Exploring the Innovation of Assessment in Higher Education Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Postgraduate Programs at Lingnan University, Hong Kong

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 has brought tremendous challenges to higher education teaching and learning. Much attention has been put on online course construction and delivery to ensure the effectiveness of online learning. However, higher education assessment deserves more attention as it is also significantly impacted by the sudden switch from face-to-face to online. To examine how higher education institutions responded to the challenges in higher education assessment during the pandemic, this chapter conducted a case study of postgraduate programs at Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong to explore an appropriate assessment framework for online learning in a liberal arts education context. Through a quantitative approach, this study surveyed taught postgraduate students to explore the effectiveness, efficiency, and fairness of the assessment approaches applied by LU faculty members in the online and hybrid-mode classes. This case study aims to provide insights for improving higher education assessment under the pandemic crisis. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Book Review: Taking Literature and Language Learning Online: New Perspectives on Teaching, Research, and Technology

The creation of beautiful literature and art is one of humanity's most essential endeavours. The importance of literature as a component of the language-teaching curriculum has fluctuated over the last century with the popularity of various language-teaching pedagogies. Notwithstanding, it has recently seen a resurrection of appreciation for its effective utility in language acquisition. Covid-19 lockdown combined with the further progress of computer-assisted language learning has led to a gradual shift in the provision of literature-based language education to an online setting. Under this trend, Sandra Stadler-Heer and Amos Paran's edited chapter book Taking Literature and Language Learning Online: New Perspectives on Teaching, Research and Technology concentrates on a particular component of this transfer process, namely the interaction between literature and language learning. This book review provides an overview of this volume.

Learning through radio and television during COVID-19: perspectives of K-12 stakeholders

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional education, leading to the adoption of alternative methods, such as learning through radio and television for K-12 students. Television and radio became popularly adopted platforms to disseminate educational resources during the pandemic in developing countries, such as Nigeria. This study gathers the perspective of K-12 teachers and students during the crisis to find out the effectiveness of the utilized platforms, examine the challenges encountered, and suggest the way forward in case of future occurrence. The concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) guided the study. A qualitative methodology of interpretivism was employed using 20 participants that comprise students and teachers across the five south-western states in Nigeria. Findings show that teachers adapted their lessons to be delivered through broadcasts, while school administrators have worked closely with broadcasters to develop and implement educational content. Students have had mixed experiences, with some finding radio and television engaging, while others face challenges with engagement and adaptability. In essence, the result shows that most of the respondents though acknowledged the effectiveness of the radio and television approach to learning but opined that the lessons are not detailed enough. Furthermore, educational television broadcast is preferable to radio lessons as the visual effect contributes significantly to learning. The study concludes that broadcasters have played a critical role in delivering educational content, partnering with schools, and developing programs that align with the curriculum during the pandemic. The study discussed its implication, followed by limitations, and gave direction for future studies.

Implications of online faculty professional development through innovative and collaborative approaches in the new normal

The effect of schools suspending face-to-face instruction during the COVID-19 outbreak has been challenged. To meet the current difficulties, instructors must be creative in their instructional strategies. As a consequence, students must be prepared for both synchronous and asynchronous learning. In the new normal, teachers need to be more motivated and self-reflective, and teaching and learning (TL) should be supported by a variety of technological resources. Thus, the aim of the study was to determine the implications of online faculty professional development via innovative and collaborative approaches in the new normal. As an intervention, it used an actual series of trainings. The survey questionnaire was used to assess the online faculty professional development series as well as an evaluation tool to determine its advantages and drawbacks. This qualitative method of study discovered that there is a genuine need for regular faculty professional development as well as the introduction of various technological resources and information and communication technology tools to enable teaching and learning for our students during this pandemic, and to make teachers more motivated and reflective to teach. The research used thematic analysis to identify topics that would reflect the implications of professional development. With series of online faculty professional development at PCC, the implications are relevant to the improvement of the outcomes-based teaching and learning, outcomes-based assessment, and the achievement of student-centered mode of instruction (Level 3). It is further recommended that a regular faculty professional development will be conducted to PCC to further enhance the teaching and learning process and for professional growth purposes of teachers. © 2023 Author(s).

An Investigation into Teachers' Perceptions towards Digital Transformation in Teaching and Learning

Industry 4.0 has occurred and impacted many industries. Along with that are the heavy effects of the Covid-19 pandemic taking place globally. The dual impact on education is so great that the shift to compulsory online instruction has already taken place. And on that basis, universities and colleges promote their own educational digital transformation programs. The context of this study is a vocational college in which digital transformation has been applied for several years. This research aims to survey teachers' opinions about the implementation of digital transformation as well as their intention to continue teaching online in the future. The research method used in this study is a simple statistical method of data through an online survey via Google Form. The survey results show that the initial digital transformation process has received a lot of positivity and satisfaction from the teachers and students at the institution and the intention to continue implementing digital transformation in the future. © 2022 ACM.

Hybrid Learning: A Boon or Bane

The context of higher education is changing. The emerge of social, technical, and intellectual forces has pushed higher education to the point of a significant transformation (Garrison & Vaughn, 2008). Technology enhanced learning have raised concerns about the quality of education and learning environment. For the traditional classroom-based teaching and learning, the breakthrough came during the emerge of Covid-19 pandemic. Online learning, once a separated learning system, was fully integrated into teaching and learning to continue providing education amidst the lockdown. Post the reopening of higher education institutions, hybrid learning was widely implemented in almost all universities across the world, to accommodate students' diverse range of learning needs in the post pandemic era. This case study is intended to gain insights regarding the learning experiences, challenges, and benefits in hybrid learning from both the lecturers' and students' perspective. Based from the gathered qualitative data, results show that both students and lecturers have mixed reviews regarding hybrid learning experience. One of the main findings is that hybrid learning creates a more flexible, engaging learning environment compared to traditional face-To-face learning. Lecturers generally feel that hybrid learning has several pedagogical and technological challenges. However, issues concerning quality of lecture delivery and academic malpractice during online assessments has found to be a concern among lecturers and students. In overall, lecturers and students feel that hybrid learning needs to be evaluated from time to time to address the drawback for continuous improvement towards better quality of learning. © 2023 IEEE.

Online University Teaching During COVID-19: The Malaysian Experience

Malaysia, like the rest of the world, was hard hit by SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19. After the first COVID-19 case was detected in Malaysia (on January 25, 2020) and traced back to three Chinese nationals, the country was put under Movement Control Order (MCO), a partial lockdown, initially for two weeks, on 18th March. Among MCO consequences: close major economic sectors and educational institutions. Public universities, which began a new semester under a Ministry of Higher Education ruling, switched to online teaching and learning. This chapter chronicles public university experiences with online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 period. A brief background captures the measures taken by the government;how these steps affected university education is appraised next;and finally, the steps taken by the universities to activate online teaching and learning. What challenges cropped up and how to deal with them are acknowledged before drawing conclusions from the online teaching and learning experiences of Malaysian universities. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Helping Language Teachers in Lithuania take their First Action Research Steps During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Strategy

This paper reports on the experiences of the authors teaching action research workshops as professional development for language teachers in Europe during the Covid-19 pandemic. It describes work carried out for Action Research Communities for Language Teachers, which is funded under the Training and Consultancies programme of the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe as part of its aim to promote quality language education in Europe. The paper focuses on the necessary pivot from face-to-face to online action research workshops and project development in a difficult global context for a group of teachers in Lithuania. It outlines the challenges experienced by the authors and teacher participants, the lessons learned in online teaching of action research, and the positive outcomes for language teachers in setting out on their action research journeys. The paper contributes to the literature on action research in language education and professional development during Covid-19.

A global ethics and values framework for remote learning during crisis

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, distance and online learning were possible or partial options for learning for many individuals and communities. However, they were not always accepted or accredited by many international regulatory bodies. During this current global COVID-19 dilemma, it became evident that this lack of support for online education would never be the case anymore. In contrast, online learning might represent a core or a new normal in many ways. A general risk most nations experience today is that world conflicts, wars, and pandemics may lead to educational ignorance or deprivation from learning due to these world crises. Another more specific risk is the lack of an ethical values framework for remote and distance learning programs and value-aligned instruction (DeRosa, 2020), as well as the challenges related to the emergency change in the educational environment. Those challenges could lead to major ethical dilemmas and results, such as neglect, cheating, selfishness, loss of self-confidence, despair, anxiety, or frustration. This chapter offers a framework for remote learning ethical values in crisis times. It identifies some of the possible ethical values classified according to three main domains and four dimensions and representing all possible stakeholders. It aims to facilitate access to quality education with equal rates of participation, levels, and rights. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.

Teachers' Perceptions of Videoconferencing and Smartphones in a Retrospective Analysis 2009-2020: An Educational Social Internet of Things Framework

Schools have become increasingly influenced by what has been called the Social Internet of Things (SIoT). As many schools transitioned to online teaching and learning in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to analyze data on technology adoption in schools for changes and continuity since the inception of increasingly popular smartphones since 2007 that has affected videoconferencing, blended learning, and the flipped classroom concept. In this study, videoconference technology is the main factor analyzed in relation to IoT and schools in which handheld devices are considered gateways to further integration of schools into an IoT framework. The researchers analyze a selection of a 2009 dataset and a 2019 dataset from the National Center for Education Statistics (United States) to discuss teachers' perceptions of technology, especially the use of handheld devices and videoconference technology. Recommendations for educator preparation programs (EPPs) are made based on the discussion of the results of this analysis in context with the events of 2020 for why EPPs could emphasize flipped classroom design models within an SIoT framework. © 2023 IEEE.

Rethinking Education in Arab Countries: The Case of COVID-19

Education is a key driver of economic growth and a major factor in the social and economic development of nations. Education empowers society to create new knowledge and develop new technologies that are essential for fostering economic growth and enhancing the quality of life. Investment in education increases the society's capabilities to leapfrog and contribute to human capital development. The rise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution underlines the need for highly skilled workforce and creative ideas to adopt the new technologies and participate in the new digital economy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the educational system has been subjected to adverse consequences forcing schools worldwide to teach online instead of face-to-face teaching and learning. This new model could have negative impact on the quality of education, especially in poor countries, where online teaching methods remain inadequate to help students acquire skills and knowledge for employability and labor market flexibility. Good governance is essential for managing the educational system so that to improve quality and enhance student's capabilities. The aim of this paper is to shed light on some of the challenges facing education in the era of COVID-19. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Hybridized face-to-face and online laboratory content in the time of COVID-19.

This article describes strategies to adapt and ensure equivalency of content coverage for an existing protein assay laboratory practical for concurrent face-to-face and online deliveries during COVID-19 and beyond.

A double-edged sword: Teachers' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of online teaching and learning in higher education.

Due to the impact of the recent pandemic, the teaching and learning experience worldwide was marked by a wave of emergency digitalization. The sudden need to transition to online teaching and learning (OTL) has forced Higher Education actors to adapt quickly without proper planning. This study examines teachers' perceptions of the benefits and challenges posed by OTL during the pandemic in Higher Education. Data were collected from 636 teachers from 54 different countries using an internationally distributed online survey, and responses were coded using thematic analysis. While the main benefits perceived by teachers relate to flexibility (in tasks execution), accessibility, pedagogical innovation, and self-regulation, key challenges emerge in domains such as engagement, interaction, infrastructure/technical support, assessment and pedagogical practice. Our results further suggest a phenomenon that we describe as a "double-edged sword" with elements of OTL being perceived both as a benefit and a challenge. Results and implications for OTL and future blended practices in Higher Education are discussed.

Retaining remote teaching and assessment methods in accounting education: Drivers and challenges in the post-pandemic era

Despite the availability of studies on teaching and assessment during the pandemic, little is known about the factors that contribute to their retention in the post-pandemic era. This study aims to address this gap by examining the reasons for retaining remote methods and the challenges of maintaining them. Using a case study approach, data were collected through eleven interviews and document analysis of the first and leading academic accounting degree program in Sri Lanka. Isomorphic pressures and PEST factors were used to analyze the drivers for retention and the challenges, respectively. The study finds that coercive pressures dominate in Sri Lanka for the retention of remote teaching and assessment methods, driven by government policies and the country's economic crisis. However, mimetic and normative forces also reinforce these methods, driven by peer pressure and the desire to keep up with global trends. Conversely, political, economic, social, and technological factors impede the retention of remote learning and assessment methods, acting as a powerful force that drives back these remote methods to pre-pandemic practices. Hence, educational policymakers must allocate adequate funds and enhance infrastructure for remote education. We urge educators to gain more knowledge and skills in remote teaching and assessment methods, and learners to demonstrate responsibility, organization, and commitment towards the benefits of remote education.

Hybrid Education and Institutional Readiness

Progress is unidirectional by default. The global irreversible shift witnessed in the education sector with the COVID-19 pandemic left teaching and learning far from the same. The current study aims to consider global trends in hybrid education by exploring existing hybrid study models and recognizing institutional readiness by means of hybrid initiatives successfully adopted by institutions. Being conceptual research, the methodology of the current study is based on an extensive review of literature, related to hybrid education, selected carefully from the wealth of academic publications comprising scholarly articles, research journals, webpages, conference proceedings, dissertations, thesis, and authentic material related to the study. A conceptual framework represents the relationship between the research variables. Founded on the qualitative analysis of the data gathered, the study concludes that, while integration of technology in teaching is important, it does not imply total restructuring of what and how we teach. Flexibility in teaching, learning, and testing must become the basis for current pedagogy in meeting the goals of hybrid education. The implications of the current study are proffered to all stakeholders in education along with the recommendations for future research. © 2023 IEEE.

Teaching and Learning Amidst Double Disaster: A Case of Post-Traumatic Events among Students

This study aims to investigate the challenges faced by these affected individuals, factors that motivate the students' return to school following the disaster and their ways of dealing with the challenges regarding teaching and learning. The year 2020 and 2021 witnessed how the world had to deal with the unprecedented educational circumstance prompted by a global pandemic. The swift change to online learning was stressful and taxing in many ways, for both students and teachers, affecting their physical and mental health. With the combination of pandemic and natural disasters, the distress caused by these successive events may have become a hindrance to students' deep involvement in learning and the whole teaching and learning process. The study adopted a qualitative approach using an online survey, and 409 participants were selected from stratified random sampling. A questionnaire was administered to obtain quantitative data which were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that the double disaster heightened the level of stress, causing academic, behavioural, and financial pressure to increase among these students. However, financial constraint also turns out to be one of the prominent factors that restored their motivation to return to school or college. Among the dominant coping strategies employed by the students were prioritizing human interactions, positive reframing, and religious coping © 2023, Asian Journal of University Education.All Rights Reserved.

Effectiveness of digital resources for cloned Linear Algebra courses at the undergraduate level

The changes forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, have made educational institutions adopt new practices in the use of VLEs platforms and, one of these is to homogenize virtual classrooms, for which this study aims to diagnose how effective are the digital resources for cloned courses, taking as a pilot the subject of Linear Algebra. The development of this research is longitudinal, empirical-analytical, and quantitative. The study is carried out in two periods, from October 2021 to September 2022, at the Salesian Polytechnic University in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, with a total of 944 first year students of engineering careers. As a result, fewer courses for academic risk monitoring were obtained, as well as a higher satisfaction among students and professors involved. It is concluded that the cloned classrooms are a factor of improvement in the learning results to be achieved. © 2023 IEEE.

Teaching and Learning the Arts in Higher Education with Technology: Vignettes from Practice

This book is an inquiry about the possibilities of using technology to support the education of artists within higher education contexts. Even though technology-enhanced learning and teaching may seem incongruent with the long-established studio-based cultures of making and performing, it is increasingly becoming a pivotal point to connect artistes to potential audience and markets. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, technology is also the crucial linchpin for educational continuity of student artists. This book explores how technology could enhance the education of artists and designers as they continue to create, make, and add value to life and society through their artistry. It draws upon the experiences of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), a pioneering arts institution in Singapore with over 80 years of institutional history. Through 9 vignettes, this book illustrates technology-enhanced pedagogical practices that have been implemented in different artistic learning spaces including classroom, studio, and stage as well as institutional support strategies. With a naturalistic stance, these chapters seek to illuminate realistic pictures of teaching and learning that are being uncovered by artist educators as they sought to integrate technology within teaching practices using available technologies and within the classes that they are teaching. It is hoped that this book will stimulate conversation among artist educators about possible pedagogical models, as well as inform higher arts institutions about the contextual strategies needed to support the creation of technology-enhanced pedagogical practices. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.

The phenomenon of online study rooms in the days of COVID-19

Access to physical study rooms to libraries were restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic declaration. The mandatory confinement and growth experienced on streaming platforms such as Twitch and Discord generated the proliferation of online study rooms. This article presents an exploratory descriptive study as a contribution to the literature on study rooms on streaming platforms. The results reveal that (i) most users discovered online study rooms through their social networks and the increase in users has been progressive since the beginning of the pandemic;(ii) studying is the main activity participants perform during these live transmissions;(iii) survey participants indicated that their productivity, motivation, and concentration increases when using online study rooms. Education is constantly evolving;therefore, the characterization and analysis of this new phenomenon can contribute to the improvement of teaching and learning processes in the face of a pandemic and post-pandemic landscape. © 2023 IEEE.

Italian Hospital Teachers' Perceptions of Technological and Methodological Innovations after the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant long-term impact on education worldwide. In many countries, schools and universities experienced a rapid switch to emergency remote teaching and learning (ERTL), which affected many education systems in the 2020–21 school year. This was true for the Italian educational context as a whole, including School in Hospital (SiHo) services. This study explored how the SiHo functioned in Italy during the 2020–2021 school year. The aim was to explore what, if any, changes the emergency brought about in educational practices and in the adoption of technologies in this specific context, with a particular focus on any differences between school levels. The study was conducted with 252 SiHo teachers using a questionnaire format. The results showed that after the forced adoption of distance modes during the spring 2020, face-to-face teaching returned to be the prevalent mode in the 2020–2021 school year, with some exceptions for upper-secondary school students (covered by ministerial provisions). The teaching approach that SiHO teachers prefer, both for face-to-face and distance lessons, remains frontal instruction, probably given the particular needs of their students. Younger students probably experienced the most significant changes due to the limits imposed on interpersonal contact in hospitals, which prevented group work and play, previously commonly adopted by kindergarten and primary school teachers. In terms of technology integration in educational practice, teachers stated that they had acquired greater competence in the use of a variety of technological resources. © 2023 The Author(s).