Virtual Classroom: Prospects and Challenges of COVID 19 Pandemic in South Africa

ABSTRACT The World Health Organisation declared coronavirus as a pandemic. The whole world is facing many challenges and this has an exponential effect on our lives, most essentially teaching and learning. Before the advent of COVID 19, there was a request in the education and other sectors within the country to embrace the use of sophisticated ICT facilities as a result of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). The paper discusses the effect, prospect, and challenges of virtual classrooms during the pandemic. This paper employs a qualitative research approach of the interpretivism paradigm using a case study design. 8 students and 4 lecturers were purposively selected for this paper. Thematic data analysis was used. The paper revealed some challenges and prospects of virtual classrooms. The paper recommends that lecturers and students should face the realities and embrace the changes that this pandemic has brought to us since the world is going digital.