Shifting online during COVID-19: A systematic review of teaching and learning strategies and their outcomes

• Published in: International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 56 - 23
• Main Authors: Koh, Joyce Hwee Ling, Daniel, Ben Kei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2022; BioMed Central, Ltd; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Access to Education; Asynchronous Communication; CAI; College Faculty; College Students; Competence; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer assisted instruction; Computer Science; Computers and Education; Content Analysis; Coping; COVID-19; Creative Teaching; Data Analysis; Database Management Systems; Distance Education; Distance learning; E-learning; Educational Development; Educational Research; Educational Resources; Educational Strategies; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Elementary Secondary Education; Emergency response teaching; Family Environment; Higher Education; Humanities; Influence of Technology; Information Seeking; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Law; Learner Engagement; Learning Modalities; Learning Strategies; Literature reviews; Online Courses; Online dexterity; Online instruction; Online learning; Online pedagogy; Outcomes of Education; Pandemics; Pedagogy; Review; Review Article; Statistics for Social Sciences; Student Participation; Students; COVID-19; E-learning; Emergency response teaching; Online dexterity; Online learning; Online pedagogy
• ISSN: 2365-9440; 2365-9440
• DOI: 10.1186/s41239-022-00361-7

This systematic literature review of 36 peer-reviewed empirical articles outlines eight strategies used by higher education lecturers and students to maintain educational continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic since January 2020. The findings show that students’ online access and positive coping strategies could not eradicate their infrastructure and home environment challenges. Lecturers’ learning access equity strategies made learning resources available asynchronously, but having access did not imply that students could effectively self-direct learning. Lecturers designed classroom replication, online practical skills training, online assessment integrity, and student engagement strategies to boost online learning quality, but students who used ineffective online participation strategies had poor engagement. These findings indicate that lecturers and students need to develop more dexterity for adapting and manoeuvring their online strategies across different online teaching and learning modalities. How these online competencies could be developed in higher education are discussed.