13(2), 148–156.

Wiggins, G. (1998). Education assessment: Designing assessments to inform and improve student performance. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Wu, B., Hu, Y., Gu, X., & Lim, C. (2016). Professional development of new higher education teachers with information and communication technology in Shanghai: A Kirkpatrick’s evaluation approach. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 54(4), 531–562. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633115621922

Zhong, Q. M., & Norton, H. (2019). Exploring the roles and facilitation strategies of online peer moderators. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 10(4), 379–400. https://doi.org/10.37237/100405

Zhong, Q., & Norton, H. (2018). Educational affordances of an asynchronous online discussion forum for language learners. Teaching English as a Second Language Electronic Journal, 22(3).

Cite this article:

Maphosa, C. & Bhebhe, S. (2025). Pedagogical training and support requirements for effective facilitation of online course instructors. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 6(2), 143-166. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353193

License:

ai generated, holographic, interface-8578468.jpg
library, people, study-2245807.jpg
bookshelf, books, library-2907964.jpg
Scroll to Top