Abstract
The sudden shift from face-to-face lectures to online learning occurred on a global scale at the onset of COVID-19 in early March 2020. The transition raised questions about faculty and students' abilities to use existing technology at national levels. COVID-19 has forced university staff to come up with out-of-the-box solutions because of the sudden shift. Such dramatic changes were not easily met because most teaching professionals only had experience with face-to-face lectures, assignments, and projects. This chapter explores utilizing online innovative technology for student success in higher education learning environments.
TopBackground
“Research supports the relationship between online student retention and the delivery of effective support services” (Crawley, 2012, p. 11). This support may come in the forms of online tutoring, laptop programs, and VR to aid student learning while they are away from the classroom. This chapter will demonstrate how such technologies and online tutoring have served as a substantial contribution to the success of students during COVID-19. Specifically, for a student demography, this change might be harder on more mature students, because “older adults have increased difficulty in learning and using technology, as compared with younger populations” (Breck et al., 2018, p. 1). One of the implications of these trends is that it is not enough just to put a laptop in front of a student. There must be a purpose for academic applications and the students have to understand the objective of it. What educators do not want to do is incorporate technology the wrong way:
Although online teaching has a wide range of benefits, there are certainly challenges that must be considered when implementing online classes or learning activities. Digital activities may lead to students being distracted by other online content, which may inhibit their engagement in the class lesson or activity. (Bailey & Lee, 2020, p. 181)
Programs must be seamless, immersive, and feel real to provide students with significant support that typical online classes cannot, because
online courses are often considered to be inferior or of lesser quality than traditional face-to-face courses. There is an unwritten expectation that students in online courses will work in isolation and have very few opportunities to engage with their instruction, much less with classmates (McClannon et al., 2019, p. 154)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Higher Education: Education at university, especially to degree level.
Technology Loaner Programs: To provide students with loan equipment which will allow them to work on school material off campus.
Technology: Machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge.
Coronavirus Disease 2019: A potentially severe, primarily respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus and characterized by fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. In some patients, the disease can also damage major organs, like the heart or kidneys.
Student Support Services: Programs developed for the purpose of supporting low-income students and providing additional resources.
Management Strategy: The formation and development of goals and objectives in an organization.
Virtual Reality: A realistic and immersive computer simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware and experienced or controlled by the movement of the body.
E-Learning: A system of learning that uses electronic media, typically over the internet.
Online Instruction: An educational model where students and instructors connect via technology to review lectures, submit assignments, and communicate with one another. No face-to-face learning occurs since lectures, assignments, and readings are delivered online.
Learning Management Systems: A software application for the purpose of tracking, reporting, and delivering educational programs and more.