Education Commons^™

Now What?, David L. Hart Jr, Rebecca J. Armstrong

FDLA Journal

NOW WHAT?

David Hart, Ph.D. and Rebecca Armstrong, Ph.D.

Making the decision to pursue an advanced degree is certainly commendable. To add to one’s knowledge base is ambitious and the results of such a commitment are monumental. However, it goes without saying that in that scheme, life’s challenges are ever-present, and along with other given responsibilities, the concept of time becomes a faded memory. If that is not enough, COVID-19 presented all degree-seekers with issues that seemed insurmountable. Many decided that virtual learning programs would provide an environment that allowed for success in the academic arena despite the forces that …

Are Students' Basic Psychological Needs Fulfilled In Remote Learning Environments?: A Mixed Methods Study, Lindsay M. Griendling, Victoria J. Vanuitert, Sean D. Mcdonald

Middle Grades Review

Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that three basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) must be fulfilled to promote positive outcomes among individuals participating in social environments. Teachers can provide supports to fulfill these needs within classroom environments to help them become autonomously motivated to engage in tasks and activities. Unfortunately, school closures and the shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic may have challenged teachers’ ability to create need-supportive classroom environments due to issues such as reliable access to technology, teacher preparedness in facilitating remote learning, and negative impacts to mental health and well-being. However, the extent to …

An Argument For Simplicity: Have Learning Systems Become Too Complicated?, William A. Mesce

New Jersey English Journal

COVID has made higher education institutions more reliant on remote learning platforms, but there is little standardization between institutions, and some of these systems may be unnecessarily complex. This article argues for asking not what such systems could do, but what educators and students need them to do.

Perceptions Of College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder On The Transition To Remote Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Joseph Madaus, Alexandra Cascio, Nicholas W. Gelbar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

COVID-19 caused a major shift in how college students, including those with disabilities, received their education during the Spring 2020 semester. The rapid shift to remote learning resulted in new challenges, but also, some benefits for students. This study presents the results of open-ended responses of a cohort of 31 students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who were part of a larger study and enrolled in very- to highly competitive institutions (as rated by U.S. News and World Report) during the Spring 2020 semester regarding their experiences, both positive and negative, in shifting to remote learning. The students described …

Navigating A Calculus Course During A Pandemic: A Usma Perspective, Shane K. Smith, Tyson H. Walsh, Lee Evans

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this article we analyze publications written about different teaching modalities and evaluate how each applies to a calculus class during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on the positives and negatives of teaching and learning in a virtual, classroom, or HyFlex environment. Although arguments could be made for each environment, especially given different institutional objectives, this work aims to explain why we eventually preferred teaching our Fall 2020 multivariable calculus course in a face-to-face classroom setting at the United States Military Academy at West Point. We also offer measures of performance to compare the current COVID-19 semester with previous …

Student Perspectives On Mandatory Conversion To Online Classes: A Qualitative Study, Anita Whiting, Joie S. Hain

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This qualitative research study investigates students’ perspectives on the mandatory conversion to online classes due to COVID-19. In particular, this study explores (1) students’ struggles with conversion of class to online, (2) students’ likes of converted online class, (3) students’ dislikes of converted online class, 4) students’ happiness toward converted online classes, and (5) students’ recommendations on ways to improve online classes. The study was conducted at three universities in the southeastern region of the United States. The major findings of the study are (1) almost 80 percent of students reported struggles when class was converted to online, (2) 88 …

Educators In The Time Of Covid: Metamorphosis Of A Profession And Of A People, Sara Abi Villanueva, Brett S. Nickerson, Mayra A. Garcia, Claire Murillo, Regina J. Bustillos, Qiana S. O’Leary

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The following is a collection of reflections written by six educators ranging from K–Higher Education. In this feature, these educators share their experiences of living and educating during the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic. Once compartmentalized and only used when needed, their separate roles and identities had to merge to meet educator, spousal, and parental demands. The first text by Brett Nickerson shows how his life as husband and father collided with his profession as an assistant professor at a university when his wife, a dedicated nurse, was called to help others in need. The second testimonial is by Mayra Garcia, a …

How Padlet Encouraged Student Collaboration And Engagement In My Virtual Classroom, Annie Yon

New Jersey English Journal

With the growth of virtual classes, it is crucial for teachers to integrate strategies and resources that foster student engagement and build a sense of community in an online environment. One way to augment synchronous and asynchronous communication is to implement an online discussion board, which can provide rich opportunities for students to share insights, ask clarifying questions, collaborate, create multimodal projects, and have their voices heard. By incorporating an interactive discussion board, such as Padlet, as part of class resources, teachers can facilitate discourse among students that transcends the physical boundaries of the classroom, create a motivational environment, improve …

Making Remote Learning Engaging, Denise Grandits, Tina Wagle

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This article provides extant background on online learning including best practice frameworks at multiple educational levels. The authors also discuss important considerations of remote and online learning when one is planning or teaching in that modality. Perhaps most importantly, this piece details the account of one highly qualified teacher’s experience transitioning to remote learning during the spring of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can serve as an exemplar to others. This example will demonstrate how teachers can be effective when mandated to utilize remote or hybrid teaching. The piece will also share implications for the future of teaching and teacher preparation.

Teaching And Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Stories From Educators Around The World, Madeline Milian, Catherine Linhardt, Christina M. Taylor, María E. Ballestrino Olivera, Veli Esen, Bechir Fraoua, Noelia Mazza, Ying Prapassorn, Susana De La Torre, Hamna Zahid

Journal of Educational Research and Innovation

Educational institutions around the globe were considerably challenged by the unexpected health consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Schools were rapidly forced to close their doors and begin exploring alternative options to educate students. Teachers, families, and students found themselves having to navigate completely new ways of offering and accessing educational services. Educators from eight different countries share their experiences at the beginning of the Pandemic and their creative efforts to continue providing educational services to their students.

Dean's Corner: Stepping Up Together

Action in Education

College of Education Dean Paul Zionts discusses the college's response to remote learning needs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to incorporate antiracism initiatives collegewide.

The Urgency To Train Online Instructors, David L. Hart Jr., Rebecca J. Armstrong

FDLA Journal

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has redefined the manner in which those seeking advanced degrees will succeed in the academic arena. Due to the effectiveness of learning in the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom, a certain sense of complacency exists but suddenly, learners are forced to alter that established learning path and arrive at new methods of acquiring information. Alongside the COVID-19 attack, the modern era of academia calls for the need and desire to learn in online, distance education learning programs. Long distance teaching programs are designed to rely upon the abilities of technology to facilitate effective communication as well as the sharing of …

Gather Us In: Building Meaningful Relationships In Catholic Schools Amid A Covid-19 Context, Ronald D. Fussell Edd

Journal of Catholic Education

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic schools in the United States pivoted from traditional learning to a remote learning model to maintain continuity of instruction for students. This pivot has served as a catalyst for academic innovation in many Catholic schools. As Catholic schools turn their attention to the possibility of remote learning in the fall of 2020, it is important now to consider how remote learning impacts interpersonal relationships within the school community. This reflective essay examines implications of relationship building in a remote learning context using Cook and Simonds's (2011) framework for relationships for Catholic schools as a lens. …