Academics’ Narratives of Productive Learning Cultures During COVID-19 Emergency Remote Teaching in Australia

Marilyn Mitchell,Chelsea Gill,Sven Brodmerkel

doi:10.5204/ssj.2146

Abstract

This research applies sociocultural learning theory to describe the learning cultures that academics at a small Australian university cultivated during synchronous emergency remote teaching (ERT) at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to understand how academics fostered learning when thrust into a new technological environment that required them to revise face-to-face teaching approaches while managing students’ stress, anxiety, and expectations. The research combined a focus group with three small-group interviews. While the prospect of ERT initially concerned many participants, it generated growth in their teaching knowledge and ability. Our findings indicate that the assumptions of sociocultural learning theory provide helpful bases and practical ideas upon which academics can plan and deliver teaching to cultivate productive learning cultures during crises that require remote teaching.

Highlights

This research adopts a sociocultural perspective to explore the learning cultures of emergency remote teaching (ERT) at a small Australian university during the COVID-19 pandemic when face-to-face classes were halted for one trimester
Our findings indicate that the first two assumptions of sociocultural learning theory provide a helpful foundation upon which academics can plan and deliver teaching to cultivate productive learning cultures during crises that require remote teaching
Our research focuses on how lecturers adapted their teaching to cultivate productive learning cultures during synchronous ERT

Summary

Introduction

This research adopts a sociocultural perspective to explore the learning cultures of emergency remote teaching (ERT) at a small Australian university during the COVID-19 pandemic when face-to-face classes were halted for one trimester. Our findings indicate that the first two assumptions of sociocultural learning theory provide a helpful foundation upon which academics can plan and deliver teaching to cultivate productive learning cultures during crises that require remote teaching. In March 2020, when higher education institutions around the world closed in-person classes and shifted to ERT, Bond was in the ninth week of its 12-week January trimester. At this time, the University’s Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) trained lecturers on using Blackboard Collaborate to deliver ERT. All classes were delivered synchronously through ERT in the May trimester

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion