University teaching and learning in a time of social distancing: A sociocultural perspective

ABSTRACT

The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has challenged every aspect of our “normal” lives. COVID-19 requires us to make behavioral and attitudinal changes to coexist with the coronavirus. Universities have been affected substantially, and online teaching and learning have become the “new normal.” The strategies to achieve this “new normal” and how they are received depend on the sociocultural context. This preliminary qualitative inquiry explores how, during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, university teaching and learning were maintained and social distancing became a learning opportunity. The voices of first-year graduate students in this inquiry enable us to understand the dynamics of their responses and show their resilience, particularly their ability to turn challenges into creative opportunities. The implications are that shared values and beliefs will help us to get through this crisis together, and collective action will help us to continue to move forward.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• social distancing
• higher education
• online teaching
• social connection
• cultural differences

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Sharon Lynn Bear, PhD., for invaluable discussions and feedback on the manuscripts.

Declaration of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest for this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 19K20912 and 20K02180.