I am pleased to present the 23(1)st issue of the Journal of IT Case and Application Research. This is a special issue on online education and is co-edited by Dr. Shailendra Palvia and Dr. Vic Matta. This special issue is dedicated to analyzing the evolution of traditional in-class education toward blended, hybrid, flipped, synchronous online, asynchronous online, and combinations thereof, the pace of which has been accelerated by the pandemic Covid-19.
The contents of this issue are as follows. The Editorial Preface article is written by Dr. Bhavik Pathak and Dr. Shailendra Palvia. The first research article is coauthored by Dr. Sumedha Chauhan, Dr. Parul Gupta, Dr. Shailendra Palvia, and Dr. Mahadeo Jaiswal, while the second research article is coauthored by Dr. Anahita Sanandaji and Dr. Saeed Ghanbartehrani. Expert Opinion report is written by Dr. Shailendra Palvia, and the Book Review is presented by Dr. Vic Matta. Summary information on these items is as follows. Co-editors are allowed to get their articles reviewed for possible publication in a Special Issue. However, the double-blind review process for such articles is completely handled by the EIC (Editor) for full integrity.
In the editorial preface article titled, “Taxonomy of higher education delivery modes: A conceptual framework,” the authors focus on how the education landscape has changed almost overnight from the in-person mode to online due to the onslaught of the ongoing pandemic, Covid-19. It discusses how the increased dependence on online platforms for course management and video conferencing requires these systems to be as seamless, user friendly, and inclusive as possible. The article provides a taxonomy of various higher education delivery modes along the dimensions of efficacy and efficiency. The article calls for establishing a “gold-standard” for online classes, serving as a benchmark for fully or partially online classes.
The first research article is titled, “Information technology transforming higher education: A meta-analytic review.” The research study based on a meta-analytic review of 72 quantitative peer-reviewed articles investigates how contextual factors of learning environment, the field of study, intervention period, and application type moderate the IT’s impact on learning outcomes in higher education.
The second research article is titled “An evaluation of online flipped instruction methods during the Covid-19 pandemic.” The research paper presents a novel framework to transform face-to-face classes into online flipped instruction for Information Systems (IS) courses. According to the authors, the proposed framework uniquely combines a backward design approach with flipped classroom methodology customized for online education. The framework was successfully applied to the IS courses offered in two colleges in a public university in the US during the Covid-19 period. The study measured the online flipped course elements’ effectiveness based on the students’ feedback and developed design considerations and teaching tips to be used during and after the Covid-19 era.
The Expert Opinion report narrates an interview with Shekhar Chandra, leadership consultant with YouLEAD and President of SolveitNOW. Shekhar Chandra was nominated for the WEF (World Economic Forum) Tech Pioneers award in 2008 for creating proprietary technologies in Personalized Contextual Web Search and Mobile Transliteration Technologies. In the interview, Shekhar Chandra provides insight into how the value proposition of SolveitNOW improved due to the elevation of online education as the new norm due to the ongoing pandemic Covid-19.
The book review report provides a detailed critique of the 2016 book titled “Teaching in the Online Classroom: Surviving and Thriving in the New Normal,” authored by Doug Lemov and the Teach Like a Champion™ team, and published by Jossey Bass. Dr. Matta suggests that the book provides helpful suggestions for effective online education. He further suggests that the book makes home the point that it is critical to align the in-person education style with the content in the online environment. For effective teaching, in this new online-only world, relationships are built first and foremost through effective teaching. The goal is not that the students love their teachers but that they love learning with their teachers.
The special issue is packed with valuable guidance on how to adapt to the new-normal forced upon us by the pandemic Covid-19. I hope you will enjoy reading all the items in this issue.
With best regards,
Sincerely