Abstract:
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is an era that has brought new approaches to education
which requires the integration of cyber physical technologies into the teaching and learning.
Higher and Tertiary Learning institutions are the nerve centers for knowledge diffusion. These
institutions form the heartbeat of an economy as they are the catalysts for sustainable skills
development, technological innovation leading gradual knowledge economic growth and
prosperity. They constitute the port of call in innovative industrial transformation, as such
they are the lead institutions in embracing teaching and learning in a Fourth Industrial
Revolution (4IR) era. The implications of 4IR technologies in education are less understood.
This study examines the critical technology-related skills necessary for enhancing university
services using the Education 5.0 Doctrine which pursues Teaching, Research, Community,
Innovation and Industrialisation. A total of 166 responses were both qualitatively and
quantitatively collected from academic staff participants. The findings highlight the
importance of wholesome 4IR training, big data analysis, simulating ideation to reality,
multimedia usage for visualizing future possibilities, appropriate software utilization, virtual
platforms and simulations for practical’s, data analytics skills, critical thinking, data science,
online teaching and research, innovations, predictive analysis, robotics and simulation
software, readily accessible ICT manuals, computer skills, interactive boards, digital
technologies, artificial intelligence, interactive online teaching, virtual reality and augmented
reality, training on simulation software, ICT skills, 4IR technologies for data collection and
analytics, LMS navigation, staff information availability on portals, data analysis technologies,cloud computing, mechatronics and software integration, nanotechnology sampling
equipment, academic entrepreneurship and ICT, computer-aided designing skills, safe data
keeping, and emerging technologies. The study emphasizes the need for refresher courses
and training on simulation software. It is through integrating these critical technology-related
skills in the 4IR era that universities in Zimbabwe can be able to effectively implement the
Education 5.0 doctrine and enhance their service offerings.
