A pedagogical continuum: the journey from face-to-face to online teaching

Higher education has embraced innovative ways of using technology to enhance learning, and online environments in particular, as a way to increase efficiencies, open educational opportunities for students irrespective of location, and to increase flexibility of learning and teaching. This chapter will describe the journey of two academics as they journey along the pedagogical continuum from teaching fully face-to-face to blended, and then, on fully online environments. The experiences and perspectives of the teacher educators will be shared. Data from interviews, course materials and online discussions were analysed to identify the issues and practices of the academics. Findings present the staged progression of the academics in dealing with pedagogical, social, managerial, and technical aspects of moving their teaching online. The instructors in this study had a strong desire to enhance their teaching and student learning through innovation and reflective practice. As part of this research and through reflective practice they explored a range of innovative pedagogical practices. The teaching presence and beliefs of the instructors changed over the four years as they moved along the pedagogical continuum from face-to-face to online teaching