Cross-cultural effects of COVID-19 on higher education learning and teaching practice: A case study from Greece

Abstract

COVID-19 has greatly impacted all aspects of our everyday lives. A global pandemic of this magnitude, even as we now emerge from strict measures such as lockdowns and await the potential for a ‘new tomorrow’ with the arrival of vaccines, will certainly have long-lasting consequences. We will have to adapt and learn to live in a different way. Accordingly, teaching and learning have also been greatly impacted. Changes to academic curricula have had tremendous cross-cultural effects on higher education students. This study will investigate, by way of focus groups comprised of students studying at Greek universities during the pandemic, the cross-cultural effects that this ‘global experience’ has had on higher education, and particularly on students in Greek universities. The data collection tools are interviews and observations gathered from focus groups.

Lecturer Attitudes on Cross-Cultural Practices in EFL Online Teaching

“…Apart from the issue of interaction in the classroom which results in a lack of cultural integration during language learning on online platforms, the problem that arises next is the impotence to translate cultural concepts in language learning. Students experience difficulties in including the intended scope of crosscultural knowledge in language learning through online platforms (Kefalaki et al, 2021). Students' struggle to see the importance of a balance between literal and cultural elements in language learning encourages lecturers to focus more on approaches that support students to better understand the vitality of literacy and cultural competencies in EFL teaching during online classes.…”

Learning English Across Cultures-a Reflection on Challenges Faced by Online Learners and Their Mitigation Strategies

“…Common online lesson can sometimes be challenging and a cross -cultural setting could pose an even more challenging environment for the learners. Kefalaki et. al.…”

The Challenge of an Interactive Audiovisual-Supported Lesson Plan: Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in Adult Education

“…Additionally, in many educational environments, the educator is still a 2 of 47 digitally and technologically illiterate advisor and mentor [16,28,[31][32][33][34], while learners and especially learners of the younger generational cohorts seem to undertake the responsibility for their own learning process using ICT-tools to collect information as they are considered more familiar with them [16,28,31,[35][36][37]. The COVID-19 pandemic led all education systems around the world to finally redesign their learning environments and to activate a modern technology-enhanced learning model to promote further interplay, interaction and small-group work, and utilize digital technology as a knowledge medium that both learners and educators themselves benefit from [15,[38][39][40][41][42][43].…”