IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i3p1876-d743686.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Responding to the Initial Challenge of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of International Responses and Impact in School and Higher Education

Author

Listed:
  • Christian M. Stracke

    (Center for Higher Education (BZH), University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany)

  • Daniel Burgos

    (Research Institute for Innovation & Technology in Education (UNIR iTED), Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), 26006 Logrono, Spain)

  • Gema Santos-Hermosa

    (Faculty of Information and Audiovisual Media, University of Barcelona, 08014 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Aras Bozkurt

    (Distance Education Department, Anadolu University, Eskişehir 26470, Turkey)

  • Ramesh Chander Sharma

    (Instructional Design, Ambedkar University Delhi, New Delhi 110015, India)

  • Cécile Swiatek Cassafieres

    (Academic Library, Université Paris Nanterre, 92000 Nanterre, France)

  • Andreia Inamorato dos Santos

    (Joint Research Centre, European Commission, 41092 Seville, Spain)

  • Jon Mason

    (College of Indigenous Futures, Education & the Arts, Charles Darwin University, Darwin 0909, Australia)

  • Ebba Ossiannilsson

    (Swedish Association for Distance Education (SADE), International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), OER Advocacy Committee, 22235 Lund, Sweden)

  • Jin Gon Shon

    (Computer Science, Korea National Open University, Seoul 03087, Korea)

  • Marian Wan

    (College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan)

  • Jane-Frances Obiageli Agbu

    (Wuse 2 Study Centre, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja 106104, Nigeria)

  • Robert Farrow

    (Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University (UK), Milton Keynes MK6 7AA, UK)

  • Özlem Karakaya

    (School of Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50010, USA)

  • Chrissi Nerantzi

    (University Teaching Academy, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6BG, UK)

  • María Soledad Ramírez-Montoya

    (Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico)

  • Grainne Conole

    (Independent Consultant, E4innovation, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK)

  • Glenda Cox

    (Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT), University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa)

  • Vi Truong

    (Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne 3177, Australia)

Abstract

This paper presents and analyses solutions where open education and open science were utilised to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. The COVID-19 outbreak and associated lockdowns created huge challenges in school and higher education, demanding sudden responses which aimed to sustain pedagogical quality. Responses have varied from conservative to radically innovative. Universally, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted and shocked societies worldwide, and education systems were on the front line. The lockdowns largely stopped face-to-face and formal education in almost all countries, and in most cases, distance learning soon became the ‘new normal’. A central challenge concerned sustaining educational visions and ideals in such circumstances. To better understand the state of the art in the educational landscape, we collected case studies from 13 countries during the first year of the pandemic starting on 11 March 2020 (when the World Health Organization declared a pandemic). This paper presents summaries of the full country reports that were collected and describe lessons learned. Our overall aim was to identify good practices and recommendations from the collected case studies that can be taken forward in the future. We categorised the responses on the three generic educational levels (macro, meso and micro) and identified seven key aspects and trends that are valid for all or most countries: (1) formal education at a distance for first time; (2) similar approaches for formal education; (3) missing infrastructure and sharing open educational resources; (4) diverse teaching and learning methods and practices; (5) open education and access to open educational resources; (6) urgent need for professional development and training for teachers and (7) assessing and monitoring learning environments, teachers and students. Finally, we identified key recommendations on how open education and open science can benefit formal education in schools and universities in the future, namely, improved awareness of open educational practices, provision of ICT infrastructure, embracing and sustaining the practice of open access publications and OERs, capacity building for stakeholders and finally encouraging research and development in the area of open education and open science. We found significant evidence for the proposition that open education and open science can support both traditional face-to-face and distance learning.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian M. Stracke & Daniel Burgos & Gema Santos-Hermosa & Aras Bozkurt & Ramesh Chander Sharma & Cécile Swiatek Cassafieres & Andreia Inamorato dos Santos & Jon Mason & Ebba Ossiannilsson & Jin Gon, 2022. "Responding to the Initial Challenge of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of International Responses and Impact in School and Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-23, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:3:p:1876-:d:743686
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/3/1876/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/3/1876/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Oecd, 2015. "Making Open Science a Reality," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers 25, OECD Publishing.
    2. -, 2020. "Education in the time of COVID-19," Coediciones, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 45905 edited by Eclac.
    3. -, 2020. "Education in the time of COVID-19," Libros y Documentos Institucionales, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 45905 edited by Eclac.
    4. Christopher Allen & David M A Mehler, 2019. "Open science challenges, benefits and tips in early career and beyond," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(5), pages 1-14, May.
    5. Simone Belli & Rogério Mugnaini & Joan Baltà & Ernest Abadal, 2020. "Coronavirus mapping in scientific publications: When science advances rapidly and collectively, is access to this knowledge open to society?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2661-2685, September.
    6. Vicente-Saez, Ruben & Martinez-Fuentes, Clara, 2018. "Open Science now: A systematic literature review for an integrated definition," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 428-436.
    7. Maria Soledad Ramirez-Montoya, 2020. "Challenges for Open Education with Educational Innovation: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-16, August.
    8. Andreia Inamorato dos Santos & Yves Punie & Jonatan Castaño Muñoz, 2016. "Opening up Education: A Support Framework for Higher Education Institutions," JRC Research Reports JRC101436, Joint Research Centre.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maura A. E. Pilotti & Omar J. El-Moussa & Hanadi M. Abdelsalam, 2022. "Measuring the Impact of the Pandemic on Female and Male Students’ Learning in a Society in Transition: A Must for Sustainable Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, March.
    2. Chung-Kwan Lo & Ka-Yan Liu, 2022. "How to Sustain Quality Education in a Fully Online Environment: A Qualitative Study of Students’ Perceptions and Suggestions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-11, April.
    3. Larisa Gorina & Marina Gordova & Irina Khristoforova & Lyudmila Sundeeva & Wadim Strielkowski, 2023. "Sustainable Education and Digitalization through the Prism of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Basak Baglama & Emirali Evcimen & Fahriye Altinay & Ramesh Chander Sharma & Ahmed Tlili & Zehra Altinay & Gokmen Dagli & Mohamed Jemni & Rustam Shadiev & Yucehan Yucesoy & Menil Celebi, 2022. "Analysis of Digital Leadership in School Management and Accessibility of Animation-Designed Game-Based Learning for Sustainability of Education for Children with Special Needs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-12, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Elvie Barzo Gonzaga & Don Anton Robles Balida & Angelo Evangelio Gonzaga, 2023. "COVID-19 Precautionary Measures and Practices for Delivering Modular Distance Learning," World Journal of English Language, Sciedu Press, vol. 13(2), pages 1-98, March.
    2. Rima Wajih Hamed Daraghmeh, 2021. "Palestinian University Students' Perceptions of Distance Education in Light of the Coronavirus Crisis," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(5), pages 1-1, October.
    3. Gene Klein, 2021. "Viewing Gamification Design Limitations and Weaknesses through a Pandemic Lens," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-8, November.
    4. Ilona & Urbanyi-Popiolek, 2022. "New Insights into the Ferry Business in the Turbulent Environment," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 63-73.
    5. Amith Khandakar & Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury & Md. Saifuddin Khalid & Nizar Zorba, 2022. "Case Study of Multi-Course Project-Based Learning and Online Assessment in Electrical Engineering Courses during COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, April.
    6. U. Y. Abdur Rahman, 2020. "Utilization of Indonesia’s Digital Economy to Invest in Human Capital and Provide Socio-Economic Support to Stimulate Economic Growth," International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies, Professor Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, vol. 6(6), pages 312-322.
    7. Rozina Afroz & Nurul Islam & Sajedur Rahman & Nusrat Zerin Anny, 2021. "Students’ and teachers’ attitude towards online classes during Covid-19 pandemic: A study on three Bangladeshi government colleges," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 10(3), pages 462-476, April.
    8. Alfonso Infante-Moro & Juan C. Infante-Moro & Julia Gallardo-Pérez & Francisco J. Martínez-López, 2022. "Key Factors in the Implementation of E-Proctoring in the Spanish University System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-16, July.
    9. Ana Iolanda Vodă & Cristina Cautisanu & Camelia Grădinaru & Chris Tănăsescu & Gustavo Herminio Salati Marcondes de Moraes, 2022. "Exploring Digital Literacy Skills in Social Sciences and Humanities Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-31, February.
    10. Mališ Sanja Sever & Sačer Ivana Mamić & Žager Katarina, 2022. "Landscape of e-Learning during Covid-19: Case Study of Economic Disciplines in Croatia," Business Systems Research, Sciendo, vol. 13(2), pages 8-27, December.
    11. Sorina Ioana MIȘU & Monica TRICULESCU, 2021. "Living And Teaching During Covid-19: The Damages And Benefits Of Telework," Business Excellence and Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 11(5), pages 129-137, October.
    12. Antonietta Cosentino & Paola Paoloni, 2021. "Women’s Skills and Aptitudes as Drivers of Organizational Resilience: An Italian Case Study," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, November.
    13. Kareema Ali & Daniel Burgos & Saida Affouneh, 2023. "Educational Loss at Times of Crisis: The Role of Games in Students’ Learning in Palestine and Iraq," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, March.
    14. José M. Ramírez-Hurtado & Alfredo G. Hernández-Díaz & Ana D. López-Sánchez & Víctor E. Pérez-León, 2021. "Measuring Online Teaching Service Quality in Higher Education in the COVID-19 Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-14, March.
    15. Maricar M. Navarro & Yogi Tri Prasetyo & Michael Nayat Young & Reny Nadlifatin & Anak Agung Ngurah Perwira Redi, 2021. "The Perceived Satisfaction in Utilizing Learning Management System among Engineering Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Integrating Task Technology Fit and Extended Technology Acceptance Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    16. Hülya Tuncer & Tuçe Öztürk Karataş, 2022. "Recommendations of ELT Students for Four Language Skills Development: A Study on Emergency Distance Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    17. Monica Ioana Burcă-Voicu & Romana Emilia Cramarenco & Dan-Cristian Dabija, 2022. "Investigating Learners’ Teaching Format Preferences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Empirical Investigation on an Emerging Market," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-21, September.
    18. Seung-hye Jung & Joon-ho Kim & Ha-na Cho & Hae-won Lee & Hyun-ju Choi, 2021. "Brand Personality of Korean Dance and Sustainable Behavioral Intention of Global Consumers in Four Countries: Focusing on the Technological Acceptance Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-19, October.
    19. Victor Manuel Peinado-Guevara & Aldo Alan Cuadras Berrelleza & Jaime Herrera-Barrientos & Peinado-Guevara Hector Jose & Samuel Doeg Izaguirre-Gamez & Alejandro Urias-Camacho, 2021. "Knowledge and behavioral attitudes of the academic community of the high school and university levels towards the prevention of covid-19: a cross-sectional study in Guasave, Sinaloa," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 17(1), pages 1-19, March.
    20. -, 2021. "The economic autonomy of women in a sustainable recovery with equality," Libros y Documentos Institucionales, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 46634 edited by Eclac.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:3:p:1876-:d:743686. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.