Introduction: A New Frontier for Higher Education

Welcome to this volume which has discussed and considered emerging approaches to teaching and learning in a COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 higher education world. The motivation for this book is the COVID-19 pandemic that has propelled higher education institutions (HEI) to rethink, redesign, and respond in real time. The dramatic closure of education institutions around the world raised several questions in terms of the adaptability and readiness of the HEI sector to adapt and respond to the changes. Since March 2020, higher education across the globe has been faced with unprecedented circumstances and challenges. The teaching and learning paradigms in higher education have been called into question as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, social distancing among people to limit the spread of the coronavirus has stimulated and quickened immense changes in the way that education is delivered in many universities and colleges around the world. Many of these pedagogical changes were unsolicited and as academics adjusted to the changes forced upon them, key pedagogical lessons are being learned.