Beyond the Pivot: Essential Considerations for Fostering Success in Multimodal Instruction in the Time of COVID-19 Academic Article uri icon

Abstract

  • Numerous universities were forced to quickly pivot to remote instruction in response to the pandemic. Those working in higher education suddenly faced an insurmountable challenge to pivot to an alternate, often foreign, method of instruction. The sudden realization that this necessary transition from face-to-face courses to remote delivery and subsequent lack of a comprehensive learning experience, yielded a second unanticipated challenge. Learners desired a learning experience that more closely reflects the robust online courses of many leading online universities that have resulted from years of research, preparation, and continuous improvement. Most universities discovered they lacked the essential resources and human capital to exhibit such offerings within the constrained timeframe. With learners returning for future terms, some completely online, universities now face the reality of multi-modal instruction and must move beyond the pivot. The following considerations have been curated to stimulate a discussion about moving forward from remote instruction toward a more desired experience in multi-modal instruction.