A Literature Review on Pedagogical Practices and Student Experiences in E-Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia EDU602

LITERATURE REVIEW ONPEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES OR STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN E-LEARNING SINCE THE ADVENT OF THE PANDEMIC IN AUSTRALIA

Table of Contents

Introduction. 3

Current Education Issue. 3

Background. 5

Discussion. 6

Conclusion. 8

References. 10

Introduction

Pedagogy, which is typically referred to as the philosophy and practice of teaching, describes the methods and process by which instructors approach teaching and learning while utilising a certain curriculum and having goals in mind. Traditional pedagogy primarily refers to the face-to-face classroom setting and the conceptual frameworks around how individuals learn in that specific environment. The worldwide education system is facing severe obstacles because of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic (Chan, Bista & Allen, 2021). According to the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, almost 2 billion children, or nearly 62% of all students globally, were impacted by nationwide school closures in 111 nations by July 2020 (Drane, Vernon & OShea, 2020). For the pupils they serve, educators have a major role in addressing everything from historical flaws to underlying problems brought on by the epidemic. In addition, they have to adjust to changing norms. In order to prevent disruptions to their students' involvement and progress, Australian higher education providers had to quickly convert their teaching programmes to online or remote learning and assessment in response to the COVID-19 virus emerging as a pandemic as well as measures taken by the Commonwealth and State Government agencies to contain its expansion through restrictions on domestic and international travel and imposed lack of familiarity in public areas.

Current Education Issue

The educational system today faces several difficulties. Traditional education has changed over the past few decades to incorporate new modalities, particularly the online setting. Many of the pedagogical techniques used in traditional face-to-face classrooms can be successfully applied to online, hybrid, and blended learning settings, and vice versa. In order to continue providing education to children, conventional brick-and-mortar schools must transition to full-time virtual operations (Domenici, 2020). Due to this shift, students must adjust to synchronous video conferencing, social media, and online discussion forums, which replace in-person interaction as the main means of active learning.

This abrupt change is difficult for K-12 education pupils since they frequently lack prior online learning experience (Fi? Ermit, 2021). Keane, (2022) projected that less than 12% of K12 students have prior experience with this format, even in nations where online learning is expanding quickly, such as the USA and Canada. Inexperienced students who struggle with online learning may be more vulnerable to problems with their academic performance, a sense of isolation, and a lack of learning motivation (Kuliukas et al., 2021). Considering the major factors when it comes in known cases and the global incidence of new outbreaks, it is unfortunate that full-time distance learning for the majority of learners may take longer than planned (Lorenza & Carter, 2021).

Even after the pandemic, the widespread use of online learning today might have an influence on the world's educational system and could perhaps speed up and increase the rapid expansion of virtual schools on a worldwide scale (Martin, 2020). Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend how students are learning and what they are experiencing with online learning throughout the COVID epidemic. Concerning technological issues include students' experiences with slow internet connections and difficulty setting up online learning systems. The issue of a slow internet connection supports findings from other research (Pather et al., 2020), according to which one of the major difficulties of online learning is the access difficulty caused by the digital divide. Educational authorities and organisations that provide online education may mistakenly believe that most students have a reliable internet connection at home at the age of 4G and 5G networks (Pregowska et al., 2021). The majority of students prefer real-time dialogues, which heavily rely on a constant internet connection, therefore the internet problem we discovered is very significant to students' experiences with online learning.

Background

Insufficiencies with IT equipment, a lack of chances for collaborative learning, inadequate internet connections, and diminished learning are just a few of the main difficulties that recent study on students' online learning experiences during the COVID-19 epidemic has been uncovered. Even though these findings provided important information about the challenges students experienced when studying online, details concerning their learning environment and objectives for the future were less well-discussed. Such information could improve online learning opportunities for students as well as aid educational institutions and writers in understanding the difficulties that students face.

Students' constant internet access is essential to the effectiveness of online learning. Martin, 2020) expressed concern about the digital readiness gap and how the educational policies of various countries might impact students' online learning. Digital readiness is the state of a country's capacity to use and access information technologies and infrastructures. In terms of digital readiness, Western countries like the United States (3rd) outperformed Asian countries like China significantly (Yan et al., 2021). Students from countries with a low level of digital readiness may struggle more with technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, new studies have been published that provide supporting evidence. Only 13.9% of students in the nation's capital reported internet connectivity issues, according to Martin (2020). In contrast, more than two-thirds of students in rural Indonesia had issues with inconsistent internet, insufficient internet data, and inappropriate learning equipment (Drane, Vernon, & O'Shea, 2020).

Another crucial factor for K12 students to effectively transition to online learning is having access to the right technological equipment, especially a desktop or laptop (Domenici, 2020). However, the majority of students are unlikely to reach this criterion. Only 15% of students in higher education use computers for online coursework, while 85% use smartphones. According to Drane, Vernon, and O'Shea (2020), about 76% of students reported using devices that were inappropriate for online learning. Given that K12 students depend on their parents to provide access to essential learning tools, it is quite likely that they as well struggle with availability.

Technical issues may also affect how well students use technological technology. Domenici (2020) contends that for pupils to locate and use relevant material online and engage with others, they must have a high level of digital literacy. Students who are lacking this competency may find online learning to be difficult. 64% of medical students reported experiencing technical difficulties with IT equipment, and this issue was more prevalent among students with less postsecondary education, according to Fi? Ermit (2021). (2020) found that high school pupils experienced greater technical difficulties throughout the exam period, necessitating the use of more technical apps. These findings are concerning because primary and lower secondary students may be more vulnerable to these technical problems since they are less used to the technology utilised in online learning (Stewart & Lowenthal, 2022). Since it is still unclear how much of an influence these factors have on students in grades K12, research into the learning environments and related difficulties they confront is essential.

Discussion

The most prevalent criticisms about online teaching and learning centre on the fact that tutoring and teaching personnel weren't involved enough and that there should have been much more one-to-one connections with pupils. Many students expressed that they missed the casual interactions with professors that frequently took place before or after lectures and tutorials while they were learning in person. It was proposed to expand engagement on Zoom or comparable software such that these past one-to-one exchanges might be virtually duplicated to enable more casual contact. Additionally, students usually felt that they needed feedback from instructors more than they did in their prior style of study, and they pushed for quicker staff responses to electronic submissions of work.

According to Anderson's (2003) well-known interaction equivalency theorem, learning experiences won't be negatively affected if only one of the three interactions is of high quality and the other two can be cut back or even removed. To deliver high-quality interaction, two dimensions can be used: Dialogue refers to conversations between and among students as well as between students and professors. Structure refers to instructional methods that guide how students interact with information or other students. In order to expand online learning and limit the growth of teaching costs, the emphasis is frequently on structure (pedagogy) that can support excellent student content and student-student engagement. Most people agree that using technology and the media may improve instruction (Pather et al., 2020). Innovative technological developments, such as tailored feedback at scale based on learning analytics, can also give instructors the resources they need to encourage student involvement.

Online learning can result in a feeling of isolation, which can be harmful to students' achievement (Pather et al., 2020). As a result, it is crucial to incorporate social contact into online learning methodology, especially when students are unfamiliar with one another or lack adequate communication and cooperation abilities (Pregowska et al., 2021). Sadly, the available data indicated that the delivery of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic frequently lacked interactivity and collaborative experiences. It was discovered that about half of the medical students reported decreased interaction with teachers and that only 4% of students believe that online learning classes are interactive. In a similar vein, a survey of high school students found that more than half of the students preferred in-person interactions over online ones, valuing the proximity to peers and professors as well as the available assistance.

Online learning could offer solutions that consume fewer data and bandwidth for students who experience internet latency issues. The currently available alternative, lecture recording, does not satisfy students' requirements for immediate participation (Drane, Vernon & OShea, 2020). Giving students the choice of using voice conferencing and physical or digital textbooks in place of screen sharing and video conferencing is one possible substitute. This method drastically reduces the amount of data used and the amount of bandwidth needed for students to conduct seamless online interactions.

The majority of students have experienced technical difficulties when learning online, including sluggish internet and shaky learning platform setup. These technological challenges might make it more difficult for students to learn online (Drane, Vernon & OShea, 2020). Students who require technical assistance with online learning platforms or other similar educational institutions and authorities should always seek this support. Early screening and diagnosis might also help educators focus their efforts more efficiently on assisting children with limited technological proficiency (Chan, Bista & Allen, 2021). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills are one potential identifying strategy before the start of online learning. For instance, both elementary and high school students can take empirically verified ICT surveys.

Governments should take into account the state of the local internet infrastructure before adopting online learning in the future. Given that most students in underdeveloped nations like Bangladesh claimed that there was a shortage of internet infrastructure, this advice is crucial for them. In such circumstances, online education may become impractical, and alternate distribution methods may be more suitable.

Conclusion

To provide students with a better educational experience, it is crucial to solve technological concerns as well as choose an appropriate online learning platform. Governments and educational institutions should implement an online learning platform that is optimised for smartphone-based learning because the majority of students may utilise smartphones for online learning. When students are compelled or pressured to participate in online learning like the COVID-19 outbreak, some of them may not have access to a personal computer. Therefore, more study is needed to determine whether audio conferencing in conjunction with digital or physical textbooks is acceptable for students with internet connectivity issues. Alternatively, imagine that the technology infrastructure in your area is advanced. In such instances, governments and educational institutions can work with internet service providers to give data and bandwidth coupons to students who are having internet connectivity issues. This is the result of financial difficulty.