AN ASSURE DESIGN FRAMEWORK FOR MICROSOFT TEAMS INTEGRATION IN REMOTE INSTRUCTION: A CASE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA

Abstract

The pandemic-driven virtual education had impelled the University of Botswana (UB) towards virtual learning tools, including Microsoft Teams (Teams). While UB teaching instructors are experienced with virtual platforms like Moodle, their experience with Teams is limited. Besides, existing literature in Botswana explores user experience with Teams, but often neglects the fundamental role of instructional design models for addressing these challenges. Nonetheless, with the pandemic shifting education online, instructional designers are urged to prioritize strategic media use, and content tailored to specific learning goals. This study proposes an innovative ASSURE-based Teams training program to be adopted by UB academic staff in distance education. Findings suggest the ASSURE model's efficacy as a valuable tool for designing effective remote learning instruction. This will empower decision-makers in Botswana's higher education sector to rigorously evaluate Teams' effectiveness in remote learning, driving its continuous improvement for students.