Supporting the transition to remote learning following the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Higher education has a rich history of championing blended and online learning but the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic required quick action to enable programmes to move to remote delivery – almost overnight. Following this initial shift and with a new session on the horizon, academics and professional services staff prepared for the biggest challenge facing universities in more than a generation. This paper shares two models created out of the process of supporting this transition at a Scottish university, which can be applied to any academic discipline. The first model provides a route and process for shifting degree course components (i.e. courses or modules) to remote learning and teaching, which can also be used to provide consistency across a degree programme to enhance the student experience. The second model was inspired by a cycle used in professional media practice and was adapted to encourage active learning to be embedded at the grassroots of the curriculum and in every teaching and learning event. This paper outlines the various stages of each of these two processes that were developed to support the transition of delivery of courses, which mainly had an on-campus first approach (with varying elements of blended learning), to one that features pedagogical innovation at its forefront and are now set to remain permanently in the curricula. It will also demonstrate how the process of revamping teaching and learning due to short-term necessity provided an opportunity to revisit various aspects of academic practice including: active learning; establishing effective communication channels; community building; managing students’ expectations; and retaining jewels of the curriculum.

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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/

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Identifiers

DOI

https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v9i2.479

Repository URI

http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/251168/