I am Offshore! Teaching and Learning in the Time of a Pandemic: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Higher education institutions had to quickly adapt to teaching and learning during COVID19. Border closure meant students were stuck offshore and had to learn from afar. This meant a revolutionary change had to be quickly introduced by the teaching team. As for the students, this meant, experiencing teaching and learning in a new way. In this research study, the experiences of offshore students enrolled in a university in New Zealand is explored. Participants in this research study are unique as they are students who have enrolled in a university but have never step foot in New Zealand due to border closure. This setup presents a unique opportunity to gain information on what strategies were used by these students to engage with teaching and learning material. Similarly, a description of teaching and learning strategies used by the teaching team to make teaching and learning seamless for these offshore students is described. Results of this preliminary study indicates that these students had to adapt to cultural issues and technical issues. Offshore students also provide suggestions in relation to strategies that the teaching team could use to help offshore students feel included.