Impact of COVID-19 on Formal Education: An International Review of Practices and Potentials of Open Education at a Distance.

In terms of scale, shock, and disenfranchisement, the disruption to formal education arising from COVID-19 has been unprecedented. Anecdotally, responses from teachers and educators around the world range from heightened caution to being inspired by distance education as the 'new normal.' Of all the challenges, face-to-face and formal teaching have been most heavily affected. Despite some education systems demonstrating resilience, a major challenge is sustaining quality and inclusiveness in formal education suddenly delivered at a distance. In probing these issues, this article profiles international perspectives on the role of open education in responding to the impact on formal school and higher education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We proceed by highlighting and analysing practices and case studies from 13 countries representing all global regions, identifying and discussing the challenges and opportunities that have presented themselves. Reports cover the period from the beginning of 2020 until 11 March 2021, the first anniversary of the COVID-19 outbreak as declared by the World Health Organization. In our comparative study, we identify seven key aspects of which three (missing infrastructure and sharing OER, open education and access to OER, and urgent need for professional development and training for teachers) are directly related to open education at a distance. After comparing examples of existing practice, we make recommendations and offer insights into how open education strategies can lead to interventions that are effective and innovative¿to improve formal education at a distance in schools and universities in the future

A global outlook to the interruption of education due to COVID-19 Pandemic: Navigating in a time of uncertainty and crisis

Uncertain times require prompt reflexes to survive and this study is a collaborative reflex to better understand uncertainty and navigate through it. The Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic hit hard and interrupted many dimensions of our lives, particularly education. As a response to interruption of education due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this study is a collaborative reaction that narrates the overall view, reflections from the K12 and higher educational landscape, lessons learned and suggestions from a total of 31 countries across the world with a representation of 62.7% of the whole world population. In addition to the value of each case by country, the synthesis of this research suggests that the current practices can be defined as emergency remote education and this practice is different from planned practices such as distance education, online learning or other derivations. Above all, this study points out how social injustice, inequity and the digital divide have been exacerbated during the pandemic and need unique and targeted measures if they are to be addressed. While there are support communities and mechanisms, parents are overburdened between regular daily/professional duties and emerging educational roles, and all parties are experiencing trauma, psychological pressure and anxiety to various degrees, which necessitates a pedagogy of care, affection and empathy. In terms of educational processes, the interruption of education signifies the importance of openness in education and highlights issues that should be taken into consideration such as using alternative assessment and evaluation methods as well as concerns about surveillance, ethics, and data privacy resulting from nearly exclusive dependency on online solutions

Impact of COVID-19 on Formal Education: An International Review of Practices and Potentials of Open Education at a Distance

In terms of scale, shock, and disenfranchisement, the disruption to formal education arising from COVID-19 has been unprecedented. Anecdotally, responses from teachers and educators around the world range from heightened caution to being inspired by distance education as the “new normal.” Of all the challenges, face-to-face and formal teaching have been most heavily affected. Despite some education systems demonstrating resilience, a major challenge is sustaining quality and inclusiveness in formal education suddenly delivered at a distance. In probing these issues, this article profiles international perspectives on the role of open education in responding to the impact on formal school and higher education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We proceed by highlighting and analysing practices and case studies from 13 countries representing all global regions, identifying and discussing the challenges and opportunities that have presented themselves. Reports cover the period from the beginning of 2020 until 11 March 2021, the first anniversary of the COVID-19 outbreak as declared by the World Health Organization. In our comparative study, we identify seven key aspects of which three (missing infrastructure and sharing OER, open education and access to OER, and urgent need for professional development and training for teachers) are directly related to open education at a distance. After comparing examples of existing practice, we make recommendations and offer insights into how open education strategies can lead to interventions that are effective and innovative—to improve formal education at a distance in schools and universities in the future

Benchmarking e-learning in higher education:lessons learned from international projects

Abstract Higher education is facing a range of major challenges during the twenty-first century. Personalised, flexible and open learning are considered among the driving forces, thus, issues of quality must be urgently addressed. This qualitative, multiple-case-study research with single and cross-case analysis focuses on benchmarking e-learning in higher education. The results of this study include providing conceptual lenses with which to see, discuss and perceive the complexity of benchmarking e-learning in higher education in extended, stretched and boundless learning environments. It has become obvious through the research that there is a need for new frames of reference for quality in e-learning. The choice of theoretical foundations for benchmarking e-learning will impact the consequences of accomplishing and selecting benchmarks. This research provides directions and recommendations for the future regarding how to accomplish benchmarking e-learning in extended learning environments in which students can study, work and live independently of time and space with global resources at their disposal in lifelong learning environments. The greatest challenge identified in this study for integrating benchmarking e-learning into general quality assurance is the fact that the required changes related to and demanded for e-learning are not fully understood. The research shows that benchmarking as a method will have a significant impact on ordinary quality assurance in higher education. This doctoral dissertation revealed challenges to integrate external quality audits and internally driven benchmarking. The studies have likewise revealed the need for methodological changes by quality assurance bodies and authorities carrying out audit and accreditation for integrating e-learning into quality assurance, as well as the need to fully understand the complexity and the special characteristics of e-learning. Probably, the challenge lies not with the system, success factors or benchmarks but in the lack of knowledge and experience of e-learning systems amongst those charged with implementation. The concept benchlearning was introduced as part of benchmarking exercises.Tiivistelmä Yliopistokoulutus on tällä vuosisadalla suurien haasteiden edessä. Yksilöllinen, joustava ja avoin opetus ovat tärkeimpiä kehitystä ajavia voimia. Tässä ympäristössä opetuksen laatuvaatimukset ovat tärkeitä. Tämä laadullinen monitapaustutkimus keskittyy e-lerningin benchmarkkaukseen yliopistoissa. Tutkimuksen tulokset tarjoavat käsitteellisiä linssejä, joiden avulla voidaan keskustella ja ymmärtää e-lerningin benchmarkkauksen kompleksisuutta avoimessa oppimisympäristössä. Tutkimus on osoittanut, että tarvitaan uusia viitekehyksiä e-learningin laadun varmistamiseen. Benchmarkkausta käytettäessä teoreettisen perustan valinta vaikuttaa käytännön toteutukseen ja vertailukohteiden valintaan. Tutkimus tarjoaa vinkkejä ja suosituksia, miten e-learningin benchmarkkausta tulisi toteuttaa yliopistoissa, joissa oppilaat opiskelevat avoimessa ympäristössä ja voivat työskennellä ja elää ajasta ja paikasta riippumatta siten, että heillä on käytettävissä globaalit resurssit elinikäiseen oppimiseen. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että suurin haaste liittyy siihen, miten e-learningin bechmarkkaus liitetään yliopistojen yleiseen laatujärjestelmään. Tätä integraatiota ei nykyisin täysin ymmärretä. Tutkimus osoittaa, että benchmarkkausmenetelmällä on merkittävä vaikutus yliopistojen yleiseen laadunvarmistamiseen. Tutkimus osoittaa, että on haastavaa integroida sisäisesti organisoitu benchmarkkaus ulkoisiin laatuauditointeihin. Laatuauditointeja järjestävien tahojen ja auditointeja sekä akreditointeja suorittavien viranomaisten tulee tehdä metodologisia muutoksia toimintaansa, jotta e-learning voidaan integroida laatujärjestelmiin. E-learningin kompleksisuus ja erityispiirteet tulisi myös ymmärtää. Varsinaiset haasteet eivät niinkään ole järjestelmässä, sen menestystekijöissä tai benchmarkeisssa vaan siinä, että päättäjillä ja käyttöönottajilla on liian vähän tietoa ja kokemusta e-learningista. Käsite benchlearning nousi esille tässä väitöstutkimuksessa kuvaamaan problematiikkaa.Sammanfattning Högre utbildning står inför en rad stora utmaningar under det tjugoförsta århundradet. Personligt, flexibelt och öppet lärande utifrån ett livslångt lärande perspektiv är av största vikt. E-lärandet ses som en av de drivande krafterna för denna utveckling där kvalitet är av avgörande betydelse. Denna kvalitativa studie, fokuserar på benchmarking e-lärande i högre utbildning. Potentiella fördelar och utmaningar, fokuseras samt hur benchmarking av e-lärande bör integreras som en naturlig del av ordinär kvalitetssäkring. Resultaten visar på konceptuella perspektiv och komplexiteten av benchmarking av e-lärande inom högre utbildning i stretchade och gränslösa miljöer. Det finns behov av nya referensramar för kvalitet inom e-lärande. Forskningen ger anvisningar och rekommendationer för framtiden när det gäller hur man kan utföra benchmarking e-lärande i stretchade inlärningsmiljöer där studenterna kan studera, arbeta och leva oberoende av tid och rum med globala resurser till sitt förfogande i livslånga lärande miljöer. Den största utmaningen som identifieras i denna studie för att integrera benchmarking e-lärande i den allmänna kvalitetssäkring är behovet av att fullt ut förstå komplexiteten och särdragen gällande e-lärande Forskningen visar att benchmarking som metod kommer att ha betydande inverkan på ordinarie kvalitetssäkring i den högre utbildningen. Denna doktorsavhandling visar på utmaningar för att integrera extern kvalitetsgranskning och internt driven benchmarking. Studierna har också visat på behovet av metodförändringar för kvalitetssäkring och för myndigheter som utför revision och ackreditering för att integrera e-lärande i kvalitetssäkring, samt behovet av att fullt ut förstå komplexiteten och särdragen i e-lärande. Förmodligen ligger utmaningen inte i metoden som sådan eller, i framgångsfaktorer och benchmark, utan i brist på kunskap och erfarenhet av e-lärande bland de som ansvarar för implementering. Konceptet benchlearning infördes som en del av benchmarking

A new function for an old structure: The “Timbal Muscle” in cicada females

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45996/1/114_2005_Article_BF01141906.pd