scholarly journals Pandemic as Catalyst for National Digital Transformation of Higher Education - A Swedish Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 392-400
Author(s):  
Lena Dafgård ◽  
Alastair Creelman

The covid-19 emergency presented daunting challenges for all in higher education, in particular teachers and students who were forced to quickly pivot from the familiar setting of the campus to purely online education in a matter of days. Despite the enormity of this challenge the transition was negotiated successfully in terms of online teaching though issues such as social interaction, student isolation and digital divides remained largely unaddressed. In Sweden, the pandemic response has been a wake-up call to address the lack of national coordination of online and blended education as well as the need for more coordinated approaches to professional pedagogical development. This paper outlines the response of several national networks and stakeholder organisations, notably the Network for IT in Higher Education (ITHU), though the forming of a mutual support group on Facebook to coordinating workshops and sharing resources. A survey of ITHU members revealed a number of key focus areas for national coordination as well as the development of a culture of sharing between teaching staff and educational technicians that did not exist before the pandemic.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. p30
Author(s):  
Liu Zhixuan

The outbreak of the COVID-19 caused many Chinese universities to initiate online teaching. This paper aimed to develop Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) practices in online courses to enable teachers and students in China to employ TBLT appropriately and effectively. This research made a case study which was conducted as an online English class with a total of 28 undergraduate students at a university in Guangdong, China. The findings show that the transition from the traditional classroom to online education was successful. This innovative teaching mode promotes students to become the initiator of learning. Besides, the switched roles between students and teachers, advantages as well as problems of this approach have been pointed out. This case study could provide pedagogical implicatures for online English teaching and learning practically and theoretically, which helps to develop new forms that could assist teachers and students to adopt TBLT in class.


Author(s):  
D. A. Ashirbekova ◽  
G. Zh. Nurmukhanova

This article examines the process of transition of the higher education system to distance learning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the uniform transition to distance learning, higher education institutions differ in the strategy of its organization. As a result, an analysis was made of the country's higher educational institutions and the measures they have taken to transfer teachers and students to online education. The analysis highlighted a number of challenges faced by higher education institutions during the transition to a new format of distance learning, including the lack of infrastructure and material and technical base, difficulties in adapting training materials to the new format, lack of staff qualifications and experience of remote work. Taking into account the above problems, the pandemic showed the need for additional budgetary funds for the development of a digital educational environment, professional development of the teaching staff, as well as for the creation of jobs at universities for students who lost their jobs during the crisis, which allowed them to pay for tuition and related costs. Thus, given all the abovementioned difficulties in the transition to distance learning, for the full functioning of higher education institutions and to prevent a potential increase in unemployment, an increase in costs is necessary. This article also discusses proposals on the need to make appropriate changes in management and financial models in the field of education.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 183-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madinah Nabukeera

Higher education faced unplanned, unwanted, un experienced, tense test in online learning with Novel Covid-19 pandemic. For all the stakeholders participating in this type of training from lecturers, students and support ICT staff its unwelcome but the university systems were stuck on how they have to go through to ensure that they end Semester II academic year 2019/20. Early January 2020, the outbreak of the Covid-19 caused Ugandan universities to close the physical campuses following a presidential directive. On 20th March 2020, from lower primary, secondary education to universities. This forced university administration to instruct teaching staff to teach all courses on-line apart from practical courses that need laboratory training. This paper focused on instructional strategies in Uganda and focuses on a case of Islamic University in Uganda Females’ Campus (IUIUFC). Fifteen specific instructional strategies are presented to summarize current online teaching experiences for university instructors who might conduct online education in similar circumstances. The study concluded with 15 high impact principles for online education. Keywords: Covid-19, instructional strategies, online teach and learning, academic managers and IUIUFC


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-66
Author(s):  
Izabela Cytlak

Purpose – To identify the main challenges experienced at local Higher Educational Institutions by students while studying online during the pandemic. The research will find out the difficulties faced, and detect the areas to improve in further implementation of distance education in the country. Motivation - Only about 11% of applicants have been accepted to High Educational Institutions in Uzbekistan for the last two years. The integration and development of distance learning will create opportunities for more young and middle-aged people who do not have enough resources to study in a traditional way. Due to the pandemic, all the educational institutions had to transfer into the online teaching system. This unexpected situation made both teachers and students of Uzbekistan face the challenges. At the same time, it created an opportunity to experience remote teaching and learning, which can become a groundwork on approval and application of distance education in Uzbekistan. Design/Methodology/Approach – Quantitative type of research was implemented. The questionnaire was designed and the students who experienced remote learning during the pandemic at least for one semester were invited to participate. Implications – The results of the research can be implied to develop educational policy in the Higher Education system of Uzbekistan. The outcomes of surveys were analyzed to understand how the findings can be implemented in the Higher Education of Uzbekistan. Moreover, the conclusions of the research may constitute recommendations for decision-makers in the field of higher education (rectors and dean's authorities of universities).


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. p96
Author(s):  
Ida Panev

The whole world population witnesses changes that are happening due to COVID-19 pandemic. One of the greatest changes is shown in the manner of conducting the educational process that has been transferred from traditional onsite to online. This paper analyses what are advantages and what are disadvantages of online teaching in higher education in Croatia, but it is applicable to all levels of education system. As approximately one year has passed since first lockdown and consequently closing all educational institutions, some experience is gained. This paper will try to systematize most of the findings that practice of online education has shown. In a few words, some advantages of quality online teaching are: low expenses, timesaving, learning at one’s own pace, motivation, communication, attention etc. Disadvantages of online teaching are: lack of social face-to-face contact, extreme exposure to screens, all sorts of distractions due to inappropriate work environment, inadequate technical equipment, lack of digital skills etc. Although the key role is on the teachers as creators of the educational process, students, as participants of the process, should also make an effort to adjust and embrace new ways of teaching and learning. Both teachers and students should express their opinions and all sorts of needs, to take the best out of online education during a pandemic.


Author(s):  
Olga O. Hreilikh ◽  
Natalia O. Vydolob

The relevance of the chosen topic is determined by the importance of interaction between teachers and students in modern higher education, as well as the need to cover the psychological features of such interaction from the point of view of developing a qualitative assessment of their role and place in the educational process of a higher educational institution. The purpose of the study is to formulate psychological aspects of “teacher-student” communication within the educational space to identify methods of its regulation. The leading approach of the research is a combination of theoretical analysis of the main aspects of pedagogical interaction between teachers and students in an educational institution taking into account the main functions and tasks of each of the groups under consideration and structural synthesis of the features of this type of interaction based on psychological factors of communication on the scale of a higher educational institution. The research considers issues related to the psychological features of pedagogical interaction between teachers and students in modern higher education. Qualitative indicators of communicative relations of subjects of the educational process, in particular teachers and students, are determined. The key psychological features of pedagogical interaction in the “teacherstudent” system are highlighted, including the development of trust in the authority of the teacher, taking into account students' individual factors in the process of studying subjects within the programme, maintaining a positive psychological climate in subject-subject relations. The necessity of developing a qualitative assessment of the level of communication between teachers and students as an objective factor for further assessment of the overall level of their pedagogical interaction effectiveness and the psychological characteristics of each of the groups under consideration is emphasised. The results and conclusions of the research are of practical value both for modern applicants for higher education and for representatives of the teaching staff of modern higher educational institutions concerned with the problems of building high-quality communication among each other, taking into account the individual characteristics and qualities of each group


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (I) ◽  
pp. 30-42
Author(s):  
Надія СМОЛІКЕВИЧ

The article has analyzed the problems of teaching and learning at a higher educational establishment, reveals the specifics of the teacher's professional activities, the components of his or her teaching skills and deals with the issue on the necessary competencies of the teacher to provide a favorable and successful learning environment for diverse students. The emphasis has been concentrated on the specifics of teaching, research and professional development of the teaching staff, etc. It has also been emphasized the importance of creating the appropriate conditions for the full realization of the creative potential of teachers, ensuring their professional development, etc. The important characteristics of a favorable university environment have been singled out. It has been noted that teachers and students should be free in scientific research, study, evaluation, accumulation of new knowledge and its understanding. The main tasks, professional abilities and responsibilities of teachers in the global educational environment have been identified in order to help recipients of academic services to succeed in the adaptation and academic process. The successful experience of the American centers of pedagogical skill has been described in order to borrow it by the higher education system of Ukraine to ensure the development of the professional and creative potential of the teaching staff of universities. The main competencies of teachers have been determined and described, because they are necessary for providing high-quality educational services based on the educational philosophy of social-constructivism and postmodernism, which support an active role of students, social interaction and diversity in the class.


10.28945/3205 ◽  
2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemieke Craig ◽  
Annegret Goold ◽  
Jo Coldwell ◽  
Jamie Mustard

The extensive introduction of online technologies to support teaching and learning is impacting how teachers teach and students learn. It is also affecting both teaching staff s and students’ perceptions of what each others’ roles are. The research reported here is part of a larger study that explored different aspects of teaching and learning in online environments. This study was undertaken within an Australian university and involved an institution-wide survey of students. The paper reports on students’ perceptions of their roles as online learners and the expectations they have of online teachers. The outcomes of the research suggest that different cohorts of students have different expectations. These expectations are informed by their mode of study and also by their perceptions of how staff engage with online teaching. Recommendations include proactive management of student expectations by staff, as well as a commitment by staff to meet those expectations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 07-10
Author(s):  
Manpreet Kaur

The process of teaching and learning through online or virtual mode has been gradually becoming an important part of the Indian education sector. Teachers and students in higher education have already been effectively using online education mode to optimize the learning process. Schools, too, have been using educational technologies in many ways at all levels and across all grades. But with the unexpected worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020, a sudden exponential boom has come in the online teaching set up. Until now, online teaching was assumed to be an aid to the teaching-learning transactions and was immediately adopted as the only way out, to continue with the pedagogical process in schools and colleges. This research attempts to make a comparative analysis of the changes in various aspects of online teaching before and during the COVID-19 era, including content development and delivery and type of information shared with students in private schools of NCR of India. Data collected by the investigator from school teachers about their usage of online methodologies from 2017 will be compared with school teachers’ data in August 2020, and its educational implications will be discussed.


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