Switching Gears

Abstract

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic turned into an urgent priority for higher education institutions in that they had to move to remote teaching within a matter of weeks. This paper presents the results of a quantitative survey looking at the challenges university faculty were facing when moving their course(s) online during the first semester of the COVID-19 crisis.The survey looks specifically at course design and formats used in online teaching during the crisis and compares differences occurring between disciplines (STEM and management education). The outcomes overall mirror a sense of achievement due to the successful delivery of online courses with little preparation. Difficulties lecturers identified were related to promoting student interaction and engagement, technical issues, the effort required to plan and prepare online learning materials, and challenges with regard to online assessment. Having access to training and support in various forms was highlighted as an important success factor.

An Examination of Community Colleges in the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…They found that most challenges were common to both subgroups: technical training, motivation to do work without someone pushing you on your face, and assignment submission and grading difficulties. Moessenlechner et al (2021) presented the results of an online survey with a sample size of 674. They conducted this survey among the whole and part-time faculty at MCI Innsbruck.…”