Pandemic ponderings, 30 years to today: synchronous signals, saviors, or survivors?

ABSTRACT

The mandate for K-12 and higher education instructors to teach online during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a wide range of experiences, preferences, challenges, complaints, and successes; especially in terms of synchronous forms of instruction. For much of 2020, many educators hesitantly and nervously transitioned to online environments while praising synchronous tools like Zoom as professional life saviors. At the same time, other instructors were admittedly in survival mode and struggling to cope with an array of online learning technology tools and features. Fortunately, many others grasped the assorted synchronous signals urging them to experiment with their instruction such as inviting expert guests and incorporating global and multicultural education. No matter the perspective, there remains a need for the rapid deployment of tutorials, best practice videos and scenarios, professional development programs, and other guidance for synchronous as well as asynchronous instruction.

KEYWORDS:

• synchronous conferencing
• multicultural education
• COVID-19
• blended learning
• remote teaching
• distance education

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Tom Reeves from The University of Georgia and Meina Zhu from Wayne State University for their wonderful feedback on earlier versions of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was declared by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Curtis J. Bonk

Curtis J. Bonk is professor of instructional systems technology at Indiana University. He is a passionate and energetic speaker, writer, educational psychologist, instructional technologist, and entrepreneur as well as a former CPA and corporate controller. He has given hundreds of keynote talks and is author/editor of a dozen books.