The increase in demand for an accessible and affordable higher education pushes current approach of distance education to lean more towards online teaching and learning. Educators should be able to utilise technology tools to achieve teaching goals, which comprise methods of teaching and learning, lesson planning, and assessments.
Despite its challenges and demands, online teaching provides a medium that caters to the needs of society to gain quality education. While, it pushes educators and students out of their comfort zones, it can also be used to support growth through interaction with peers and attract active participations. Online learning enables learners to do practice questions, get quicker responses and feedback which help reduce the pressure and stress related to exams.
Online learning also promotes a personalised pathway that meets a learner’s needs.
The evolution of pedagogy from traditional learning towards virtual learning should stimulate new paradigms on online assessment methods that fit better to the online, distributed and open learning environment. The demand for skills is shifted towards more versatile tasks requiring creativity, adaptability, innovation, communication, collaboration and problem-solving as compared to traditional forms of assessment which focus on subject-specific knowledge.
Assessment is a critical component of the education process in which both summative and formative mode of assessments must be balanced, well planned and executed by the educators. The design of the online distributed assessment strategies and tools must adapt to new technologies of the digital era besides addressing different types of learning outcomes, learning processes, streamlining assessment administration and enhancing feedback.
Successful digital transformation entails innovative digital solutions that could improve the way we operate. The use of whiteboard, classrooms and libraries as we know today may only exist as reminiscences of the past.
The foreseen changes open up a whole new creative and innovative solutions. Nonetheless, the technology-based solutions we seek must feature learning designs and technological features that promote authentic learning. Active engagement in a learning environment that allows each and every learner to explore, collaborate, construct meaningful content, and develop essential skills for them to function effectively in the real world is the desired outcome.
This sub-theme explores innovative digital solutions that make it possible for us to achieve such outcomes; and thus the realisation of a successful digital transformation.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused massive and rapid changes to our daily lives. Life adjustments often come with a wide range of experiences and emotions. People may find themselves in survival mode, gathering information and resources necessary to function at school, work, and home; managing various relationships with others. This can cause fatigue, frustration, sadness, anger, grief, and anxiety (among other things).
The impact of experiencing a traumatic event can be pervasive and destructive to individual lives, families, communities and nations. If we are able to communicate our distress to people who can provide the necessary support, we are able to return to a state of equilibrium following a stressful event. This sub-theme explores concerns related to New Norms and Emotional Well-being.