Introduction

This chapter provides an introduction to the papers in this volume that discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social and economic development in India and explore a path forward. While summarising some of the main insights in each paper, the chapter proposes that the disruption caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity to reframe the theoretical frameworks in the field of development to bring them into greater alignment with the principles of justice, inter-group unity and solidarity and environmental sustainability. The present narrow focus on economic growth as the goal of development will need to be replaced by a broader focus on human well-being which includes the spiritual, material and social dimensions of life. Progress towards this vision will require active collaboration between the State, civil society, the private sector and individuals as protagonists of development. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Building back better: lessons learned from a year with COVID 19 caused changes to school and teaching

As part of the large-scale ‘COVID-19, Building Back Better'-project, primary school (grade 0-6) stakeholders (students (N = 2.427), parents (N = 153), school staff (N = 176) and school leaders (N = 14)) answered the open-ended survey-question: ‘What have you learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that could be used to make school and teaching better in the future?'. The responses are inductively organised. The analysis points at several learning potentials from COVID-19 and suggests different politically and ethically feasible focus points for quality teaching and education after COVID-19 (e.g. more efficient teaching/worktime, a focus on students' and school staff's well-being in school, outdoor teaching/outdoor time, movement in teaching, online teaching, new and creative teaching methods, clear and simple structure, shorter school days, no parents at school, improved school-home collaboration and information/communication from school). We discuss the feasibility of implementing the suggestions and argue for cooperative procedures paying attention to contradicting perceptions when reimagining education in the future. © 2023 ASPE.

International Education After the Covid Years: Recovery, Rebuilding, Reimagining - Towards a New Chinese Internationalism

This synoptic paper enquires into the status of international education after the Covid years in terms of the themes of 'recovery, rebuilding, reimagining'. It reviews some recent adjustments to international education strategy to recapture the market for international students and looks to UNESCO's new social contract for education as a barometer and index for futures of education in a very uncertain world that faces multiple crises. The paper argues that the UNESCO vision is a strength but must be tempered by a recognition of the shift of gravity in world economy and politics. International education took root based on the values of British and American liberal internationalism. Today it is recommended that scholars in the west also recognize the characteristics and development of Chinese internationalism that has come to inform Chinese international education. © MICHAEL A. PETERS, 2023.

Reimagining Education for Successful and Sustainable Digital Shifting

This research paper seeks to explore a newly proposed model to assist public educational systems with properly integrating digital technology into their currently practiced teaching and learning processes. Digital learning has been adopted for the past two decades under various forms of internet-based learning, such as online learning, e-learning, blended learning, and hybrid learning. However, those practices and initiatives have encountered many obstacles that crippled educational communities in many parts of the world and prevented them from successfully and sustainably integrating digital learning into their systems. Unfortunately, the crisis of the COVID-19 outbreak has clearly revealed the need for immediate action to find effective methods to ensure the quality implementation of digital learning in K-12 education. Consequently, this paper benefits both individuals and governments with successful and sustainable solutions for K-12 education. This proposed digital education shifting (DES) model was constructed based on several learning theories, mainly the cognitive load theory, constructive learning theory, and connectivism theory. To achieve its objectives, this paper adopts a descriptive method by constructing an open-ended questionnaire to collect experts' opinions and suggestions on DES. The results revealed high agreement among experts on DES effectiveness. © The Author(s) 2023.

Reimagining forensic science - The mission of the forensic laboratory.

The year 2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic, and increased focus on American racial injustice and victims' rights, spurring a reimagining of law enforcement and justice services. As forensic laboratories serve investigation and justice with objective data to drive investigations, prosecutions, and exonerations, it is worthwhile to also reimagine forensic science service. With comparators of cost and quality relatively fixed to the consumers of forensic service, service in the form of timeliness of turn-around-time is the main competitive measure of effectiveness. A total backlog can be defined as all cases submitted to the forensic laboratory where a report has not yet been issued. Within a total backlog are the in-analysis backlog and the awaiting start of analysis backlog. By eliminating the awaiting analysis backlog, analysis could begin immediately upon submission. This would provide analysis in as short a time as technology permitted, optimizing the value of forensic laboratory service.