Keywords

Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Education, Eswatini, Massive Open Online Courses, Small and Medium Enterprise.

Introduction

Entrepreneurship is the key contributor to sustainable economic growth and development of a country, as it creates employment, enhances innovation and increases spending in markets (Meyer & Meyer, 2017; Meyer & De Jongh, 2018). The process which equips learners with knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for starting and operating a business is referred to as Entrepreneurship Education (EE) (Chen et al., 2021). Education, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Quality Education (SDG4) is an important component of economic development and poverty reduction (Hamburg, 2021). However, due to covid-19 isolation rules of no interaction, education and training as well as EE has been affected. Therefore educators must provide a way to continue imparting knowledge.

Improved access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) mainly the Internet causes devices such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone to be used as a medium for teaching and learning entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and competencies (Chen et al., 2021). According to Calvo et al. (2020), about 50% of the global population is now online, therefore the digital world transforms the way learning and retrieving of information occurs. Business Incubators (BIs) in Eswatini need to review current offerings of EE and formulate options that are cost-effective, flexible and embrace covid-19 lock-down regulations by incorporating technology. BIs should experiment with the use of open online education strategies such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

MOOCs is an online learning platform that is open; able to allow communication between lecturers or facilitators and learners while also allowing interaction amongst the learners or participants (You, 2019). MOOCs are mostly university courses taught via the internet through online discussion sessions, live video lectures and recorded video lectures or dialogues (Mozahem, 2021). Literature review reveals that research concentrated on MOOCs being used by higher learning institutions, as a new tool to globally reach students that cannot access that institution through traditional education (Mangan, 2013; Tsabedze, 2021; Mozahem, 2021). This reveals a gap in how other training institutions, like BIs, can use MOOCs to capacitate SMEs. The focus of this study is to explore Eswatini BIs offering EE through virtual spaces because according to literature, there is more demand for online business education as compared to other online disciplines (Friedman, 2016; Kumar et al., 2019; Mozahem, 2021).

Contextual Setting

As the context of the study is Eswatini, it is necessary to provide a brief background of the country, as well as the EE offerings. In 2018, King Mswati III announced that Swaziland would in future be known as Eswatini. The name change was driven by a desire to fully break free from the country’s colonial past while ending international confusion between Swaziland and Switzerland. The change was part of the country’s celebrations of 50 years of independence. Eswatini is a landlocked country in the eastern flank of South Africa, where it adjoins Mozambique. It stretches about 110 miles (175 km) from north to south and about 80 miles (130 km) from west to east. At its largest dimensions, the country has close trade and financial ties with South Africa, which absorbs about 60% of Swazi exports and provides 80% of imports, including most of the electricity. Around 70% of Eswatini’s 1.1 million people are based in rural areas, with livelihoods predominantly dependent on subsistence agriculture. The Swazi economy is mainly driven by its membership of the South African Customs Union (SACU) and the Common Monetary Area (CMA) (UNICEF, 2018). Education is regarded as the cornerstone of economic and social development in Eswatini; and the objective of the government is to provide education that is affordable, accessible, and relevant to the Swazi nation. The main levels of education are primary, secondary and tertiary (higher education). Eswatini’ s higher education sector consists of seven institutions of higher learning, including a publicly funded university, publicly funded polytechnics and specialized colleges, and privately funded accredited universities and colleges. Eswatini universities aim to teach research skills and inculcate a culture of research for personal, professional and social development. According to the 2019/20 budget speech, education continues to be allocated a significant proportion of government expenditure (E3,543 billion) (Rijkenberg, 2019). Literacy (through basic reading and writing) in Eswatini stands at about 87.5%. Higher education in Eswatini is provided through the University of Eswatini (public university), private universities, colleges and training institutions.

Problem Statement

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the importance of digitalisation causing speed in the facilitation of online services in many sectors including education (Chen et al., 2021). The traditional way of “how teaching is done, how students learn” and “where learning takes place” is being contested (Tsabedze, 2021). According to the way and manner in which training is conducted have changed due to the adaptation of ICT in education and training. This study seeks to discuss the strategies for EE curriculum development through MOOCs in Eswatini concerning the rapidly changing entrepreneurship environment. It also takes into account the global elearning requirements in the digital era. The study proposes that EE be offered through MOOCs by Eswatini BIs to capacitate SMEs without necessarily being together in physical premises, this can even include SMEs outside the country. MOOCs have created new lifelong learning opportunities with cost-effective, high-quality training beyond time zones and physical limits (Sonwalkar 2013). Stresses that in addition to offering MOOC’s opportunities, ICTs have also paved the way for new pedagogical approaches such as e-business and providing independent learning. Mentors and learners, from around the world, can communicate, craft and share presentations in multimedia format creating a real-life scenario hence reducing real-life risks (Chen et al., 2021). The rapid changes in entrepreneurship stimulate BIs to review the course content and the programme guidelines in line with current global trends.

Substantial efforts to provide appropriate curricula for educating SMEs are demonstrated in the literature. A case study by Mondal et al. (2016) shows that MOOCs have significant time, financial and geographical advantages, as well as lowering access barriers and promoting EE to a large pool of students and professionals. It has the potential to create a fundamental shift in the mindset of a generation of young people, encouraging them to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours. By providing flexible learning opportunities to relevant personnel, MOOCs can also play a crucial role in a new and rapidly emerging corporate planning process known as "corporate entrepreneurship." The study also demonstrates that EE is critical for a country's economic progress and people's quality of life.

However, there has been a limited review conducted on the use of online platforms such as MOOCs to facilitate EE. This study is motivated by a lack of information on the use of technology in offering EE especially by BIs in developing countries like Eswatini.

Purpose and Research Questions

The purpose of the study was to review the literature on EE from 2003 to 2021 to come up with a framework for developing and implementing entrepreneurship curriculum in MOOCs context in Eswatini. Consequently, this can be an implementation plan for findings of a report on Financing Model for Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Kingdom of Eswatini. According to the report, entrepreneurship training is the sine qua non for improving MSMEs financial capabilities. Therefore, one of the low-hanging fruits for Eswatini is to offer free, differentiated, enhanced and all-encompassing entrepreneurship training to all start-ups and micro-entrepreneurs who wish to apply for a business loan (ECA, 2021).

The following research questions are addressed in the study:

RQ1: How far has entrepreneurship education and training progressed in Africa?

RQ2: What are the challenges associated with entrepreneurship education and training in Eswatini?

RQ3: How can the entrepreneurship curriculum be developed and implemented appropriately in the context of MOOCs in Eswatini?

Methodology

To conduct the research, the study used a systematic literature review and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodology. The researchers used scientific databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar to conduct an online literature search. These databases allowed for the use of delimiters to refine search items. Keywords used in the search strategy include “entrepreneurship education”, “economic growth”, “MOOCs”, and “education and training”. The search applied to articles from 2003 to 2021 and duplicate articles were eliminated. The study included only open access articles that had been published in the English language between 2003 and 2021. A total of 38 full texts articles were retrieved and analysed independently to determine whether or not they met the pre-determined criteria. Articles that met the criteria were included for review in the current study. The extracted data got screened for eligibility. For an article to be regarded as eligible for inclusion in the current study's literature review, either the acronym MOOCs had to feature in the title, abstract or keywords. However, in some relevant articles, these are featured only in the body of the article and not in the title, abstract or keywords. Such articles were later regarded as eligible and included in the current study. Eligible articles were further filtered to eliminate irrelevant ones, such as the ones that featured the acronym MOOCs that did not stand for massive open online courses. Also excluded were articles with a passing mention of the subject of the current study.

Literature Review

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

Commonly, MOOCs can be categorised into two kinds. First, programmes are structured the traditional way with predetermined syllabus content (Hew & Cheung, 2014). The EE instructor would have pre-recorded video lectures and project assignments available on the online platform (Mozahem, 2021). In the second classification, students are encouraged to fashion their learning atmosphere. Course content is inspired by the philosophy of connectivism, it is derived from the students (Rodriguez, 2012). Content delivery is based on learners specific needs, even school dropouts can be part of the virtual classroom and be motivated towards entrepreneurship (Mondal et al., 2016).

According to Lucas (2013), MOOCs are a paradigm shift and an evolution that education and training institutions must adopt if they want to continue operating in the new digital world. MOOCs employed a variety of educational settings, including literacy, vocational and adult education. According to a literature exploration by Mozahem (2021), there is excessive demand for MOOCs as some courses have over 100 000 students and the demand is outstandingly high in entrepreneurship courses.

Even though MOOCs have so many advantages, they have challenges. MOOCs operate on ICT infrastructure especially internet connections, which is still not easily accessible and relatively expensive in developing countries like Eswatini (Muriithi, 2017; Global Competitiveness Report, 2020). Universities are faced with the problem of a high dropout rate, students leave courses without finishing programmes offered through MOOCs (Resei et al., 2018; Sofoluwe et al., 2013).

Entrepreneurship Education and Training in Africa

EE refers to knowledge that instils in learners an enterprising mindset; innovation, risktaking and bringing together factors of production, to set up a new business venture or grow an existing one (Rono et al., 2016; Ikebuaku & Dinbabo, 2018). Enterprise training is defined as regular efforts through learning experiences, which modify or develop knowledge and skills (Njoroge & Gathungu, 2013). EE and training foster an entrepreneurship culture and is viewed as the magic bullet for achieving economic growth in the African developing countries (Malebane, 2012; Iwu, 2017). A study on ‘Micro and Small Enterprises in Africa’ by the World Bank noted an immediate positive impact to those trained, implementing good business routines in bookkeeping, production management and marketing. even suggested a change in the South African education system, they hypothesised that teaching entrepreneurial skills to high school and university students will result in graduates having a job-creation mindset instead of being job-seekers. Understandable so, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe entrepreneurs with secondary, vocational or university education were said to be having faster-growing businesses as compared to those with no schooling education (Vivarelli, 2012; FinScope, 2017).

Consequently, progression of EE is being put on formal school curriculum yet, in had found that EE offered in other trajectories led to a 6% increase in self-employment as compared to being offered in the academic track. In Nigeria EE offered to undergraduate students failed to meet set objectives as many graduates were still seeking employment and remained unemployed long after graduation (Ikebuaku & Dinbabo, 2018). To achieve a prevalent enterprise culture for Kenya and other developing countries Njoroge & Gathungu (2013) suggested that EE must integrate technology. To explore new pedagogical practices Moroccan universities offer EE through MOOCs not only to university students but also to non-traditional students and managers.

According to the researchers, MOOCs not only allow Moroccan people to be part of the EE classes but also allow participants from all over the world, such that poor countries access knowledge from international experts on that subject.

MOOCs and Entrepreneurship Education

New technology online courses have enhanced the development of entrepreneurial skills. One can learn from successful entrepreneurs, from anywhere in the world, share experiences and exchange business ideas through electronic devices (Resei et al., 2018). Lifelong learning, comprised within SDG4, attained through MOOCs is likely to reduce poverty and inequality because as people access education they can contribute to work and life (McGreal, 2017; Hamburg, 2021). While MOOCs may not be the solution to the world's educational issues, they play an important role. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognised it by establishing the term “Open Educational Resources (OER)” in 2004 and the OER Paris Declaration in 2012 accepted it as well (McGreal, 2017).

EE has more potential of promoting entrepreneurship if there is contact with mentors who can share successful real-life experiences and be an inspiration to learners (Resei et al., 2018). With MOOCs that is possible regardless of geographic or financial limitations. Welsh & Draguish (2013) noted that MOOCs are becoming an intrinsic component of EE contributing to the capacity development of diverse learners, enabling entrepreneurs to better cope with the demands they will face or are facing as they start a new venture or run one. The researchers said this is because MOOCs can provide quality EE, which has accurate information for all types of learners at much-reduced fees, regardless of their background, status, resources, time, or location. The Covid-19 pandemic posed challenges to traditional education; therefore online open courses like MOOCs are an innovative business opportunity for entrepreneurs while also being a strategy and tool to continue providing education, a fundamental human right.

Challenges Facing Entrepreneurship Education and Training in Eswatini

In the Kingdom of Eswatini, SMEs are pivotal to economic development, contributing about 45% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and about 32% of employment in the formal sector (Magongo, 2021a). However, despite the crucial role played by the SME sector, it has challenges resulting in about 80% of new businesses failing within 2 years of existence (FinScope, 2017; Makhubu, 2017; Magongo, 2021b). One of the challenges in Eswatini is the lack of capacity development (Dlamini, 2018) and this is confirmed by Dlamini (2020) research findings that 91% of SMEs stated that they lack training. The following are challenges facing EE and training in Eswatini:

• Entrepreneurship is not taken as a priority career choice-parents motivate their children to aspire for permanent jobs during their formative days.

• EE curriculum is ineffectively implemented-there's a lack of experts in the entrepreneurship field resulting in not having relevant textbooks or teaching gadgets on EE program, ineffective style of instruction for practicalorientated training.

• Lecturers not competent in the field of entrepreneurship – professionals in the EE sector concentrate on the theoretical content instead of the course being practically interesting.

• Poor recognition of EE-no higher education institution offers entrepreneurship at degree or diploma level in the country, it is only offered as a module within other disciplines.

• EE an elective subject-students are forced to entrepreneurship course because they did not get good grades from the main course. In other economies, EE is part of the main subjects offered at secondary school such that every person who has been through secondary education has entrepreneurial skills.

A proposed Framework for Entrepreneurship Education through MOOCs in Eswatini

The study established that the SMEs in Eswatini have faced numerous challenges over the years. These challenges have resulted in poor business management skills as mentioned above. The developments in entrepreneurship training in Eswatini has not done much to improve business management skills for SMEs. One of the root causes of the problem in entrepreneurship is the lack of training programmes in this niche area in all institutions of higher learning in Eswatini, EE is only offered as a module in some courses. This shows that although there is a need for trained entrepreneurs in the country, there is limited access to the training. Dlamini (2020) reveals that majority of entrepreneurs in Eswatini have not been trained in entrepreneurship due to the non-availability of institutions of higher learning in the country that offer the programme whose delivery mode caters for their needs as full-time employees. In the light of all, this the study designed a framework for EE in a MOOCs environment in Eswatini as reflected in Figure 1. This framework attempts to address both the programme content and the delivery mode, which will address the needs of both the industry and trainees in entrepreneurship.

Principles Guiding the Formulation of this Framework

This proposed framework is designed to guide the implementation, harmonisation and standardisation of EE. This framework is based on the following principles as identified by Moore & Kearsley (2012):

• Openness and flexibility: Reducing constraints to accessing education, including geographical, temporal, academic, socio-economic and cultural barriers.

• Learner-centeredness: Ensuring that the learner is at the centre of all learning in terms of resource requirements and the learning environment.

• Quality assurance and relevance: Ensuring the quality and relevance of MOOCs programmes and learner support services.

• Collaboration and partnership: Promoting partnership in the development of learning materials, learner support systems and credit transfers.

• Efficiency: Ensuring optimum use of resources to increase access and improve the quality of education through MOOCs.

• Equity and equality: Ensuring inclusiveness in terms of gender, rural, urban and special needs education.

• Training: Providing professional training and reskilling of an entrepreneur.

Explanation of the Framework

The framework is premised on the assumption that every learner learning can be optimally supported by modern electronic technologies and other digital facilities. The entrepreneurship learners are assumed to have access to and be able to make optimal use of modern electronic technologies to access their study resources and to interact with their course instructors without necessarily being required to make physical contact. The increased interaction in this framework will lead to a reduction in the transactional distance between course instructors and the entrepreneurship learners. Therefore, modern electronic technologies result in e-learning, online learning or digital learning through the use of remote electronic communication. A further assumption of the framework is that it shall be guided by learnercentred educational theories. The elements of the framework include:

• Develop a core team

• Define the target audience

• Develop intended learning outcomes

• Decide your course structure

• Decide modes of delivery and potential contributors

• Develop course content

• Plan course facilitation

Phase 1: Develop a Core Team

The core team will be the individuals that will work on the project ideally from initiation to implementation. The team should consist of individuals with the following:

(i) Subject matter expertise

(ii) Pedagogy expertise

(iii) Knowledge of (or willingness to learn) how to use the chosen online platform

To facilitate an efficient process, it is also important to ensure there is adequate senior buy-in for the project. This buy-in can raise the profile of the course within the organisation and fast track its production.

Phase 2: Define the Target Audience

Who is likely to take this course? Will the course be open to a specialised group or the general public? To develop a course that speaks to the diverse needs of its students, early discussions on who the students will be is essential. The following questions can help in defining the target audience.

• Who are the participants for whom you’re designing this course or who will be interested in taking a course on this topic? (e.g. what is their age, educational background etc)?

• Where are they in their overall course of study on this topic?

• What physical setting might they be in when engaging with the course (e.g. noisy environments, public spaces)?

• What devices or connectivity might they have access to?

• How digitally literate are they?

• Have they previously learned online (will you need to include guidance to support time management for online learning if it is new to them)?

These questions are designed to enable a better understanding of your target audience. This will then inform a course design that is tailored to the needs of the participants – supporting a greater likelihood of success on the course.

Phase 3: Develop Intended Learning Outcomes

Intended learning outcomes are sometimes called course objectives. This is what participants will be able to do on completion of the course.

The Table 1 below is designed to support the development of the intended learning outcomes for your course. Start by defining the level of study–e.g. secondary school, university level. Then look at 'what participants do' at that level and use the descriptive verbs to start to define each intended learning outcome.

Table 1 Development of the Intended Learning Outcomes
Level of study	What participants do	Descriptive verbs
Master’s degree holder	Create Develop own ideas or provide own viewpoint Evaluate Justify own viewpoint or decision	Construct, design, create, develop, write, formulate Evaluate, appraise, argue, judge, select, support
Diploma & Degree holder	Analyse Distinguish between different aspects or parts Apply Use information or use information in a new way	Compare, contrast, examine, experiment, question, criticize, test Use, demonstrate, illustrate, operate
Secondary & High School	Understand Explain idea or concept	Explain, classify, recognize, report
Primary and uneducated	Remember Recall information	Recall, list, repeat, reproduce, state

Phase 4: Decide your Course Structure

Over how many weeks will your course run? What topics will be covered each week? How many hours a week will students need to spend on the course.

Phase 5: Decide Modes of Delivery and Potential Contributors

The teaching materials consist of two components – content and mode of delivery.

The digital platform that is being used for the course will determine the modes of delivery you have available. Typically, the following options will be available: video, audio and article. Select the mode of delivery for each part of the course with the audience and intended content in mind.

Parts of the course that are more complex may be better presented using videos with animations. Other parts that are likely to need updating (e.g. parts that contain dates or key events) are better-assigned modes of delivery that can be easily edited - like articles. Aim to have a relatively even spread of different modalities in each week of the course. Select content contributors based on their availability and knowledge of the topic. Have two or three contributors in mind for one lecture, article or audio component. This is particularly important when developing a MOOC during a disease outbreak as the content contributors may also be actively involved with the disease outbreak and can be called away at short notice. Careful consideration should also be given to ensure there is a balance of genders, ethnicities and geographies (if applicable) in those contributing to the course.

Phase 6: Develop Course Content

With course aims, intended learning outcomes and modes of delivery outlined, it’s helpful to provide these together when contacting course contributors.

To save time, it is considerate to use teaching materials already designed for face-to-face lessons. The process of adapting that material to suit the current course can be time-consuming and it causing efficiency in creating new materials.

The process of developing course content can involve numerous stages and individuals. For example, developing a course video can involve the following stages: script development, review and amendments to script, recording (home-based or in a studio), editing recordings, transcription, uploading. It may be helpful to develop a spreadsheet that allows you to chart where you are up to with the development of each Step of the course.

Phase 7: Plan Course Facilitation

The plans for course facilitation may vary depending on expected student numbers.

The course facilitation team can be divided into three cohorts:

• Hosts (individuals with a good understanding of the digital platform and those who have moderated online courses)

• Mentors

• Educators

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation of the framework must be guided by evaluation plans and evaluation forms that analyse the effectiveness of the learning design process and the MOOCs system that support pedagogy requirements. A further assessment of the learner has to be carried out to ascertain the relevance of design and development techniques, the quality of the learning provided, method of instruction, layout, design and relevance of content. According to the development process, the learner’s feedback must be analysed, and subsequent changes referred to the development stage. The review and improvement stage proved functionally important at every step in the proposed pedagogical framework where systems were to be kept updated with

• learning trends, technology updates and research

• increased e-learning awareness to learners

• changes and developments in policy and curriculums

• technology and infrastructure changes

• suggested improvements or enhancements based on objectives or

• stakeholder requirements (African Virtual University, 2014).

Reviews of the system and subsequent improvements took place from the foundation dimension through the curriculum stage in the proposed framework. The aim was to manage enhancements through the cyclic dimension in maintaining a structured approach. The role of the cyclic dimension was imperative and considered changes in stakeholder requirements, objectives and included comments and outcomes received through the assessment and feedback. The proposed framework through the review and improvement stage recommended that based on the complexity of the change, the request be addressed through the course content phase, maintaining structure in requested changes to the system.

Conclusion

The study analysed the implementation of EE in African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in general, and in Eswatini specifically. A literature review was conducted to demonstrate the need for a framework to implement EE through the MOOCs environment in Eswatini. It emerged from the analysis in the study that few HEIs in Africa offer EE in the MOOCs platform to cater to learners who are already engaged in business. In Eswatini HEI offer EE full time at the undergraduate level. Since this programme is offered full-time it is not convenient for prospective learners undertaking full-time employment as lessons clashed with their work schedules. Furthermore, the offering of EE through the contact sessions limits the involvement of foreign expertise from neighbouring countries and abroad.

Based on the analysis and the status of EE in Eswatini the study developed a framework for implementation of EE in Eswatini through a MOOCs platform. The study proposed that this framework should be implemented by BIs through engagement with the stakeholders. Offering EE through a MOOCs environment in Eswatini will go a long way in ensuring that Eswatini entrepreneurs are mentored virtually. Apart from being adopted by BIs in Eswatini, the developed framework is also suitable for adoption by BIs in other countries that share the same context with Eswatini. The limitation of this study is that it used only a literature review to justify the need for the development of a framework for offering EE through MOOCs in Eswatini. A further empirical study on the analysis of EE needs in Eswatini is recommended. Such a study can further look at how other institutions around the globe are offering online EE. Furthermore, the study can look at the possibility of developing open distance e-learning (ODeL) EE in Eswatini.

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Received: 03-Aug-2022, Manuscript No. AJEE-22-12434; Editor assigned: 05-Aug -2022, PreQC No. AJEE-22-12434(PQ); Reviewed: 19- Aug-2022, QC No. AJEE-22-12434; Revised: 23-Aug -2022, Manuscript No. AJEE-22-12434(R); Published: 30-Aug -2022