Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the higher education sector, which is a critical determinant of a country's economic future. The aim is to compare the views of teachers and students on inclusive digital teaching in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The meaning of “inclusive digital teaching” and “view” are studied. The empirical study was carried out in September-November 2020. Forty respondents from Germany, Latvia, India, Ukraine, and South Africa participated in the study. The data were collected via a semi-structural interview. The theoretical findings allow defining inclusive digital teaching and its criteria and indicators. The positive views on inclusive digital teaching in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic were expressed by the university teachers. The students' views were more negative. The novel contribution of this chapter is the implications on inclusive digital teaching in higher education. Directions of further research are formulated.
TopIntroduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has spread over the whole world. It was the first identified in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019. The first death by COVID19 was the 61-year old man in Wuhan, China, 2020. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on 2020. February 11, 2020, WHO proposed an official name of the virus as COVID-19.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in the world has led to the unprecedented changes in people’s lives. A lot of people have experienced rapid transformations in many aspects of their lives: working conditions, education, shopping, travelling, finance, etc (Zascerinska, Aleksejeva, Zascerinskis, Gukovica, & Aleksejeva, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled the human society to maintain social distancing (Ahrens, & Zascerinska, 2020). The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the higher education sector which is a critical determinant of a country’s economic future. The occurrence of COVID-19 has impacted more than 120 crores of students and youths across the planet.
Many people consider the COVID-19 pandemic to be a crisis among others (i.e. political, economic, social, financial, etc) as depicted in Figure 1 adopted from Zaščerinska and Ahrens (Zaščerinska, & Ahrens, 2015).
Figure 1. The relationship between the contemporary situation in the world and crises
By crisis, a problem situation is meant. The terms problem situation (Sokol, 2008), problem and solving a contradiction (Сорокин, 1977) are considered synonymously (Bassus, & Zaščerinska, 2012). Thereby, a problem situation implies solving a contradiction (Čehlova, 2002). Therein, a contradiction is defined as two incompatible requirements that are set to one element/subject/phenomenon/etc (Sokol, 2008). Contradiction creates contradictory needs: the necessity in change and stability (Grabovska, 2006) as demonstrated in Figure 2 adopted from Zaščerinska and Ahrens (Zaščerinska, & Ahrens, 2015).
Figure 2. Elements of contradiction
It should be noted that solving a contradiction often demands on the application of non-traditional and innovative solutions. Problem situations emerge in different dimensions of life of the modern world such as pandemic, society, finance, politics, and economy. Thus, a crisis in society is identified as social crisis, in health - pandemic, in finance – financial crisis, in politics – political crisis, and in economy – economic crisis. The COVID-19 crisis is the defining global health crisis and the greatest challenge (Ahrens, & Zascerinska, 2020). The COVID-19 crisis is a cornerstone for the situation development in the world (Zaščerinska, & Ahrens, 2015). By a health crisis or public health crisis, a difficult situation or complex health system that affects humans in one or more geographic areas (mainly occurred in natural hazards), from a particular locality to encompass the entire planet is meant (Gérvas, & Meneu, 2010). Health crises generally have significant impacts on the community health, loss of life, and on the economy (Gérvas, & Meneu, 2010), education system, tourism and others as revealed in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Life dimensions affected by a health crisis
Key Terms in this Chapter
Structuring Content Analysis: Categorising the data in accordance to the previously determined criteria ( Budde, 2005 ).
Teaching in Formal Higher Education: A purposefully organized process of teacher’s sharing experience (knowledge, skills and attitudes) with students ( Zašcerinska, & Ahrens, 2013 ).
Inclusive Digital Teaching: A purposefully organized process of teacher’s sharing experience (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) with students in a digital environment adapted to students’ needs.
Opportunity: The development of culture of learning, education and interaction in a certain social-cultural environment gaining his/her individual’s experience ( Tilla, 2006 ).
Summarizing Content Analysis: To reduce the material in such a way that the essential contents are preserved, but a manageable short text is produced ( Mayring, 2004 ).
View: Individual’s knowledge, skills and attitudes to a phenomenon (Ahrens, Zašcerinska, Hariharan, & Andreeva, 2016 AU16: The in-text citation "Hariharan, & Andreeva, 2016" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Semi-Structured Interviews: Used when the researchers had obtained the initial knowledge on the research field (Kroplijs, & Rašcevka, 2004 AU15: The in-text citation "Kroplijs, & Raščevka, 2004" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Design of the Empirical Study: The purpose and question, sample and methodology of the present empirical study ( Ahrens, & Zašcerinska, 2014b ).