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Learning together in a global pendemic : practices and principles for teaching and assessing online in uncertain times

Matthews, Kelly ; Lawrie, Gwendolyn ; Mårtensson, Katarina LU orcid ; Roxå, Torgny LU ; Bovill, Catherine ; Bovill, Cathy and McLaughlin, Celeste (2021)
Abstract
In March 2020, the higher education sector was massively disrupted by [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19. While most universities run online programmes successfully informed by a wealth of research into online learning and teaching, many universities focus their energy and resources on educating and interacting with students on-campus. The technological changes of the past two decades have enabled a 'blended learning' approach where learning management systems (LMS) and innovative technologies supplement on-campus, together-in-the-same-place kinds of learning that dates back centuries. It is hard to identify any teaching in higher education that does not involve the use of digital technologies to some degree. Nonetheless, most academics... (More)
In March 2020, the higher education sector was massively disrupted by [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19. While most universities run online programmes successfully informed by a wealth of research into online learning and teaching, many universities focus their energy and resources on educating and interacting with students on-campus. The technological changes of the past two decades have enabled a 'blended learning' approach where learning management systems (LMS) and innovative technologies supplement on-campus, together-in-the-same-place kinds of learning that dates back centuries. It is hard to identify any teaching in higher education that does not involve the use of digital technologies to some degree. Nonetheless, most academics were not prepared to become fully online teachers with very short notice (nor were most students prepared to learn online) at the start of 2020. The term 'emergency remote teaching' was coined in the early days of COVID-19 to signal the difference between existing well designed and planned online teaching programmes and having to teach online due to a crisis.

Our aim was to investigate and document changes in teaching from the perspective of teaching academics in the initial semester impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this report, we share findings from our international study, based on surveys and interviews. We have put together 19 focused and authentic cases of change (all confirmed by the participants) to share what university teachers across disciplines, in three institutions and countries, did as a response to the pandemic disruption. We also sum up and discuss lessons learned with explicit principles and practices, based on our results. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Book/Report
publication status
published
subject
pages
66 pages
publisher
The University of Queensland
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
This resource was funded through the Universitas 21 (U21) Global Educational Enhancement Fund.
id
e3209a17-5a75-4018-85ea-99b4a53fe72d
alternative location
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:d9d30c5
date added to LUP
2025-08-12 10:33:44
date last changed
2025-08-22 13:01:58
@techreport{e3209a17-5a75-4018-85ea-99b4a53fe72d,
  abstract     = {{In March 2020, the higher education sector was massively disrupted by [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19. While most universities run online programmes successfully informed by a wealth of research into online learning and teaching, many universities focus their energy and resources on educating and interacting with students on-campus. The technological changes of the past two decades have enabled a 'blended learning' approach where learning management systems (LMS) and innovative technologies supplement on-campus, together-in-the-same-place kinds of learning that dates back centuries. It is hard to identify any teaching in higher education that does not involve the use of digital technologies to some degree. Nonetheless, most academics were not prepared to become fully online teachers with very short notice (nor were most students prepared to learn online) at the start of 2020. The term 'emergency remote teaching' was coined in the early days of COVID-19 to signal the difference between existing well designed and planned online teaching programmes and having to teach online due to a crisis.<br/><br/>Our aim was to investigate and document changes in teaching from the perspective of teaching academics in the initial semester impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this report, we share findings from our international study, based on surveys and interviews. We have put together 19 focused and authentic cases of change (all confirmed by the participants) to share what university teachers across disciplines, in three institutions and countries, did as a response to the pandemic disruption. We also sum up and discuss lessons learned with explicit principles and practices, based on our results.}},
  author       = {{Matthews, Kelly and Lawrie, Gwendolyn and Mårtensson, Katarina and Roxå, Torgny and Bovill, Catherine and Bovill, Cathy and McLaughlin, Celeste}},
  institution  = {{The University of Queensland}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{Learning together in a global pendemic : practices and principles for teaching and assessing online in uncertain times}},
  url          = {{https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:d9d30c5}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}