Twentieth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

The worldwide pandemic exposed the vulnerability of education in general. Humanities education has suffered a blow. Apart from going online, the new ‘normal’ called for adoption of a more evidence based practice (EBP) to teaching and learning. It goes without saying that theories in humanities are time and space bound; they are developed according to specific events or life events of the author and/or country in which the theory was elaborated. Students worldwide feel that the concepts described do not relate to their own specificity, especially across continents nor specifically designed for developing countries. This is a serious concern for all syllabi of university programmes. Developing nations cannot devise new programmes of study due to the amount of time and effort required. In addition, local experts are scarce. Nevertheless, due to dynamic socio-political situation, graduates in humanities have a crucial role to play with the different stakeholders. The aim of this study is to assess how students assimilate and adapt their learning to day to day practice with regards to Transfer of Learning (TOL). Results show that students adapt their intervention according to the situation at hand but acknowledge that prior learning of concepts is mandatory for effective EBP. It is thus highly recommended to continuously integrate case studies in the curriculum as a way to bridge the gap between learning and practice.