The Perspective of University Instructors About COVID Pandemic-Related Changes in Instructional Delivery Methods

Abstract

The Perspective of University Instructors About COVID Pandemic-Related Changes in Instructional Delivery Methods Shannan M. Roark Abstract In March of 2020, colleges and universities closed their doors due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of this unexpected event, approximately 200 million students worldwide were transitioned from traditional face-to-face lectures to online courses (Salmi, 2020). On the college and university levels, numerous instructors were unprepared to convert long-standing lecture courses into viable synchronous and asynchronous classes (Pavlidou, 2021; Salmi, 2020). This action prompted instructors to redefine their courses and the way instruction was presented. This qualitative research study examined how instructors addressed the sudden transition to online teaching, what they gained from the experience, and how this knowledge influenced their subsequent teaching styles. As revealed in the study, after the pandemic, instructors were more willing to incorporate elements of online learning into their courses, including, but not limited to, learning software used in conjunction with classes notated as blended/hybrid or courses completely online in a full asynchronous format. Due to the increase in online and digital instruction, the study revealed a dramatic rise in the number of higher education instructors attending professional development workshops and participating in training on technological innovations. These changes have also compelled colleges and universities to adjust policies, adapt course offerings, and provide incentives to encourage the development of courses with a stronger technological focus. This shift involves greater reliance on learning management systems and the transition of course offerings from traditional formats to various learning modalities, including synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid/blended learning formats