Asian Journal of Distance Education 

About: Asian Journal of Distance Education is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Distance education & Higher education. Over the lifetime, 89 publications have been published receiving 1012 citations.

Emergency remote teaching in a time of global crisis due to CoronaVirus pandemic

Abstract: At the end of the day, the lesson learnt was so simple... With online and offline connections, the world is a global village (McLuhan, 1962) and a butterfly flapping its wings in Asia can cause a hurricane all around the world (Lorenz, 1972). Currently, it seems that the global education system is in the middle of this hurricane. These times, where we are all witnessing developments warily, are certainly interesting and strange, but the hope is that lessons will have been learned once things hopefully return to normal. Though there were early warnings to be prepared (White, Ramirez, Smith, & Plonowski, 2010) and already ongoing interruptions to education (Briggs, 2018; GCPEA, 2018), this is the first crisis to occur on the global scale in the digital knowledge age, and there will be socio-cultural, economic, and political consequences in the wake of this crisis. In other words, the educational landscape will feel the rush of air from the butterfly’s flapping wings to the full extent.

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

Abstract: 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 K-12 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.

Schools and emergency remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A living rapid systematic review

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has had an unprecedented impact on education around the world. In order to understand and face this challenge, educators and researchers undertook a range of research, however the time that teachers have to undertake professional development and seek out such literature to inform their practice has been sorely lacking. Furthermore, literature exploring the wider variety of stakeholder experiences has been suggested to be missing. This living rapid systematic review synthesises K-12 research on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, published in English and indexed in 5 international databases. 89 studies were included for synthesis in the present article, and the results are discussed against a bioecological model of student engagement. The results indicate that the majority of research was conducted in Europe and Asia, predominantly focused on teachers, with more studies undertaken in high schools. Online surveys were the most used method, although future research must include all study design information. Recommendations from the literature include providing further funding for professional development and equipment, prioritising equity, designing collaborative activities, and using a combination of synchronous and asynchronous technology. Gaps in the literature are highlighted and practical tips for teachers are provided.

The Phenomenon of Learning at a Distance through Emergency Remote Teaching amidst the Pandemic Crisis.

Abstract: The threat brought about by Corona Virus or COVID-19 had made a huge impact not only on the economic, tourism, and health sectors, but it also hardly hit the education system of the world at large Specifically, this pandemic crisis had caused the Philippine higher education institutions to abruptly shift to emergency remote teaching (ERT) as a response to the call for continued education despite the global health threat Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, this paper discusses the lived experiences of five learners who were suddenly immersed in a remote learning context amidst the threat of COVID-19 There were four themes revealed in this study: poor to no internet access, financial constraints, lack of technological devices, and affective or emotional support Interestingly, findings showed that learning remotely in these trying times is challenging because aside from the existing problems on access and affordability, the emerging concerns on financial stability and affective support contributed to interrupted learning engagement Moreover, exposing culturally face-to-face learners in the context of ERT can put additional learning pressure Nevertheless, the need to listen to the students’ lived experiences in ERT will provide a lending ear to be heard and a voice for building a pedagogy of understanding about their learning journey in this time of pandemic crisis

Difficulties in Remote Learning: Voices of Philippine University Students in the Wake of COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract: Most educational systems across the world have migrated to remote learning modality as a measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This phenomenon is causing a lot of difficulties especially as voiced out by students in the context of developing countries. This paper attempts to describe the difficulties in remote learning of university students in the Philippines in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Following a mainly qualitative research design, this study surveyed a pool of purposively and conveniently selected students currently enrolled in a tertiary institution. The result of the content analysis revealed the following categories of difficulties in remote learning: unstable internet connectivity; inadequate learning resources; electric power interruptions; vague learning contents; overloaded lesson activities; limited teacher scaffolds; poor peer communication; conflict with home responsibilities; poor learning environment; financial related problems; physical health compromises; and mental health struggles. Based on the result, cogent recommendations are discussed at the end of the study.