This multicase study describes the unique experiences of online instructors within a novel context of grant-funded online course design assistance in a large Midwestern university. Five instructors reflected on their experience, from conception to implementation of their asynchronous online courses, in individual debrief sessions conducted by the…

Colleges and universities in the United States swiftly shifted campus-based classes to virtual spaces as a response to extended campus closures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Synchronous online courses were mandated as a replacement for traditional face-to-face classes in many higher education institutions. We understand that the benefits…

The following study aimed to assess both instructor and student perceptions of virtual library instruction sessions. The primary question was are there perceived benefit of synchronous library instruction versus watching the recording of the same session. Two anonymous, mixed-method surveys were distributed: one to instructor and one to students.…

Peer learning is not fully developed or researched in online and hybrid higher education. This research analyses a peer learning experience in the asynchronous part of hybrid teaching, in one of the largest blended universities in Europe, promoting students to act as teachers of their peers, by preparing digital content (videos) for the course.…

This study explores how online instructors use different instructional strategies to engage learners, and the active learning indicators that they look for among their students. Additionally, it examines how modality--synchronous versus asynchronous--and instructor learner-centeredness relate to instructional strategy choices. Using a mixed…

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has forced teachers at all levels to adjust their teaching styles. Nearly every instructor is teaching in ways that are entirely new (at least to them). Online methods have jumped suddenly from à la carte options to essential components of instructional delivery at all levels from pre-kindergarten to higher…

The transition to tertiary level learning requires students take responsibility for their own learning and independently synthesise conceptual knowledge specific to their discipline. We designed an interactive online lesson that aimed to build student engagement and foster self-regulation of understanding for a foundation concept in molecular…

Various instructor qualities have been shown to have variable influences student outcomes in online courses. In this study, the impact of faculty quality on student performance was examined by comparing student performance when taught by excellent faculty and average faculty (determined through administrative evaluations). We examined 328 student…

Online teacher education is an important alternative in response to the problem of teacher shortage. The format of interaction is critical in leveraging social and intellectual connection between learners. Yet, few studies have examined this issue in online teacher preparation. In this study, we examined two commonly used interactional formats…

Extensive research supports the claim that student-instructor interaction is an essential element of successful online teaching. It is less clear, however, whether teaching presence is discipline-specific, or how it may be affected by the personal and professional background of individual instructors. This article describes the quantitative…

In 2020 universities had to quickly implement remote education alternatives as a result of the social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep students engaged with the university, we implemented a teaching-learning model that relates physiology contents to the COVID-19 pandemic using online educational platforms. A 1-mo web course was…

For the past several decades, student engagement has been an increasingly popular subject of research in higher education. The conversation around engagement has become even more critical in in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as institutions navigate a rapid shift to remote learning. A body of research indicates that an approach to…

Using my own teaching experience in quarantined-at-home settings, I describe and reflect on my e-learning plan and its implementation. I am teaching two groups of undergraduate students consisting of 80 students. I taught half of the course content during the first half of the semester in a formal university setting. However, after the novel…

This article will provide an overview of the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019, also known as COVID-19, pandemic on educators. The transition from face-to-face to online instruction revolutionized perspectives on synchronous and asynchronous course modalities. New live media methods of interaction were adopted with little to no training for…

This paper aims to determine the opinions of prospective teachers about biology lessons conducted through distance education during the pandemic. In the study, the focus group study technique was applied as one of the qualitative research methods. 15 prospective teachers from the Department of Science Education, studying in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th…