Online teaching and learning in the time of covid-19: a new experience for Timor Leste

Therese Nguyen Thi Phuong Tam Faculdade de Ciências Sociais - Universidade Nacional Timor-Lorosa'e (FSC-UNTL), TIMOR-LESTE

Online teaching and learning have been implemented around the world in many university, for example in the Pacific island countries where online teaching as a regular practice. The COVID-19 pandemic once again proves to the world that on-line teaching is a possible means of learning and teaching. However, in Timor-Leste as well as low investment ICT countries, where the internet access speed are the slowest in Southeast Asian countries and also the most expensive internet cost in the region, make the tasks more difficult. The on-line teaching was enforced before the country declared State of Emergency on March 28th, 2020. The implementation process has been faced with different challenges, as shared by other lecturers and my own experiences. The lecturers and students bear the main economic burden to spend on internet prepaid cost. This leads to injustice in accessing online learning for those who has lesser resources.