Is It Really Distance Learning? Reassessing the Interchangeable Use of Terms in Higher Education Institutions Amid Covid -19. Ibn Toufail University AS a Case Study

Abstract

Covid-19 has unveiled the fragile foundations on which education stands, especially in developing countries like Morocco. This crisis has led Morocco to switch to another approach in teaching and learning, labeling it as “distance learning” or “online learning”. The present study attempts to explore the interchangeable use of terms used to describe the new approach, such as “distance learning”, “online learning” or “e-learning” that the Moroccan higher institutions use .It also tries to shed light on what is referred as “Digital literacy Training” of both students and professors given that such a training is often taken for granted instead of being taken as a need to boost the quality of education. Thus, a quantitative approach is adopted to examine this aspect through administering questionnaires both teaching staff members and students at Ibnou Toufail University. The study has revealed that what is called “distance learning” is just a crisis management technique to minimize the repercussions of the pandemic on the educational sphere, and that it is high time to redefine it as ‘Emergency Remote Teaching’ ERT in a bid to upgrade it to be an online teaching/learning. ‘Digital literacy Training’ has proved to be a key factor to guarantee a suitable digital transformation in Moroccan universities.