Online University Teaching at the time of COVID-19 (2020): An Australian Perspective

Abstract

The impacts of COVID-19 have been widespread, and the education sector has not been immune to its effects. In March 2020 Australian universities were forced into a shutdown, which prompted an unanticipated, sudden shift in education, from on-campus and face-to-face to an off-campus and online mode of teaching and learning. This paper describes the experiences of two Sydney-based university unit coordinators, from two different institutions, who rapidly shifted their units online as a result of COVID-19. In particular, it applies reflection as a research method, to share what the authors’ encountered as successful, and what was challenging about teaching online. Motivating and retaining students was a key challenge identified by the authors. Therefore, the paper discusses the authors’ application of various digital programs and tools in their response to this challenge of motivation and engagement. It is hoped that our experiences might benefit those looking to integrate programs and tools in the online teaching and learning space. Although Australia is currently one of the most successful countries in their handling of COVID-19, there is still great uncertainty about the future. Globally the pandemic shows no signs of abating, as many countries struggle to manage high levels of transmission and infection rates, which in turn have an impact on the education sector more broadly. Consequently, online learning may be the ‘new normal’ for many institutions in the near future. Therefore, it is important for educators to share their online teaching experiences that can contribute to greater understandings of this space.

Academic accommodations for university students living with disability and the potential of universal design to address their needs

“…Educators are beginning to critique COVID-responsive teaching practice as expertise in this area grows (Garris & Fleck, 2020). While lessons can be learned from decades of online delivery, university educators are advised to think beyond traditional approaches in order to motivate and engage students (Smith & Kaya, 2021). A variety of recommended strategies point to synchronous and asynchronous interactions (Hodge et al, 2020) which by their very nature may address UDI principles such as equity, flexibility, perceivability, inclusivity, and the fostering of learning communities (Scott et al, 2003).…”

Implementing Online Tools to the Pre-writing Stage: An Investigation into Online Writing Classes

“…Other features that attract many educators using this tool are the functions of adding frames, selecting backgrounds, creating sticky notes and dragging posts which create an alternative for brainstorming stages (Gulati & Bhatt, 2021). Similarly, Smith & Kaya (2021) mentioned that Jamboard could help create a fun environment for brainstorming sessions and tasks related to vocabulary and grammar. This application is believed to support online learning by fostering interaction and delivering materials (Muchlis et al, 2022).…”

Impacts of online learning in development studies during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Power relations in the online classroom can be minimized to overcome oppressions by empowering pedagogy in which the power from the teacher is transferred to the students being open to students' questions (Šribar, 2020). The degree of effectiveness of online classes varies according to the amount of interaction, the quality of the learning environment, decent online platform function, attention of students, expertise and ability of instructors (Pelz, 2010;Shenoy et al, 2020;Smith & Kaya, 2021;Zhang et al, 2020). The effective online classroom entails academic, technical, guidance, social, and organizational function (Vlachopoulos & Makri, 2021).…”