The Challenges of Massification in Higher Education in Developing Countries

Higher education institutions in developing countries, especially in Africa, face numerous challenges related to the massification of classes due to rapid growth in student enrollment in public universities. This expansion has been encouraged by public authorities, with the support of organizations like the United Nations and UNESCO, to ensure that countries can train qualified professionals and meet their socio-economic needs. However, the increase in student numbers in large classes (with some courses having over 3,000 students) raises significant concerns regarding the quality of education and equity. Issues include resource availability, content reproducibility, study conditions, and access to digital solutions. Providing this type of education requires specialized training conditions and infrastructure, which is often lacking in developing countries. This paper presents the findings of a survey conducted at the University of Lomé, which included 1,800 students and 106 teachers, all of whom experience the challenges associated with large class sizes. The student demographic primarily consists of first-year bachelor’s program entrants. The main objective of the survey is to gather insights and opinions from participants on suitable solutions the University of Lomé can implement to address the challenges of massification when enrollment exceeds 3,000 or 4,000 students. Additionally, the study aims to consider the perspectives of stakeholders in higher education to propose an ICT-based solution for managing large groups effectively. The findings of this research can also be applied to other African universities facing similar challenges and may pave the way for solutions akin to intelligent classrooms for face-to-face courses.