COVID-19 and Emergency Migration to Remote Teaching in a Public University in the Maldives: Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Institutions of higher education worldwide were forced to implement emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This scenario presented several issues for university lecturers and students. This study examines the challenges, experiences, and lessons learned by lecturers at a public university in the Maldives when forced to conduct ERT during the pandemic using an exploratory sequential mixed-method. The respondents most frequently cited unreliable internet connection (83.9%) and internet cost (76.8%), while 75% reported difficulty in motivating students and meeting their varied needs (64.3%). Access to technology (66.1%) and performance assessment (62.5%) were also mentioned. Challenges included internet, technology, student support, learning, and evaluation. The lecturers learned new skills during the pandemic, which was a positive outcome. Lastly, they stressed training, assistance, and the crisis readiness of the university.

Keywords

• COVID-19 pandemic
• Emergency Remote Teaching
• Challenges
• Maldives
• Higher Education Institution

References

1. Aboagye, E., Yawson, J. A., & Appiah, K. N. (2021). COVID-19 and E-Learning: The Challenges of Students in Tertiary Institutions. Social Education Research, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.37256/ser.212021422 google scholar
2. Bad News To Dhiraagu And Ooredoo. Starlink Sharing Could Lower Internet Prices. (2021). https://maldivesfinest.com/blog/internet-price-starlink-dhiraagu-ooredoo google scholar
3. Bao, W. (2020). COVID-19 and online teaching in higher education: A case study of Peking University. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(2), 113-115. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.191 google scholar
4. Ezra, O., Cohen, A., Bronshtein, A., Gabbay, H., & Baruth, O. (2021). Equity factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: Difficulties in emergency remote teaching (ert) through online learning. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7657-7681. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10632-x google scholar
5. Ferri, F., Grifoni, P., & Guzzo, T. (2020). Online Learning and Emergency Remote Teaching: Opportunities and Challenges in Emergency Situations. Societies, 10(4), 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc10040086 google scholar
6. Hebebci, M., Bertiz, Y., & Alan, S. (2020). Investigation of Views of Students and Teachers on Distance Education Practices during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science, 4, 267-282. https://doi.org/10.46328/ytes.v4i4.113 google scholar
7. Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020, February 27). The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online google scholar
8. Learning. Retreived from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning google scholar

9. Huang, R. H., Liu, D. J., Tlili, A., Yang, J. F., & Wang, H. H. (2020). Handbook on facilitating flexible learning during educational disruption: The Chinese experience in maintaining undisrupted learning in COVID-19 outbreak | Unesco IIEP Learning Portal. Smart Learning Institute. Retreived from https://learningportal.iiep.unesco.org/en/library/handbook-on-facilitating-flexible-learning-during-educational-disruption-the-chinese google scholar
10. Jelinska, M., & Paradowski, M. B. (2021). Teachers’ Perception of Student Coping With Emergency Remote Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Relative Impact of Educator Demographics and Professional Adaptation and Adjustment. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648443 google scholar
11. Kamal, T., & Illiyan, A. (2021). School teachers’ perception and challenges towards online teaching during COVID-19 pandemic in India: An econometric analysis. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 16(3), 311-325. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAOUJ-10-2021-0122 google scholar
12. Kebritchi, M., Lipschuetz, A., & Santiague, L. (2017). Issues and Challenges for Teaching Successful Online Courses in Higher Education: A Literature Review. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 46(1), 4-29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239516661713 google scholar
13. Khalil, R., Mansour, A. E., Fadda, W. A., Almisnid, K., Aldamegh, M., Al-Nafeesah, A., Alkhalifah, A., & Al-Wutayd, O. (2020). The sudden transition to synchronized online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A qualitative study exploring medical students’ perspectives. BMC Medical Education, 20(1), 285. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02208-z google scholar
14. Mishra, L., Gupta, T., & Shree, A. (2020). Online teaching-learning in higher education during lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 1, 100012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yedro.2020.100012 google scholar
15. Mohmmed, A. O., Khidhir, B. A., Nazeer, A., & Vyayan, V. J. (2020). Emergency remote teaching during google scholar
16. Coronavirus pandemic: The current trend and future directive at Middle East College Oman. Springerprofessional.De. https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/emergency-remote-teaching-during-coronavirus-pandemic-the-curren/18140818 google scholar
17. Mutisya, D. N., & Makokha, G. L. (2016). Challenges affecting adoption of e-learning in public universities in Kenya. E-Learning and Digital Media, 13(3-4), 140-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753016672902 google scholar
18. Nyerere, J. (2020). Kenya’s university students and lecturers face huge challenges moving online. The Conversation. Retreived from http://theconversation.com/kenyas-university-students-and-lecturers-face-huge-challenges-moving-online-136682 google scholar
19. Özüdoğru, G. (2021). Problems faced in distance education during Covid-19 Pandemic. Participatory Educational Research, 8(4), 321-333. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.21.92.8.4 google scholar
20. Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). A Literature Review on Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning. Higher Education for the Future, 8(1), 133-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/2347631120983481 google scholar
21. Rapanta, C., Botturi, L., Goodyear, P., Guardia, L., & Koole, M. (2020). Online University Teaching During and After the Covid-19 Crisis: Refocusing Teacher Presence and Learning Activity. Postdigital Science and Education, 2(3), 923-945. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00155-y google scholar
22. Rotas, E. E., & Cahapay, M. B. (2020). Difficulties in Remote Learning: Voices of Philippine University Students in the Wake of COVID-19 Crisis. 15(2). 147-158. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4299835 google scholar
23. Rosalina, E., Nasrullah, N., & Elyani, E. (2020a). Teacher’s Challenges towards Online Learning in Pandemic Era. LET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal, 10(2), 71-88. https://doi.org/10.18592/let.v10i2.4118 google scholar
24. Roy, D. (2020, November 5). 5 problems you can face in online learning and how to deal with them. India Today. Retrieved from 31 October 2021, from https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/5-problems-you-can-face-in-online-learning-and-how-to-deal-with-them-1738361-2020-11-05 google scholar
25. Schlesselman, L. S. (2020). Perspective from a Teaching and Learning Center During Emergency Remote Teaching. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(8). ajpe8142.https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8142 google scholar
26. Sia, J.K.M., & Abbas Adamu, A. (2020). Facing the unknown: Pandemic and higher education in Malaysia. Asian Education and Development Studies, ahead-of-print. 10(2), 263-275. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-05-2020-0114 google scholar
27. Stelitano, L., Doan, S., Woo, A., Diliberti, M. K., Kaufman, J. H., & Henry, D. (2020). The Digital Divide and COVID-19: Teachers’ Perceptions of Inequities in Students’ Internet Access and Participation in Remote Learning. Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-3.html google scholar
28. The WHO Just Declared Coronavirus COVID-19 a Pandemic. (2020, March 11). Time News. Retrieved from https://time.com/5791661/who-coronavirus-pandemic-declaration/ google scholar
29. Thurab-Nkhosi, D., Maharaj, C., & Ramadhar, V. (2021). The impact of emergency remote teaching on a blended engineering course: Perspectives and implications for the future. SN Social Sciences, 1(7), 159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00172-z google scholar
30. Turugare, M., & Rudhumbu, N. (2020). Integrating technology in teaching and learning in universities in Lesotho: Opportunities and challenges. Education and Information Technologies, 25(5). 3593-3612 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-10093-3 google scholar
31. Vlachopoulos, D. (2020). COVID-19: Threat or Opportunity for Online Education? Higher Learning Research Communications, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v10i1.1179 google scholar