Causes and Implications of Ethical Challenges Increased in Online Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The geometrical growth and sudden transformation of technologies as a result of Covid-19 have provided an evolutionary means of learning online with sophisticated and enabling devices with a click. Teaching and learning online, though enabling flexibility and interactivity between the teacher and students, yet requires regulations and policies that coordinate and balance different expectations of learners and teachers. These standards and values called ethics are to be adhered to achieve the desired online goals, while avoidance of them would be mounted to immoral attitudes and behaviours that weaken online activities. The study discusses and identifies ideal ethics expected in online teaching and learning from all online activities stakeholders. It further explains how violating the regulations and policies would weaken the effective and efficient running of training, skills, and lectures online. The interview instrument was used to collect data from the students in form of focus groups, while students were asked open-ended questions using Google form on social media platforms. To ensure validity and reliability of the instruments, researcher colleagues validated the content and structure of the instruments before being subjected to reliability statistics to ensure a high-reliability index. The administration was done within three weeks. The results gotten were collated and analyzed with charts and pictorials for easy interpretation and visualization. The results establish that online participants should always respect and strictly adhere to codes and conducts that will give room for convenient teaching and learning and also encourage a high rate of retention in learners. To sum up, policies and regulations to run smooth teaching and learning online should always be read to involve participants each time to access learning online as a prerequisite to accessibility