Moving from Face-to-Face Instruction to Virtual Instruction in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Narratives of K-12 Teachers

By the time someone becomes a teacher, regardless of whether he or she enters the K-12 school system, higher education arena, or corporate training environment, he or she has literally had decades of experience with face-to-face instruction. While new teachers vary in their pedagogical training and student teaching experience, they still benefit from a lifetime of experience as students themselves. Accordingly, most of today’s teachers have a fairly common set of experiences and expectations to draw from when planning and evaluating traditional instruction. This is not so when the educational environment is shifted from the four-walled classroom to the online Internet environment. According to Bork (2002), the results of a survey of university instructors revealed that experienced online instructors had taught between four and seven online courses either partially or fully online. While not an insignificant number, it pales in comparison to the teaching experience of the same respondents (e.g., 36% having more than 20 years of experience and 34% with 10-20 years of experience), as well as the nonteaching history that such instructors invariably had.

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Developing Teachers' Knowledge for Teaching in Virtual Contexts

Handbook of Research on Transforming Teachers’ Online Pedagogical Reasoning for Engaging K-12 Students in Virtual Learning - Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-7222-1.ch031 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 643-664

Author(s):

Margaret L. Niess ◽

Henry Gillow-Wiles

Keyword(s):

Social Presence ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Virtual Classrooms ◽

Pedagogical Content ◽

Face To Face ◽

Knowledge For Teaching ◽

Virtual Instruction ◽

Virtual Computer ◽

K 12 ◽

Content Knowledge For Teaching

The 2020 worldwide pandemic signaled the COVID-19 crisis as a real threat and forced K-12 schools to move teaching and learning from face-to-face classrooms to online virtual classrooms. Educators searched for a silver lining amid the hardships created by the virtual teaching and learning environments. This chapter answers an important question: How has the knowledge that teachers need for teaching changed as a result of School Lockdown 2020-2021? Analysis of the chapters in this book in addition to extensive qualitative observations of two middle school virtual computer science classrooms over six months identified two important lessons needing consideration when requiring K-12 virtual instruction: (1) teachers' knowledge for teaching requires developing their technological pedagogical content knowledge for teaching in both face-to-face and virtual contexts, and (2) teaching virtually relies on a social presence that assures students' sense of belonging to engage in virtual learning experiences.

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What Kind of Blending Makes Blended Learning?

Psychological Science and Education ◽

10.17759/pse.2018230301 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 5-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A.A. Margolis

Keyword(s):

Blended Learning ◽

Basic Education ◽

Current Model ◽

Educational Innovation ◽

Face To Face ◽

The Past ◽

E Learning ◽

Face To Face Instruction ◽

K 12

The paper focuses on blended learning which is now quite common both in basic and in higher education and which is usually defined as a combination of e-learning and face-to-face instruction. The author explores the main models of blended learning in basic education (K-12), evaluates their benefits and limitations, and reflects on the changes in the current model of teaching activity and standards for teachers. The paper also presents a review of modern studies on the effectiveness of blended learning as compared to distance learning and traditional in-class education. As it is revealed, the role of blended learning is that of a ‘hybrid’ educational innovation which interlocks the past and the future in education.

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K-12 Online Education

Handbook of Research on Emerging Priorities and Trends in Distance Education - Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-5162-3.ch026 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 385-400 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Wayne Journell ◽

Ben McFadyen ◽

Marva S. Miller ◽

Kathryn Kujawski Brown

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

Learning Needs ◽

Face To Face ◽

Diverse Learning ◽

Face To Face Instruction ◽

K 12

It is growing increasingly evident that online learning is the future of K-12 education, both in the United States and the rest of the industrialized world. Improved technology, coupled with the perceived cost-effectiveness of online education, has resulted in growing numbers of states and K-12 school districts embracing “anytime, anywhere” education. Research on K-12 online education, however, has not kept up with its growth. This chapter explores three structural issues that are currently limiting online learning from being a viable alternative to K-12 face-to-face instruction in the United States: inadequate training of online K-12 teachers, issues related to accessibility for students with diverse learning needs, and the importance of structuring courses in a way that responds to the diverse backgrounds of K-12 students. Although this chapter is framed from an American perspective, largely because the vast majority of K-12 online learning occurs in the United States, future research on these issues is essential to K-12 online education in any context.

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Transitioning to Blended Learning: Understanding Student and Faculty Perceptions

Online Learning ◽

10.24059/olj.v15i1.188 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nanette P. Napier ◽

Sonal Dekhane ◽

Stella Smith

Keyword(s):

Blended Learning ◽

Student Performance ◽

Liberal Arts ◽

Faculty Perceptions ◽

Liberal Arts College ◽

Final Exam ◽

Face To Face ◽

Faculty Teaching ◽

Face To Face Instruction ◽

The Impact

This paper describes the conversion of an introductory computing course to the blended learning model at a small, public liberal arts college. Blended learning significantly reduces face-to-face instruction by incorporating rich, online learning experiences. To assess the impact of blended learning on students, survey data was collected at the midpoint and end of semester, and student performance on the final exam was compared in traditional and blended learning sections. To capture faculty perspectives on teaching blended learning courses, written reflections and discussions from faculty teaching blended learning sections were analyzed. Results indicate that student performance in the traditional and blended learning sections of the course were comparable and that students reported high levels of interaction with their instructor. Faculty teaching the course share insights on transitioning to the blended learning format.

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Epidemic Response: How to evaluate and respond to evolving and conflicting risk information with a focus on education and clinical environments

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1071181320641420 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 1732-1735

Author(s):

Alison G. Vredenburgh ◽

Rodrigo J. Daly Guris ◽

Kevin G. Welner ◽

Sreekanth R. Cheruku

Keyword(s):

The United States ◽

Face To Face ◽

The Public ◽

Conflicting Information ◽

The Face ◽

Clinical Environments ◽

Face To Face Instruction ◽

Epidemic Response ◽

Collaborative Implementation ◽

Modern Era

By October, we will have learned a great deal about responding to an epidemic or pandemic that has proved to have a level of transmission unprecedented in the modern era. The possible and likely responses include many unknowns. Coordinated and collaborative implementation has been complicated by conflicting information from multiple governments and organizations in several languages. What will we learn about how the United States can improve its ability to respond? How do we develop consistent and accurate warnings and messaging to the public in order to increase compliance regarding a new, and not well understood, epidemic? What factors increase or decrease compliance? How are US education policymakers deciding about face-to-face instruction? How have physicians and hospitals adapted their workflows in the face of uncertainty and supply chain inconsistencies? This panel will include a warnings expert, an expert on education law and policy, and two physicians.

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A Case Study of Student Use of Asynchronous Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) to Support Reflection and Evaluation

Journal of Educational Technology Systems ◽

10.2190/a9em-ybpq-5jwu-2jwt ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 365-377 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Susan M. Land ◽

Michele M. Dornisch

Keyword(s):

Collaborative Learning ◽

Bulletin Board ◽

Discussion Forums ◽

Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ◽

Communication Tools ◽

Web Based ◽

Face To Face ◽

Recent Interest ◽

Face To Face Instruction

Recent interest in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) has prompted educators to incorporate communication tools into their courses. This article reports findings of students' use of two Web-based discussion forums across two semesters to supplement face-to- face instruction. By tracking the discussions, we discovered that when students initiated reflection and integration of perspectives, they did so through concessions and oppositions to the postings of their peers. Findings point to the importance of explicit scaffolding of conversations to encourage student sharing and evaluation of perspectives.

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Increasing Undergraduate Success: A Randomized Controlled Trial of U-Pace Instruction

Online Learning ◽

10.24059/olj.v22i3.1317 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Raymond Fleming ◽

Laura E. Pedrick ◽

Leah Stoiber ◽

Sarah Kienzler ◽

Ryan R. Fleming ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Academic Success ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Instructional Condition ◽

Face To Face ◽

Concept Mastery ◽

Final Grades ◽

Face To Face Instruction ◽

Not At Risk ◽

Undergraduate Success

U-Pace instruction, comprised of concept mastery and amplified assistance, has shown promise in increasing undergraduate success. To evaluate the efficacy of U-Pace instruction for students at-risk for college non-completion and students not at-risk and to determine whether concept mastery, amplified assistance, or both U-Pace components are responsible for the greater learning associated with U-Pace instruction, an experiment was conducted with four instructional conditions (U-Pace, Concept Mastery, Amplified Assistance, and Face-to-Face). At a public university, 914 undergraduates (576 at-risk) participated. U-Pace instruction produced greater learning than the comparisons. Additionally, U-Pace instruction produced greater academic success than Face-to-Face instruction. The percentage of final grades of A or B did not differ for Concept Mastery, Amplified Assistance, and U-Pace students. No interaction between instructional condition and risk status was found for final grades or learning. The efficacy of U-Pace instruction for both at-risk students and students not at-risk was supported.

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Longitudinal Student Research Competency: Comparing Online and Traditional Face-to-Face Learning Platforms

Advances in Social Work ◽

10.18060/20870 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 44-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jodi Constantine Brown ◽

Hyun-Sun Park

Keyword(s):

Research Methods ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Longitudinal Research ◽

Exploratory Research ◽

Face To Face ◽

Learning Platform ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Face To Face Learning ◽

Face To Face Instruction

This exploratory research compares longitudinal research self-efficacy and retention between a completely asynchronous Master of Social Work (MSW) online cohort and its traditional face-to-face counterpart. This study used a non-equivalent comparison groups design with two groups: online instruction only (n=16) and traditional face-to-face instruction (n=32), with pretest (Time 1), posttest (Time 2) and follow-up (Time 3) standardized measures of practice evaluation knowledge (PEKS) and research self-efficacy (RSES) in a beginning research methods course. Results indicate that students’ knowledge and research self-efficacy improved between pretest and posttest and remained significantly improved at follow-up one year later, with no significant difference between online learners and traditional face-to-face students. Students gain and maintain confidence in research methods and evaluation regardless of the learning platform utilized.

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What if Classroom Instruction Becomes a Thing of the Past?

International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process ◽

10.13033/ijahp.v12i2.805 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Enrique Mu

Keyword(s):

Latin American ◽

Online Courses ◽

Massive Open Online Courses ◽

University Education ◽

Massive Open Online ◽

Face To Face ◽

The Past ◽

Virtual Instruction ◽

The U.S ◽

Latin American And Caribbean

Until recently, there was no doubt about what constituted a university education and how it was carried out. Suddenly, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, and in a few weeks, not only education, but the entire world changed. In the new normal, post-pandemic world, it is possible that teaching face-to-face courses will be the exception, not the rule, in the U.S. and the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Furthermore, this virtual instruction will possibly be at massive levels with tens or hundreds of thousands of students at a time, modeled after massive open online courses (MOOCs).

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