The pandemic changed teaching – but post-crisis, it hasn’t changed back.
Jaclyn Broadbent and colleagues surveyed and interviewed academics from a “large comprehensive Australian university,” about teaching pre and post pandemic.
They found:
- Learning activities offered during the pandemic were good for students, giving them ways to engage that align with their needs and circumstances;
- Academics were generally satisfied with changes in teaching approaches;
- While there was less optimism about online exams (unsupervised, doubts about effectiveness) there was awareness of alternatives, such as authentic and scaffolded assessment.
Will it last? “COVID-19 likely provided an opportunity to experiment with different assessment methods, a view supported by our data, which shows a desire to innovate and to use the pandemic as an opportunity to do things differently.”
The long-term lesson from teaching in the pandemic may be how institutions deal with major change, say, for example, the impact of AI.
“When universities confront significant shifts … a multifaceted approach is essential,” they write.
“Universities must craft a clear strategic vision complemented by resource allocation and pragmatic implementation strategies.”
Local leaders need the authority to make changes that suit their disciplines.
“Front-line educators should have the autonomy, “to reflect, innovate and actualise strategic and operational changes.
