Authentic E-Learning in Higher Education in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Narrative Review

This narrative review examines the state of authentic e-learning in higher education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular attention paid to social work education in South Africa. It assesses whether the rapid move to online and blended learning has progressed beyond emergency remote teaching towards more meaningful, student-centred approaches. The review draws on peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2024, identified through purposive and hand searches of Google Scholar, EBSCOhost and Sabinet using terms related to authentic learning, e-learning and post-COVID-19 higher education. Sources were selected for their relevance to the review’s guiding questions rather than through an exhaustive, protocol-driven search and read critically. The literature was organised thematically into three broad foci: (1) the benefits of authentic e-learning in higher education; (2) the challenges of implementing authentic e-learning in higher education; and (3) implications for rethinking social work education in line with the elements of authentic e-learning. The review indicates that authentic e-learning, grounded in real-world tasks, collaboration, reflection and interdisciplinary engagement, can enhance the quality, inclusivity and relevance of social work education, with reported benefits including flexibility, inclusivity and opportunities for international collaboration. Persistent challenges include the digital divide, personal and institutional constraints, limitations of learning management systems, and academic dishonesty. As a narrative rather than systematic review, this account is illustrative rather than exhaustive: its South African and social-work-specific focus, its reliance on three databases, and its inclusion of mostly small-scale, short-term primary studies mean that the themes identified should be read as indicative patterns in the literature rather than a comprehensive or generalisable evidence base. Recommendations for social work education include expanding broadband access, providing ongoing digital training, establishing clear institutional policies, and adopting agile, problem-based learning approaches. Building on, but distinct from the proposals advanced in the reviewed studies, this paper closes with a set of recommendations authored by the review team.