Abstract:
Closed campuses, working remotely, and physical distancing have changed the way we work, teach, learn, shop, attend conferences, and interact with family and friends. But the Covid-19 pandemic has not changed what we know about creating high-end online education. Two decades of research has shown that online education often fails to fulfill its promise, and the emergency shift to remote instruction has, for many, justified their distrust and dislike of online learning. Low interactivity remains a widely recognized short-coming of current online offerings. Low interactivity results, in part, from many faculty not feeling comfortable being themselves online. The long-advocated for era of authentic assessments is needed now more than ever. Finally, greater support is needed for both underrepresented students and for faculty to move beyond basic online instruction to create a strong continuum of care between the teaching and learning environment and the student support infrastructure. For those who have been long-term champions of online education, it has never been more important to confront the three biggest challenges that continue to haunt online education – interactivity, authenticity, and support. Only by confronting these challenges squarely can instructors, educational developers, and their institutions take huge steps towards better online instruction in the midst of a pandemic and make widespread, high-quality online education permanently part of the “new normal.”
These days, great edtech leaders need to put many of those Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills to work as they should possess a digital presence as well. Great edtech leaders stay current in their field and have a view towards the future knowing what is coming next in educational technology so to prepare students for the world they are growing up in.
Currently, educators need to prepare students today for jobs that do not even exist yet and doing so requires appropriate tools. Knowing which tools are best to use and how to use them is the responsibility of all educators but educators need to get their guidance from their edtech leaders. A great edtech leader, therefore, needs to be part of a Professional Learning Network (PLN) in order to stay current. Great edtech leaders need social skills in order to do this well. Being part of a PLN requires many of the EIs mentioned above.