The recent shift to remote instruction in response to the global pandemic has resulted in increasing demand for flexible learning options in higher education going forward. As institutions strategize the advancement of distance education as a means of addressing these demands, a parallel need has emerged for increased awareness of flexible…

Higher education institutions are increasingly moving from traditional education approaches to incorporate online and distance learning (ODL) models, and this represents a substantial educational challenge for many educators. One way to support this challenge is by providing appropriate professional development (PD) for the design of ODL. Based on…

The pandemic has globally changed the landscape of the educational system in most countries of the world, including Ukraine. Their educational systems have faced massive challenges in distance learning implementation. However, in addition to the destructive impact of the pandemic, Ukraine has a more serious problem in the form of a full-scale…

Change is a constant in academia, instructional design, delivery, and assessment strategies. Academics must adapt to ensure a continuum of courses that meet learning objectives. This qualitative case study was an exploration of the perceptions, experiences, and strategies used by faculty in higher education institutions who experienced…

Deliberation as a necessary attitude in contemporary life seems to be specifically rooted in the early stages of education. However, as a primarily moral and evaluative stance, it is a powerful tool for shaping more reflective, critical, and proactive citizens. Furthermore, it establishes a way of engaging with knowledge, others, and, above all,…

This case study reports the collaborative meaning-making process and strategies for organizational change used by a diverse leadership team at a regional comprehensive university. The purpose of the study was to engage in continuous learning and improvement by producing knowledge for informing action; that is, to learn from analyzing the first…

For many years, there has been a quest to discover the best teaching and learning methods in order to strengthen the classroom and the mind. Researchers now know more than ever before about the brain's impact on learning, historical triggers that lead to deep learning, and how to scale education with technology. Yet much of what is known is…

By the beginning of 2020, there were widespread school closures caused by the spread of coronavirus for an unknown duration. Consequently, many schools turned to online learning using a software application, or a video conferencing system. As high levels of self-directed learning (SDL) are important for the quality of online learning, the present…

Factors that drive delivery mode decisions are multifaceted and often necessarily go beyond instructional design needs. Additional influencing factors include logistical, technical, and policy considerations. The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated the many opportunities and challenges that accompany the chosen distance delivery mode, prompting the need…

During the spring of 2020, institutions of higher education (IHEs) closed their buildings but continued to offer instruction through emergency remote teaching procedures in the United States of America. Although students and teaching faculty received much attention for their mutual under preparedness for remote learning using online tools,…

This study explored how instructional designers work with faculty during a crisis by exploring topics such as technology adoption, quality teaching continuity, and communication. Using a case study methodology, this study relied on the account of instructional designers at Ohio University, while during the COVID-19 pandemic, worked with faculty to…

This study aimed to investigate distance education practices in higher education during the pandemic, focusing on lived experiences, and proposing a policy decision framework for future distance education in similar conditions. Additionally, the study aimed to establish a design framework for an Emergency Action Plan for similar crisis periods. In…

This book supports teaching and learning through online discussion in higher education contexts such as universities, colleges, and polytechnics. It presents an explicit focus on popular asynchronous discussion tools and methods, with attention to disciplinary variety and key principles for successful learning-oriented discussion. It tackles the…

The COVID-19 global pandemic necessitated a rapid transition to remote learning (synchronous or asynchronous) for higher education institutions. This paper documents lived experiences of this occurrence from the perspectives of a graduate student, an instructional designer, and a professor. There is discussion of strategies that facilitated a…

There are almost 90 million forced migrants around the world, many of whom could benefit from online higher education, and yet there is evidence that displaced people face challenges in online learning environments. This paper reports on a study in the context of a UK university's master'slevel distance learning program that offers Sanctuary…