Teachers' Digital Competence in Basque Country during the COVID-19 pandemic

The objective of this research is to measure the perception that teachers had about their own performance when they were forced to carry out an Emergency Remote Teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire was provided to teachers of every educational stage in the Basque Country (Child, Primary and Secondary Education, Professional Training and Higher Education) obtaining a total of 4,586 responses. The statistical analysis of the data shows that the greatest difficulties reported by educators are shortcomings in the training of teachers in digital skills, as well as a lack of resilience of the system and / or lack of a 'plan B' in extraordinary situations. The existing digital divide between teachers based on their gender, age and type of school should be highlighted. Another worrying result is the lower technological competence in lower educational levels, which are the most vulnerable in remote teaching. These results invite us to reflect on the measures to be taken to improve equity, social justice and resilience of the educational system.

Introduction

The spring of COVID-19 forced teachers to restructure learning materials, content delivery, and learning environment, this leading to utilizing innovative course designs, high-tech learning tools, and engaging web-based learning environments. This shift affects, on the one hand, the perceptions of teachers and learners, and on the other hand, instructional practices, resulting in learned lessons and future envisions about the feasibility of utilizing the web in the context of English language education. In this introductory chapter, we present the background of this special collection on online English language teaching and learning, provide a summary of the expanding corpus of research on online English language education, and introduce the studies published in the collection. This collection of chapters covers the perspectives, implications, challenges, and opportunities of digital transformation in English language education prompted by the increasing accessibility of technology and the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Impact of COVID-19: Case study on teachers' technology use in virtual learning

The COVID-19 global pandemic caused a sudden shift from in-person instruction to virtual learning for fifth-grade teachers and students in Title 1 elementary schools. Through professional development opportunities, fifth-grade teachers had to adjust instructional practices to facilitate virtual learning and adopt and embrace new teaching methods including technology. The most significant gap in the literature was student participation, preparedness, curriculum design, instruction, and the effectiveness of virtual learning were not fully understood. The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of fifth-grade teachers with virtual learning and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily instruction for students situated in Title 1 elementary schools in a large urban school district in North Carolina. In this qualitative case study, the target population was 135 fifth-grade teachers, from which 15 fifth-grade teachers were selected through purposive sampling. The data collection methods were a questionnaire and one-on-one in-depth interviews. Thematic coding was used for data analysis. Fifth-grade teachers transitioned from classroom instruction to virtual learning using technology and developed technical knowledge through professional development opportunities. Factors in the home environment and engagements in learning management systems (LMSs) influenced fifth-grade teachers' perceptions of student performance, behavior, and attitudes. A comparative study in non-Title 1 schools and professional development opportunities on best practices in virtual learning is recommended for future research. Education leaders and policymakers can benefit from this research study as they learn about the potential risk of widening achievement gaps among students from high and low-performing groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Creating Virtual Ensembles: Common Approaches from Research and Practice

A virtual ensemble is a digital musical product that uses multiple recordings edited together to form a musical ensemble. Creating virtual ensembles can be a way for music educators to engage students through online music-making. This article presents eight steps for creating virtual ensembles in music education courses and classrooms. The steps are (1) identifying objectives and desired outcomes, (2) selecting repertoire, (3) developing learning resources, (4) creating an anchor for synchronizing, (5) choosing a recording method, (6) setting up a collection platform, (7) editing in postproduction, and (8) distributing the product. As online music production becomes more prevalent, projects like virtual ensembles can provide creative and exciting experiences for music teachers and students, whether produced in the classroom or through remote means on the Internet.

The 'Go Digital' Bristol Experience

This article describes the move to digital teaching and learning for the language team in the School of Modern Languages (SML) at the University of Bristol as a consequence of COVID-19 in March 2020. Topics discussed here include the educational guidelines the university put in place, how these were followed and implemented by colleagues in Modern Languages, the new digital teaching and assessment practices, how decisions were reached across languages, technologies that people used and the support available, challenges in delivering teaching, and, lastly, the opportunities created for staff and students. In describing our practice during the pandemic, I will also offer my personal take and observations as the person responsible for digital education in the Arts Faculty who assisted the language team in this transition. I will reflect on how this pandemic has accelerated our digital education agenda and how having a background in language teaching has helped and informed some of the -- sometimes difficult -- conversations I had with my language colleagues during these fastmoving and uncertain times. The article will end with a brief description of some of our remaining challenges and lessons learnt while the university has announced that next academic year will be delivered largely digitally. The work done so far will inform our planning. [For the complete volume, "Languages at Work, Competent Multilinguals and the Pedagogical Challenges of COVID-19," see ED612070.]

Teaching and Learning Post Pandemic

This article aims to offer one perspective on ways that Lancaster University supported its staff in the rapid shift to online teaching and learning in the midst of a global pandemic. The approach centred around the upskilling of staff, with mixed engagement across the suite of support tools and resources, which can be compared to similar situations in the wider Higher Education (HE) sector. A focus on the future of curriculum design and the associated requirements at an institutional- and sector-wide level is addressed in relation to the opportunities and challenges with which we are faced. [For the complete volume, "Languages at Work, Competent Multilinguals and the Pedagogical Challenges of COVID-19," see ED612070.]

AIChE Virtual Communities of Practice-Supporting Faculty during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, chemical engineering departments from around the world shifted their course offerings from in-person to online almost instantaneously. The AIChE Education Division immediately responded to this educational shift by developing five Virtual Communities of Practice (VCPs) that allowed faculty to share experiences and best practices as well as provide a network for emotional support. Community creation, methods and materials shared, and surveys related to the impact of this initiative will be discussed.

Becoming a Teacher Again Made Me a Better Coach

At the start of the 2020-21 school year, six months after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the lives of everyone, the author and the other instructional coaches in her district were temporarily reassigned to virtual teaching positions. In this article, the author shares what she learned about the kinds of support teachers need and how coaches can provide it. The author presents the following strategies: (1) Embrace a minimalist approach to coaching, (2) Embody a coaching mindset and a coaching culture, (3) Establish an optimal learning environment, and (4) Keep pace with learning.

A Case Study on Online Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic Perceived by Primary School Teachers

Research shows that teachers are one of the most influential factors in student learning in online classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses teachers' efforts to get the most out of their online classrooms with their students. However, how the teachers experience online teaching is understudied. To address this concern, this case study aimed at revealing the experiences of primary school teachers in online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic with a particular focus on the difficulty in teaching different subjects such as mathematics and science. The participants were 12 primary school teachers working in different places (e.g., village and district) with various professional experiences in years (such as 1-10 years and 11-20 years). The data was generated through semi-structured interviews and analyzed by content analysis. The results revealed four main themes, namely guidance and support, planning and instruction, technical issues, and the use of technological tools. Since most of the results were contextual, it is suggested that schools provide some school-based training to support teachers and parents in this process. When the results of the research are evaluated, it is important that university teacher education departments provide comprehensive pedagogical support, especially for pre-service teachers who will be the teachers of the future and families to improve online learning.

Pedagogical Practices and Challenges of Junior High School Teachers in Virtual Teaching in the Lens of the CoI Framework

This study explored the online teaching experiences of the Junior High School teachers through the lens of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework by investigating their perceived level of confidence, pedagogical practices and encountered challenges. Employing concurrent-convergent mixed method design, the study included 66 Junior High School teachers who perceived themselves most confident in the aspect of teaching presence, followed by cognitive presence, then social presence. Having CoI as the school's adapted framework in facilitating online instruction, teachers identified CoI teaching strategies that address the challenges and hindrances in the execution of online instruction underscoring the different presences (teaching, social, and cognitive) and raised instructional dilemmas and challenges that hinder its optimum execution. Recommendations were also offered as inputs in the improvement of the existing school policies and practices in the conduct of online teaching and learning.

The Perception of Digital Academic Literacy Tutors during the COVID-19 Pandemic at the University of the Western Cape

The abrupt transition in teaching and learning styles and the challenges faced by online tutors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are increasing areas of research. At the University of the Western Cape (UWC) preparing for the transition had an impact on tutors who had to make major adjustments to their tutoring. The research presented here investigated the perceptions of tutors and the challenges they faced by restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as they adapted to teaching remotely, and the limitations of access to online resources. A mainly qualitative approach with an element of triangulation was followed, in which qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. All participants agreed that the abrupt transition to online teaching and learning highlighted the type of conversations that should take place to fast track processes and provide greater online resources and support for tutors. These findings agreed with research conducted by international scholars. More research that focuses on tutors and how they were affected by the abrupt transition to online teaching in relation to the provision of data is necessary.

Transitions to Online Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Activity Theory Perspective

Situated in a Japanese university ELT context, this qualitative exploratory interview-based study offers insights into how ten teachers responded to the challenges of transitioning to emergency remote teaching (ERT). The research was conducted to understand the implications of pandemic-instigated educational changes on teaching practices and perspectives towards effective teaching. An activity theory perspective accounts for the complex interlinking internal and external factors influencing teachers' experiences during and since the ERT. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with the ten teachers following the initial period of ERT and through reflective writing by the same teachers 12 months later. Key findings from a content analysis were that perspectives towards effective teaching were generally reinforced and that following reflection on pedagogical practices and professional learning directions many teachers were able to respond effectively to ongoing educational changes. We argue that the implications of the study may reveal important areas of comparison with other systems of activity in heightened states of transition and reveal pathways to the development of new practices.

Reconciling romanticization and vilification: constituting post-pandemic communication pedagogy

Whether online teaching is a challenge or an opportunity is the wrong question for us to ask and answer. Online teaching in myriad forms has been essential to teaching and learning--though to different degrees depending on the discipline, institution, student, and educator--for decades and will remain so. Though the authors of this article have some concerns about what it means to maximize variables and to engage in course design in an opportunistic way, they agree not only that communication scholars are well poised to lead other disciplines in defining the post-pandemic higher education landscape, but also that they have a responsibility to do so. However, to succeed, this endeavor must be fundamentally intersectional--of identities, methodologies, and paradigms--and communication scholars must re-engage their most fundamental assumptions about communication itself and the purpose of their work as teacher-scholars.

Influence of Website-Based E-Learning in the Pandemic Era: Improving Students' Creative Thinking Skills through Educational Management

This study aimed to determine the impact of using web vinnarrai.com as an e-learning tool on a physics course (fluid mechanics) in Universitas Negeri Jakarta (an Indonesian University) to increase student creative thinking skills through educational management. The study employed a quasi-experimental method, with the pre-test and post-test control group design. There are four indicators of creative thinking skills: fluency, originality, flexibility, and elaboration. The sample of this research comprised 216 students at the Universitas Negeri Jakarta, from September 2020 to January 2021. The data were analyzed by determining the percentages of average normalized gains and obtained the n-gain score of 0.71 (high category), the effect size score of 0.81(moderate effect), and Cohen's standard score of 79% (Cohen's standard: high). The results of this research -- by knowing the influence of vinnarrai.com web on a fluid -- showed an increased score of students' creative thinking skills in an experiment class, using website, as compared with a controlled-class, using text-book. So, using a "website-based e-learning" is indicated to have improved the students' creative thinking skills in the pandemic era.

Making Wonders with Burned Fingers: The Experiences of ELT Teachers during the Online Education Process

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a rapid shift in education all around the world, including Northern Cyprus. Although the related literature focused on the general perceptions of teachers and their experiences or challenges during the online education process that started early in 2020, there seems to be a gap in the literature regarding the well-being of the English language teachers from a broader perspective taking their interwoven roles and identities into consideration. In an attempt to fill this void in the literature, this study investigated the experiences of seven English language teachers during the online education period English medium university in Northern Cyprus regarding (1) work-life balance, (2) professional development, (3) academic activities and research, (4) collaboration and communication among colleagues, (5) relationship with the administration, and (6) teaching English online. The necessary data were collected via a demographic survey along with an auto-photography task, in which the participants took photos for the themes and explained them in short s, and focus group interviews were conducted. The findings revealed that although the teachers had certain financial, psychological, and teaching-related challenges in this process, they adapted to the new normal by making sacrifices, learning from their mistakes. That is to say, adaptation to online teaching took some time, energy, practice, and collaboration, but eventually, teachers managed to survive and even enjoy the whole process despite the pain they had in their fingers.

Stormy WATERS: COVID-19 Transition to Online Learning for an Environmental Education Middle School Curriculum

This exploratory study examines how a team of three seventh grade teachers from a rural/suburban middle school in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States adapted the WATERS curriculum for asynchronous online delivery. The study shows that many hurdles can be mitigated with intentional planning, dedicated resources, and professional development. Students who engaged with the WATERS curriculum made statistically significant gains in their watershed content knowledge. This study highlights both the barriers to transitioning instruction online and the resources that support this transition. The study also illuminates factors that decision-makers must consider as they craft policies related to continuing education remotely during times of crisis and school closures.

A Research on the Influences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Mathematics Teachers' Resource Systems

This study was conducted to examine in depth the influences of the Covid-19 pandemic on the resource systems of mathematics teachers. This qualitative study is based on the documentational approach to didactics and is a case study conducted with two secondary school mathematics teachers teaching in the 7th grade. The research was limited to the subject of equations and equalities. Reflective analysis was used as a data collection method in this study. The data were obtained from the participating teachers in two stages, pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Data in the first stage, which included the pre-pandemic period, consisted of the schematic representation of resources system for the face-to-face education period of the equations and equalities subject before the beginning of the online education and the semi-structured interview conducted before the online education of the subject started. The data of the second stage including the pandemic period, were obtained through the schematic representation of resources system prepared by the teacher at the beginning of the online education, and the video and audio recordings of the lessons in which the teacher taught the equations and equalities unit in a certain class with online education during the pandemic period. In the first part of the data analysis, the data obtained from the teachers in the prepandemic period were subjected to content analysis and the resources systems of teachers in face-to-face education was revealed. As a result of the examination of the schematic representation of resources systems prepared by the teachers in this section for the face-to-face education period and the analysis of the interview data, two themes, "General Habits" and "Special for Face-to-Face", were reached. In the second part, the data obtained from the teachers during the pandemic period were subjected to content analysis, and the teacher's resources systems in online education was revealed and two themes were reached: "General Habits" and "Special for Pandemic". When the resources systems of the teachers for the period in face-to-face education was compared with the resources systems for the pandemic period in the third section, the change in the documentation systems of the mathematics teachers during the pandemic was also revealed in detail. The results revealed that the duration of completing the unit has changed during the pandemic period, the variety of sources used did not change, but the type shifted from printed sources to z-book applications and benefited from much more technological tools than face-to-face education.

Using an Instructional Team during Pandemic Remote Teaching Enhanced Student Outcomes in a Large STEM Course

The unplanned shift to online instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic challenged many instructors teaching large-enrollment courses to design learning environments that actively engaged all students. We looked at how one instructor used her instructional team--a group of student assistants with diverse, structured responsibilities--to adapt her large-enrollment (>500 students) introductory chemistry course to a live-remote format, as well as the impact the team's involvement had on students' reported experiences of online learning. We found that the instructional team's involvement was instrumental in adapting the course to the live-remote online format. The integration of the instructional team had a significant positive impact on students' experiences in the course, including their perceptions of social and cognitive engagement and teacher presence. Students in the section with the integrated instructional team also outperformed students in other sections of the same course on standardized course exams and final course grade. These results suggest that a structured instructional team composed of students can be a mechanism for promoting positive student experiences and learning in large-enrollment, remote STEM courses.

Students' Views Regarding Instruction during the Pandemic Process

The aim of this study was to determine the views of secondary and high school students regarding the distance education activities carried out during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the blended learning activities conducted afterwards, and the post-pandemic back-to-school process. The study consisted of 982 students and was conducted utilizing the descriptive survey method, one of the quantitative research methods. Data were collected using the "Scale of Evaluating Instruction in Pandemic Process". The findings indicated that most of the students used smartphones alone for distance education during the pandemic process and most of them participated in distance education only via live lessons. In addition, no significant difference was found between genders with regard to students' satisfaction with the distance education process and their expectations. On the other hand, most of the students did not receive sufficient psychological and academic support during this process. It was also noted that the students with internet access were more satisfied with the instruction activities in this process and that their access to the internet and technologies were higher than the students without internet access. Based on our findings, we recommend that students should be provided with academic and psychological support, security precautions should be tightened in schools to minimize the effects of the pandemic, and equal opportunities should be provided to students regarding hardware and internet support.

Checkpoints for Online Mathematics Students with Learning Challenges

Many mathematics students require support for learning challenges, such as those invoked by mathematics anxiety. Support for these learning challenges is imparted through personal interactions between the student and the instructor, support staff or their peers. The online delivery of mathematics classes and support meetings reduced the quality of the interactions compared to face-to-face interactions. This article presents an alternative approach used to support students with learning challenges in a virtual learning environment. The approach reported was used in a four week online preparatory mathematics subject. Most of the students were mature age, some years out of formal mathematics education, and low in confidence. In preparing the modules the nature of the subject and the cohort was considered and additional content called Checkpoints was added. The Checkpoint pages were designed to alleviate the learning challenges the students faced by including signposting, supporting positive dispositions, providing alternative learning strategies, and sharing assessment strategies. Feedback showed students engaged with the Checkpoints and found them helpful, leading the students to reflect on their learning. The checkpoints also 'chunked' the math content, resulting in a 'nice break', and provided students with reassurance they were on-track.