Emergency Remote Teaching Research Articles

Desenvolvendo o Conhecimento Pedagógico do Conteúdo de Botânica na Licenciatura: Uma Experiência Transformadora Durante o Ensino Remoto Emergencial

We share a transformative experience in the subject “Strategies and Resources for Teaching Botany” during a peculiar and challenging situation: Emergency Remote Teaching (2021). The context impacted the aims and the teaching strategies. However, through the interaction of teachers, monitors and students, the initial doubts and challenges were transformed into opportunities for innovation and improvements. We evaluate that the initial aims were achieved and that the subject contributed to the development of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Botany by the students, who were protagonists of their learning, mainly on the process of group work developed during the subject.

Mapas conceituais Com Erros: Uma Abordagem Prática e Rápida Para a Avaliação Diagnóstica

This article proposes an innovative approach to diagnostic assessment. It employs concept maps with errors as an alternative to overcome challenges often faced by teachers when requesting students to create their own maps. These challenges include students’ lack of training in concept mapping, simplified planning of assessment activities with concept maps, and delays in feedback delivery by teachers. Grounded in the Cognitive Load Theory and considering operational aspects related to teachers’ time availability, the article introduces, discusses, and tests the proposal of concept maps with errors, wherein the teacher creates the map on the subject under study and intentionally includes errors. A practical application during the emergency remote teaching validates this alternative, even under challenging conditions. Diagnostic assessment with concept maps with errors emerges as a practical, fast, and robust solution, appealing for overcoming obstacles and providing significant benefits in pedagogical practice.

Post-COVID Education in New Zealand: Approaching Normal Lives? The Context of COVID-19 in New Zealand

New Zealand had a relatively low death toll from Covid-19 because of stringent measures against it but this did not mean New Zealand escaped economic and social disruption at this time. The well-being of people was a key priority of adjustments in education in this period and the success of adjustments to delivery and assessment was dependent on the efforts and good-will of the people involved. Academic standards were largely maintained but the most disadvantaged groups were most affected by lack of resources and other forms of support. The drawbacks in emergency remote teaching that emerged in the period serve as a reminder of the value of sound underpinning principles for online teaching. In 2023, the unsatisfactory mixed model of both online and face-to-face delivery underlines the role and importance of teacher presence in relation to social presence and cognitive presence in teaching and learning. Keywords:

Remote teaching and learning for teacher candidates: mentor teacher perspectives

PurposeThis study offers implications for remote mentoring within school university partnerships based on a qualitative study focused on how three experienced mentor teachers within a long-standing Professional Development School (PDS) partnership adapted to remote mentoring during emergency remote teaching in the 2020–2021 school year.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through interviews with three teachers and analyzed following qualitative methods to identify themes. Data is presented in case studies describing their remote mentoring practices.FindingsFindings indicate that in the context of strong school–university partnerships, these mentor teachers were successful in adapting their mentoring of teacher candidates to a remote modality and that the benefits to collaborators within the partnership were like those documented in traditional, in-person mentorship. The challenges these teachers overcame include establishing relationships and providing adequate supervision.Research limitations/implicationsThe results offer rich insights into the experiences of mentor teachers when conditions necessitate a change in instructional modality and create implications for innovation in mentorship of teacher candidates, particularly in remote mentorship settings.Practical implicationsSchool–university partnerships should be maintained during emergencies because of the benefits to all partners, most notably to prek-5 students. We recommend that articulated agreements be revisited and modified to address potential future emergencies. The value of establishing and maintaining strong PDS partnerships should not be undervalued during times of emergency.Social implicationsTeacher preparation programs can sustain the important work of educating teachers through challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic most effectively when they work in partnership with prek-12 schools. Use of technology in innovative ways, such as remote mentoring, can support teacher preparation when in-person clinical experiences are limited.Originality/valueThis study offers initial data on remote mentoring, an innovative mentoring approach which has, to this point, been the subject of limited empirical investigation. Additionally, as remote educational opportunities for prek-5 learners increase, teacher preparation programs may choose to utilize remote mentoring in PDS programming, making this data of particular value.

Dissecting Disruption in Academia: An Activity Theory Lens on Teaching Transition Amidst COVID-19

This study examined the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on academic life at a British Columbia university. Analyzing professors’ and graduate students’ views using Q methodology and guided by activity theory, this study focused on the shift to emergency remote teaching. Participants ranked and sorted a 51-statement concourse, revealing a solution that reflected the shared values and beliefs held by those clustering together in each of four factors: Digitally Overwhelmed, Digital Optimists, Non-Digital Traditionalists, and Digital Empaths. These diverse perspectives offer valuable insights, enabling educational leaders to better adapt to support students and educators in a rapidly changing academic environment.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ONLINE ROLES IN EMERGENCY REMOTE TEACHING

Nearly all facets of life, including language instruction, have been impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic and the devastating earthquake in February 2023. Consequently, remote education, also known as e-learning or virtual learning, has taken over as the standard offering in numerous contexts. In this regard, remote teaching practices have been preferred in many higher education institutions. However, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the evolving educational practices during this period requires an awareness of how pupils respond to this change. In the course of the emergency remote teaching, language learners' conceptions of instruction and learning were examined using a metaphor analysis approach. For this purpose, a semi-structured form utilizing the Turkish university students' metaphorical concepts regarding their roles in online learning, along with an open-ended questionnaire where participants shared their background information, was employed. Data collected from 56 foreign language learners from different departments at a state university in Turkey was analysed using elicited metaphor analysis. The results showed that foreign language learners used a variety of metaphors, which were categorized as passive recipient, independent learner, flexible person, ineffective consumer, lazy individual, and lost guide, suggesting both favourable and unfavourable dispositions toward emergency remote teaching. In light of the research results, several recommendations and implications were provided.

Excellence and reinvigoration of teaching: ERT insights from a New Zealand specialist land-based university

ABSTRACT Purpose To evaluate what aspects of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) pedagogical practices used during the COVID-19 pandemic should be used to inform and improve in-person and online higher education programmes for the traditionally practical courses of agriculture, food and horticulture. Design/methodology/Approach Following the Triangulation Design for Validating quantitative data mode, an online Likert scale and open-ended questions survey collected 126 responses from students in mid-2021. Categorised questions focused on technology, virtual classes, laboratories, field trips/tours, assessments, and methods to retain, modify or remove from use. Qualitative data was thematically analysed and quantitative data employed descriptive statistics. Findings Results revealed that students would like some elements of ERT retained irrespective of future modes of teaching. Some virtual and online tools were very effective aids for learning practical components of courses, however, students’ well-being was affected by some university practices. Practical implications As the use of online tools is the reality of today’s classroom, understanding what worked for students is critical for improving learning. Theoretical implication Agricultural classes with practical components can be transitioned to online but need time, funding and online pedagogy to be successful. Originality/Value What was learnt during ERT measures for Agriculture Education should be reviewed to prepare for future issues that may disrupt in-person education practices.

Higher Education in the New Reality: A Study of Students’ Preferences About Digital Learning in Mexico

ABSTRACT Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education students had to switch to online classes to avoid infections, so universities had to adapt to a situation known as emergency remote education and had to provide digital content to simulate the traditional classroom experience. Now, as we transition from the pandemic, returning to in-person education has been a challenge. This period, often referred to as the “new normal,” is characterized by a mix of in-person and digital learning. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate students’ preferences for digital education in this new educational landscape. In this exploratory empirical study, the preferences of undergraduate students at a private university in Mexico were evaluated through a survey. This survey was applied by the Directorate of Educational Innovation and Digital Learning through institutional means in September 2022. It had multiple-choice questions and an open final question. A total of 2725 responses were obtained. Student responses were analyzed using a mixed methods methodology. Responses to multiple-choice questions were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics, while responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using content analysis. The results show that although students prefer academic programs with 80 to 100% in-person, they also prefer digital or remote classes. This preference is highlighted by students who work and study simultaneously. These studies show that the hybrid and flexible format (HyFlex) can take off in this new normal. However, more studies are required to demonstrate its effectiveness in learning.

The effectiveness of Emergency Remote Education (ERE) according to Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry students

Introduction: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Universities had to reinvent themselves and adapt to the new reality. Different versions of Emergency Remote Education (ERE) emerged, in which theoretical classes were taught remotely to the detriment of practice, which would be taught at another time. The discipline of Anatomy, based on practice, needs to undergo adaptations. Practical classes in medicine, dentistry, and nursing were temporarily suspended to be taught in a subsequent period, dissociated from theoretical teaching, and carried out remotely online. Material and Methods: Interviewed 451 health area students from a public university. All students had completed at least one period of Anatomy at ERE and at least one period in person. Results: The majority of students, from all courses, did not agree with the usefulness of remote classes, but they participated in online tutoring and students do not seem to believe that remote teaching could lead to insecurity in the application of anatomy in the clinic. There was reported similarity in the effectiveness of remote classes compared to face-to-face classes and a large percentage of medical (n=135) and nursing (n=35) students believe that theoretical classes do not lead to clinical insecurity, unlike dentistry students (n=73) who think so. Conclusion: In general, the student did not fully approve of the ERE, but did not feel disadvantaged in the teaching of Anatomy, and prefers face-to-face teaching. Most of them attended a monitoring in the ERE, and believe it is most difficult to study practice in Anatomy after theoretical classes.

BRIDGES - designing a European Digital Education Hub (EDEH) to support networked digital learning as we transition from Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) to effective post-digital education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for effective digital education across all education sectors, but perhaps especially within the HE context. Initially in 2020 the rush to continue to deliver teaching and learning to students who were no longer allowed on campus was characterised by a process of trying to emulate online what had previously been occurring offline. This included activities such as large and unwieldy online lectures and classes, often featuring the same powerpoint presentations as would be used in a face-to-face setting, and a general failure to adapt materials and pedagogies to take full advantage of the affordances presented by the digital context. This period has been coined Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). During 2021 more co-ordinated and highly developed approaches have been explored by HE Institutions as it became clear that COVID-19 was not going away and that the long-term reality of HE teaching and learning lay in new approaches (e.g. blended learning) and new pedagogies (e.g. networked learning). This led to the rise of the post-digital education paradigm. However, across many institutions, regions and countries there remains a lack of support, resources and training for HE educators in post-digital education. The BRIDGES Erasmus+ project aims to work with European educators and learn from existing research in these areas to better understand these shortfalls and develop a digital platform - the European Digital Education Hub - to help address the gaps.

University Teachers’ Learning Experiences During Emergency-Remote-Teaching Through a Networked Learning Lens

This paper presents part of the preliminary findings of an investigation into higher education (HE) teachers’ perceptions of personal learning networks in the context of the recent emergency-remote-teaching (ERT) scenario caused by Covid19. Technology had been increasingly permeating HE long before the pandemic, blurring the lines between online and offline spaces as students and teachers engaged across both mediums in a complex web of connections to people and online resources. The pandemic induced ERT period has magnified university teachers’ use of learning networks, as many have been forced to increasingly rely on them throughout this unexpected interruption of the HE status quo. With an absence of a coherent institutionalized approach to ERT and teachers’ professional development, there has been a great diversity of teachers’ networked learning experiences during that period. This phenomenography, therefore, explores the perceptions of 18 Academic English instructors at a leading English-instruction university in Kazakhstan that was, like many other institutions worldwide, forced to abruptly go online. The semi-structured interviews targeted the teacher’s diversified views on the benefits and challenges of network use and how these networks can be used to connect to others and online resources, using the Networked Learning lens. The present paper includes some of the preliminary findings from the ongoing research project focusing on several interlinked aspects of teachers’ perceptions and experiences of networked learning during the ERT period. The results thus far show that Academic English instructors perceive the core benefits of their network use at least in four different ways as enabling flexible access to online resources, enabling flexible access to others, facilitating personalised and focussed one-to-one pedagogical interactions (both with their colleagues and students), and maintaining and developing a sense of belonging to different academic communities (removing temporal-and-spatial barriers). The authors expect to provide more comprehensive (if not final) findings and insights during the presentation.

Supporting students with English as an additional language during emergency remote teaching: a Q methodology study

AbstractStudents with English as an additional language (EAL) comprise approximately a third of the government school population in Australia’s second most populous state of Victoria. While the broad impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers and students has been the focus of recent studies, there is a lack of information on how EAL educators adapted to meet the needs of this diverse cohort of students during periods of emergency remote teaching (ERT). In this mixed-methods study, eleven EAL educators from diverse educational contexts in Victoria completed a Q-sort of 49 statements followed by in-depth interviews. The by-person factor analysis resulted in a three-factor solution that revealed the transition to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic brought both challenges and opportunities for EAL educators. Some students who struggled in traditional classrooms engaged more effectively in remote learning, while others experienced significant anxiety. Additionally, some educators experimented with digital tools and strategies, gaining valuable insights into effective approaches for students with EAL. These findings render a nuanced picture of educators’ experiences during this time, enhancing our understanding of transformative educational practices for linguistically diverse students.

The impact of Emergency Remote Education (ERE) on anatomy classes for medical students

The impact of Emergency Remote Education (ERE) on anatomy classes for medical students

Self-regulated learning and engagement through emergency remote teaching in EFL undergraduate students

Self-regulated learning and engagement through emergency remote teaching in EFL undergraduate students

COVID-19 Educational Side Effects: Pre-service EFL Teachers' Use of Digital Education Tools

Recent research has revealed the complexities of incorporating technology tools into lessons, despite the creation of several platforms and applications for education (Wen & Hua, 2020). The radical shift from traditional to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic compelled teachers and students to develop technical skills to adapt to this new reality. This study explores the impact of this phenomenon on the perspectives of Pre-Service (PS) English language teachers (students in a teacher-training program), regarding the use of technology to support their own English language learning (ELL) process. To achieve this, an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach was employed. A questionnaire consisting of seven Likert scale statements and six open-ended questions was administered to 32 PS teachers from the English Language B.A program at a major public university in Southeast Mexico. Subsequently, eight participants were interviewed. The results indicated that despite most participants having prior knowledge of technological tools and educational platforms before the pandemic, they did not utilize them to support their ELL. However, the findings also revealed a positive response from participants towards continuing to use digital platforms due to perceived benefits experienced during Emergency Remote Teaching. These findings provide additional evidence concerning English learning and teaching and how classes can be more effective and significant using platforms and applications if classrooms are well equipped.

Reclaiming the technology of higher education for teaching digital writing in a post—pandemic world

Like all disciplines in higher education, the teaching of digital writing was profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as faculty and students moved to emergency remote teaching (ERT). Rapid shifts to synchronous and asynchronous online delivery modes reshaped classrooms built upon frequent peer review and student collaboration in writing, forcing students and faculty into educational technologies that raised issues of privacy, equity, and surveillance. Yet, digital writing faculty responded to these challenges in ways that prioritised individual autonomy of student writers with creative assessments, improved access to texts, thoughtful connections to employers and audiences beyond the academy, and enhanced classroom collaborations via digital technologies. As this Editorial explores, the story of digital writing pedagogy during the pandemic became the story of a constant push and pull with the technologies that created digital writing itself. And just as teachers of digital writing began to emerge from the disruptions of the pandemic, a new wave of digital writing technologies enter the mix: AI-powered writing generators have arrived via applications such as ChatGPT with the seeming potential to shape the role of digital literacy once again. As this Editorial argues, the technologies of digital writing can be harnessed to reflect the values of education – openness, individual autonomy, and the power of knowledge – but only when the practitioners of digital writing pedagogy understand and access digital writing tools. At this time, those tools are again in rapid flux and the digital writing landscape remains profoundly unsettled.

Perceptions, attitudes and approaches of mathematics teachers to remote teaching in an emergency

This study highlights important aspects of the transition from face-to-face to emergency remote teaching (ERT) in the context of elementary school mathematics. The integration of computerised technologies in teaching is a process that requires a change in teaching method and sometimes in teachers’ worldview as well. The research examined the level of technology integration in mathematics lessons using the five-step Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow model. The relationship between mathematics teachers’ teaching strategies and their perceptions of their role in the classroom and in remote teaching in an emergency was analysed. The teachers’ level of comfort with technology integration in face-to-face teaching was found to strongly impact their perceptions of online teaching and the strategies used when transitioning to ERT. We point out tools that teachers need, and that they often lack, in order to incorporate teaching strategies at high levels of thinking, such as research-based learning, problem-solving, and developing classroom discussions while working in collaborative groups, into an online format. Implications arising from this study can shed light on the emphasis that must be considered when planning courses that prepare teachers for ERT, whether for in-service teacher training or bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes.

Investigating Effects of Emergency Remote Teaching on Biology Teaching Assistants and Their Approaches to Teaching

Investigating Effects of Emergency Remote Teaching on Biology Teaching Assistants and Their Approaches to Teaching

Gifted Students’ Academic Motivation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study in Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia

Research suggests that the effect of emergency remote education on the motivation of gifted students during the COVID-19 pandemic differs from that observed in traditional students. The main aim of the present study was to explore the lived experience of academic motivation among gifted high school students in Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 47 gifted students aged 15 to 18, using the same methodological procedure in the three countries with similar educational backgrounds. Grounded in gifted students’ narratives about their academic motivation, we detected three groups of students who experienced decreased, no change in, or increased academic motivation. Furthermore, we identified group-specific patterns based on the most common activities and salient features of students’ school context, learning, and leisure time during the pandemic.

Teachers’ Needs for Support during Emergency Remote Teaching in Greek Schools: Role of Social Networks

Teachers’ Needs for Support during Emergency Remote Teaching in Greek Schools: Role of Social Networks