Abstract
COVID-19 caused a drastic closure of universities with traditional campus instruction. The university discussed in this chapter is a large institution out of which two campuses were examined for remote faculty training and student impact. The results from two short surveys for students and faculty are presented. Faculty responses focused on the perspective of facilitating remote courses and what direct impact remote teaching has had on their personal lives. The students' responses were mixed. Some participants stated that remote courses positively impacted their self-engagement and performance, and the remaining said that they had noticed a downward trend in performance. Five lessons learned are derived from observations and participants' provided information regarding the lack of communication and faculty engagement in training. By identifying the lessons learned, recommendations for each are provided for future-readiness and insights on how to influence engagement and approach communications and faculty attitude factors.
TopBackground
According to Moe and Rajendran (2020), the online learning pool has changed from 30% pre-coronavirus to almost 90% on a global scale. Densely populated schools have the option to teach online during a health crisis; however, there could be many obstacles to implementing online courses not only from individualized teaching but also from students’ expectations and available technology. Heldt et al. (2021) conducted faculty perception studies to measure attitudes towards remote learning while taking a three-months online training course during the pandemic. They found that 68% of the trainees and 61% of the faculty preferred in-person training. Both groups felt that after returning to in-person, some lectures could be delivered effectively online. Professional development has always been a concern to faculty for training effectiveness, sponsorships, and practical application.
Baldiris Navarro et al. (2016) propose that inclusive learning is challenging, but recipients can be productive if faculty access Open Educational Resources for curriculum development. A great deal has been written about inclusive learning, but technology becomes a mediator to learning when it is considered. Therefore, inclusive digital technologies can enhance learning opportunities for all and overcome geographical challenges in a wide spectrum and conceptual way. Many of the universities worldwide have scrambled to put courses online in a matter of days. A similar scenario has played among American universities. For many institutions after the transition, the challenges have resulted in budget cuts, decreased enrollments, and student lawsuits asking for tuition reimbursement. Witze (2020) believes that in the long term, remote learning options will still be available even after in-person classes resume for some universities.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Continuity Planning: An ongoing effort to plan for process resiliency and disaster recovery to strengthen crisis readiness.
Remote Teaching: Distance learning methodology using online platforms, multimedia, and teaching techniques to immerse students in academic learning.
Asynchronous Courses: Virtual instruction using an online platform to make lectures and assignments available to students anytime and anywhere.
Synchronous Course: Live sessions where instructor and learners meet at the same time through an online platform and web-based systems.
Pandemic: A disease outbreak, usually fatal, that spreads without boundaries and affects worldwide populations.
Faculty Engagement: Teaching strategy to continuously improve curriculum, course delivery, and student learning success.
Inclusive Digital Learning: A strategy to include technology and access to facilitate education equally to all learners.
Inclusive Learning: A process to provide equal teaching and opportunities to learners.
Student Engagement: Student interest and motivation to participate in the learning process by collaborating and sharing ideas with class peers.