Introduction
Instructional technology has gained an immense prevalence in a modern, challenging educational climate shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. The wide-spreading disease has substantially altered the current teaching process with an increased shift to online education (Darby and Lang, 2019). With the high numbers of schools shut, the e-learning approach has posed critical challenges and set new educational priorities during the pandemic. In such transformative conditions, teaching is performed remotely on various digital platforms with the help of online technology, which directly establishes the future of education based on enhanced integration of information technology. With this said, it is crucial to examine one of the essential issues in information technology, which is online teaching strategies and analyze the potential ways to address them during the studies.
My Position on the Issue of Online Teaching Strategies
Online teaching plays a pivotal role in the modern educational climate due to the rapid spread of coronavirus. Therefore, e-teaching strategies are relatively new as it has been only more than a year of adapting to the online educational platforms for both students and educators. In my opinion, there is a strong correlation between the online instructors’ comfort level with a specific technology to teaching strategies required in the online environment. They include creating or uploading videos, providing online feedback, and implementing collaborative technologies. According to Sangeeta and Tandon (2020), school curriculum should be closely intertwined with ICT, and learners should be enabled to use advanced technological tools and digital resources “for creative and innovative problem solving” (p. 3). Therefore, teachers must focus on developing the digital resources maintaining and alleviating online teaching and learning, as well as the key strategies to prepare students for e-learning and assessment.
I believe that the efficient approach to online learning is defined by the successful outcomes and academic attainment of the students in the challenging context of online studies. As such, educators must demonstrate their understanding of online teaching peculiarities by applying particular strategies and the use of online technology (Albrahim, 2020). Some of the most crucial online teaching strategies encompass developing adequate instructional methods and student engagement techniques, providing appropriate guidance and support for students, and encouraging knowledge construction based on learners’ prior knowledge. Most importantly, teachers are accountable for facilitating group interaction, collaboration, and teamwork through online educational platforms and technology tools for such a new type of study. The prevailing online teaching strategies are still facing the primary concern of adapting to the new online environment and maintain the successful academic achievements of the learners. Hence, it is crucial to address this issue by adopting online technology into the e-teaching space to eliminate the key challenges and obstacles and facilitate students’ learning process.
Addressing the Issue during the Studies
The issue of e-teaching strategies reveals the strong intersection of online technology and teacher education. The purpose of incorporating online technology assets in e-teaching is to significantly impact student learning positively and provide a successful addition to the current teaching toolbox (Darby and Lang, 2019). The use of relevant software installation and technical support is essential for an efficient online course and educational attainment during my studies. Teachers must understand the benefit of applying online technology to adopt it into their teaching practice. Moreover, the outbreak of pandemics brought the opportunity to assess the efficacy of online technology and evaluate its contribution to facilitating an uninterrupted education experience. Thus, educational facilities must offer more advanced learning and teaching models with more authentic appraisals, individualized lifelong learning, and face-to-face delivery aligned with technology in a multimedia presentation format.
Furthermore, automated educational settings require increased use of online technologies to maintain effective learning and teaching and adapt to the new conditions. The adoption of online teaching was a fundamental step to exploit the potential of technology for education. The current virtual classrooms are enabled with the aid of Skype or Zoom calls; however, there is a new set of emerging online technologies expanding the power and impact of the digital world. It is important to note that big data, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the most significant educational technology trends. Additionally, Bui (2020) has defined the most recent trends in educational technology. They include eLearning, video-assisted Learning, blockchain technology, big data will get bigger, artificial intelligence, learning analytics, gamification, immersive learning with VR and AR, STEAM-based programs, and social media in education. Educational technology does not imply teachers or students becoming experts in IT; however, they need to recognize the broad spectrum of opportunities provided by the art of technology.
Conclusion
To conclude, the modern technology-dependent world keeps posing new challenges in a variety of fields, including education. The omnipresence of online technology and communication has substantially altered the structure of learning in higher education. The array of current online teaching strategies faces particular problems in providing a comfortable learning environment, which can be solved by the apt and effective implementation of online technology. Educational technology is an innovative approach to e-learning, as it delivers innovative teaching methods, advances collaborative teaching, and brings benefit to the overall teaching and learning process. Instructional technology changes the way students and educators address online studies in a meaningful way and sets a vital framework for the future of education.
References
Albrahim, F. A. (2020). Online teaching skills and competencies. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 19(1), 9–20. Web.
Bui, S. Top educational technology trends in 2020-2021. eLearning Industry. Web.
Darby, F., & Lang, J. M. (2019). Small teaching online: Applying learning science in online classes. John Wiley & Sons.
Sangeeta, G., & Tandon, U. (2020). Factors influencing adoption of online teaching by school teachers: A study during COVID‐19 pandemic. Journal of Public Affairs, e2503, 1–11.
Shenoy, V., Mahendher, S., & Vijay, N. (2020). COVID-19 lockdown technology adaption, teaching, learning, students engagement and faculty experience. Mukt Shabd Journal, 9(4), 698–702.