Impact of Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning Approach: A Comparative Study of Graphic Design Students in a Developing Country (Botswana) Verses a Developed Country (UK)

The move to synchronous and asynchronous learning occurred during the extraordinary disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. This case study, conducted by a self-completion questionnaire, aimed to provide a dual-perspective and comparative picture of the situation by investigating the impact of this new learning approach on graphic design students in a developing country (Botswana) verses a developed country (UK). This was done by comparing how teaching and learning were affected, how education stakeholders responded to the educational disruption, and how the students felt about it within the University of Botswana (Botswana) and the University of Huddersfield (UK).

Whilst research currently exists on teaching problems in developing and developed countries, they do not focus specifically on graphic design students in an internationally comparable way. A future benefit to this report, that would require further investigation and collaboration, is that academics who shift from one country to another could develop a framework to enable that shift to be seamless. This report presents data collected from two different universities in two different countries covering topics like previous experience with learning online, preferences with learning online, benefits, hindrances and how to address queries.

Whilst most of the students demonstrated a positive attitude towards online classes during the pandemic, with both country’s liking the flexible and convenient way to study, only students from Botswana would be interested in staying online. This study further emphasizes that close monitoring and evaluation of the learning process is still required regardless of whether the programme has a synchronous and/or asynchronous learning approach.