Covid-19 Pandemic and Pedagogic Learning Innovations in the 'New' Classroom: Views from educators in the Global North and South
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47134/ijsl.v4i2.266Keywords:
Pedagogic Learning Innovations, E-learning, New Classroom, Higher EducationAbstract
This study analyzed the educational practices and innovations applied by educators in the Global North and South during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to identify the nuances and factors driving learning innovations in different contexts and the implications for hybridizing higher education. Using case studies of two universities in the USA and Zimbabwe, the objectives were to identify the e-learning platforms employed to meet teaching and learning demands, to unearth other societal factors apart from COVID-19, to shape the utilization of e-learning platforms, and to understand educators' perspectives on their roles in the 'new' classroom. Utilizing e-learning theory, the qualitative research employed in-depth interviews with 19 faculty from both universities. The findings reveal contextual factors such as socio-economic conditions, digital divide, and institutional policies that inform the choice of learning platforms, specifically Zoom in the North and WhatsApp and Google Classroom in the South.
Downloads
References
AlNajdi, S.M. (2014). Hybrid learning in higher education. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, Jacksonville, Florida, United States. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318361485_HYBRID_LEARNING_IN_HIGHER_EDUCATION.
Alshammary, F. M., & Alhalafawy, W. S. (2023). Digital platforms and the improvement of learning outcomes: Evidence extracted from meta-analysis. Sustainability, 15(2), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021305.
Alton, D. (2023) The digital skills you need to solve 21st-century challenges: Apolitical’s Digital Skills Initiative at FWD50. 1 November 2023. https://apolitical.co/solution-articles/en/the-digital-skills-you-need-to-solve-21st-century-challenges.
Babbie, E. (2010). The practice of social research (12th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Bahja, M., Kuhail, M., and Hammad, R. (2021). Embracing technological change in Higher Education. Higher Education - New Approaches to Globalization, Digitalization, and Accreditation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100431.
Bates, A.W. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for Designing Teaching and Learning. Tony Bates Associates Ltd.
Bowden, J. L. (2021). Analogs of engagement: Assessing tertiary student engagement in contemporary face-to-face and blended learning contexts. Higher Education Research & Development 41(4), 997-1012. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1901666.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in Psychology 3(2), 77-101. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health 11(4), 589-597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806.
Brennan, J., and Osborne, M. (2008). Higher education's many diversities: Of students, institutions, experiences, and outcomes? Research Papers in Education 23, 179-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671520802048711.
Cavendish, L. M. (2011). Stories from international: A narrative inquiry about culturally responsive teaching. Unpublished PhD thesis, The University of Iowa, Iowa.
Chimbunde, P. (2022). Funding the online teaching and learning in developing countries: insights from Zimbabwe. Educational technology research and development 71(2), 753-766. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11423-022-10163-3.
Chamberlain, L. (2015). Exploring the out-of-school writing practices of three children aged 9-10 years old and how these practices travel across and within the domains of home and school. Unpublished PhD thesis, The Open University, England.
Chugh, R., Turnbull, D., Cowling, M. A., Vanderburg, R., & Vanderburg, M. A. (2023). Implementing educational technology in Higher Education Institutions: A review of technologies, stakeholder perceptions, frameworks and metrics. Education and Information Technologies, 28(12), 16403-16429. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11846-x.
Creswell, J.W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods (4th Ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
Dawadi, S. (2020). Thematic analysis approach: A step-by-step guide for ELT research practitioners. NELTA Journal 25(1-2), 62-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v25i1-2.49731.
David, L. (2015). E-learning theory. Learning Theories. https://www.learning-theories.com/e-learning-theory-mayer-sweller-moreno.html.
Dhawan, S. (2020). Online Learning: A panacea in the time of Covid-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018.
Doering, A. (2006). Adventure learning: Transformative hybrid online education. Distance Education, 27(2), 197-215. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587910600789571.
Eden, R., Burton-Jones, A., Casey, V., & Draheim, M. (2019). Digital Transformation Requires Workforce Transformation. MISQE 18 (4). https://aisel.aisnet.org/misqe/vol18/iss1/4/.
Fernadez, A., Gomez, B., & Mece, E. K. (2023). Digital transformation initiatives in higher education institutions: A multivocal literature review. Education & Information Technologies 28, 12351-12382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11544-0.
Gray, D. (2018). Doing Research in the Real World. 4th Edition. London, Sage.
Journell, N. (2007). The inequities of the Digital Divide: Is e-learning a solution? E-Learning & Digital Media, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.2304/elea.2007.4.2.138.
Keengwe, J., & Kidd, T. T. (2010). Towards best practices in online learning and teaching in higher education. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(2), 533-541. https://jolt.merlot.org/vol6no2/keengwe_0610.pdf.
Kumar, A. (2012). Blended learning in higher education. Proceeding of International Conference on Business Management and Information Systems, India. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236021538_Blended_Learning_in_Higher_Education.
Mahlangu, G., & Makwasha, L. (2023). Factors affecting the adoption and use of online assessment for learning at Polytechnics in Zimbabwe. Cogent Education, 10(1):1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2177475.
Maphosa, V. (2021). Teachers’ perspectives on remote-based teaching and learning in the COVID-19 era: Rethinking technology availability and suitability in Zimbabwe. European Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Education, 2(1), e02105. https://doi.org/10.30935/ejimed/9684.
Mayer, R.E., Moreno, R., & Sweller, J. (2015). E-learning theory. https://www.learning-theories.com/e-learning-theory-mayer-sweller-moreno.html.
Mirgorodskaya, E., Sokolova, S., Kuzmina, T., & Shkuratova, M. (2023). Tranformation of the higher education system: Current and emerging global trends.E3S Web of Conference 431, 09013. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202343109013.
Moore, J. L, Dickson-Deane., & Galyen, K. (2011). E learning, online learning and distance learning environments: Are they the same? The Internet & Higher Education 14(2), 129-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2010.10.001.
Nichols, M. (2003). A theory of E-learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society 6: 1-10. http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/6-2/1.html.
Sharanova, S., & Avdeeva, E. (2019). Transformation in educational landscape in the era of smart society. Conference Proceedings: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Society, Cybernetics and Informatics. July 6-9, Orlando, Florida. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337773074_Transformation_of_Educational_landscape_in_the_Era_of_Smart_Society.
Shaughnessy, H. (2018). Creating digital transformation: Strategies and steps. Strategy & Leadership, 46(2), 19-25. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SL-12-2017-0126/full/html.
Sibanda, N. (2022). E-Learning at a Zimbabwean Rural University during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities. Alternation, 29(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.29086/2519-5476/2022/v29n1a15.
Singh, V., & Thurman, A. (2019). How many ways can we define online learning? A systematic literature review of definitions of online learning (1988-2018). American Journal of Distance Education 33, 289-306. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2019.1663082.
Tarisayi, K. S, & Munyaradzi, E. (2021). A simple solution adopted during Covid-19 pandemic: Using WhatsApp at a university in Zimbabwe. Issues in Educational Research 31(2), 644-659.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353670827_A_simple_solution_adopted_during_the_Covid-19_pandemic_Using_WhatsApp_at_a_university_in_Zimbabwe.
Turnbull, D., Chugh, R., & Luck, J. (2022). An overview of the common elements of Learning Management System policies in higher education institutions. TechTrends 66: 855-867. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11528-022-00752-7.
Van Tonder, C., Schachtebeck, C., Nieuwenhuizen, C., & Bossink, B. (2020). A framework for digital transformation and business model innovation. Journal of Contemporary Management Issues, 25(2), 111-132. http://dx.doi.org/10.30924/mjcmi.25.2.6.
