Journal of Online Learning Research and Practice
applications have created solutions for problems that have only recently emerged . Consequently , instructional design , whose conceptual framework is based on psychology ( Rabinowitz & Shaw , 2005 ), is now also informed through new interdisciplinary research on the human brain and the human learning process , national policies regarding universal accessibility and accreditation , and the requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Relatively new , the field of Learning Sciences draws from multiple disciplines to examine how people learn and how to best support learning . Newer , Mind , Brain , and Education Science examines how neuroscience , psychology , and education impact teaching and learning by debunking myths related to learning and the brain , while focusing on evidence-based practices . Although their orientations differ , the efforts of these initiatives together provide valuable resources for designers of learning environments and the facilitators of learning .
The COVID-19 crisis affected higher education in many ways . This historical global event created a new need to provide a safe environment in which learners may continue their intellectual growth . Over the past 20 years , many IHEs across the United States garnered experience and skill piloting different modes of instruction , particularly online learning , as they expanded their course and program offerings . However , not all faculty members have this experience or skill , since their primary roles have focused solely on inclass instruction up to this point . When confronted with closed campuses in March 2020 , many were challenged by a sudden pivot to “ remote teaching ,” in some cases with limited support . While this approach allowed continuity in instruction , many faculty members simply presented their classroom lectures to remote students via video-conferencing technology and supplemented teaching with additional video , readings , and online discussions , assuming that instruction would go back to in-class settings in the summer or at least by fall . For some , this pivot to emergency remote teaching was unsatisfying and discouraged them from the possibilities of online education formats . For others , it provoked questions and requests for better short and long-term solutions .
The bottom line is that IHEs must be able to pivot beyond the pandemic . IHE leaders must consider ways to support faculty and provide training to teach across learning formats . Given the strengths of emerging technologies , the growing understanding of learning and the brain , and the power of instructional design , pivotal pedagogy will be increasingly important to the future of both higher education and K-12 education , as well as meeting the needs of students worldwide .
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