Tech Tools for Remote Teaching: Analyzing the Process of Using Viable Technologies to Facilitate Emergency Remote Teaching in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era Free

Lockee (2021) observed that online education has traditionally been viewed as an alternative pathway that is particularly well suited to adult learners seeking higher education opportunities. However, continued Lockee (2021), the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic required educators and students across all lev-

els of education to adapt quickly to virtual courses. In some cases, instruction shifted online, then returned to the physical classroom, and then shifted back online due to further surges in the rate of infection. In other cases, instruction was offered using a combination of remote and face-to-face delivery: students can attend online or in person (referred to as the HyFlex model4). In either case, instructors just had to figure out how to make it work, considering the affordances and constraints of the specific learning environment to create learning experiences that were feasible and effective (Lockee, 2021). According to Martin et al. (2017), crucial to delivering a quality online learning experience is having standards, ensuring there is instructional design, development, and analysis, and having faculty and student support. Additionally, timely and constructive feedback between students and instructors enhances the instructors’ skills and students‚ learning (Al-Bashir E. et al., 2016), and critical feedback enhances students‚ engagement with their facilitators.

One area which is crucial in the transformation to online distance learning is educational policy and planning (Bates & Sangra, 2011). Levy (2013) extended this view to point out that skilled leaders should implement policies to govern the educational systems and to support pedagogical awareness surrounding learning. Educational policy and planning include policies such as staff training and support, student services, and student training and support. These policies will aid the smooth transition of achieving goals and objectives in unforeseen circumstances. As Lockee (2021) observed, the COVID-19 pandemic is also likely to have a lasting effect on lesson design. The constraints of the pandemic provided an opportunity for educators to consider new strategies to teach targeted concepts. Though rethinking instructional approaches were forced and hurried, the experience has served as a rare chance to reconsider strategies that best facilitate learning within the affordances and constraints of the online context.

A study by Khalil et al. (2020) at the College of Medicine and medical sciences in Saudi Arabia involved using several strategies for teaching in the COVID-19 era. The methods included lectures, case discussions, 4-box case analyses, clinical case discussions, online seminars, and dry labs (online laboratory demonstrations). The most significant proportion was covered through lectures, which was about 60%, while case discussions (including 4-box case analysis and clinical case discussions) consisted of 20%, online seminars consisted of 10%, and dry laboratories made up about 10% of courses. A qualitative study was designed to assess the effectiveness of these techniques and the barriers to medical students‚ engagement in online learning. The foremost goal of this exploratory study was to determine medical students‚ perceptions and satisfaction levels regarding synchronous online learning methods implemented in courses during their second semester as an emergency intervention during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study employed an online focus group qualitative design. Results indicated that the online modality was well received, and all participants agreed that online sessions were timesaving and that their performance was improved due to the enhanced utility of time. However, the researchers indicated some challenges, including methodological, content perception, technical, and behavioral challenges during sessions and online examinations. Interestingly, most preclinical students preferred online learning for the upcoming academic years.

As seen in the work of B. F. Skinner in the 1950s, the use of varied delivery modes has a long history in education. Mechanical (and then later electronic) teaching machines have, since the 19th century, provided individualized learning programs. Skinner proposed using technology to walk individual learners through carefully designed sequences of instruction with immediate feedback indicating the accuracy of their response. According to Lockee (2021), Skinner‚s notions formed the first formalized representations of programmed learning or designed learning experiences. This trend was followed by the work of Fred Keller in the 1960s, who developed a personalized system of instruction in which students first read assigned course materials on their own, followed by one-on-one assessment sessions with a tutor, gaining permission to move ahead only after demonstrating mastery of the instructional material. Occasional class meetings were held to discuss concepts, answer questions, and provide opportunities for social interaction. A personalized system of instruction was designed on the premise that initial engagement with content could be done independently, then discussed and applied in the social context of a classroom. These predecessors to contemporary online education leveraged key principles of instructional designy- the systematic process of applying psychological principles of human learning to create effective instructional solutions-to consider which methods (and their corresponding learning environments) would effectively engage students to attain the targeted learning outcomes.

A study conducted at a college of medicine in the Middle East explored undergraduate medical students‚ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of synchronized online learning at the college during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized virtual focus group discussions synchronously and a discussion guide consisting of seven open-ended questions. Overall, 60 medical students were recruited using a maximum variation sampling technique. Results yielded a thematic content analysis that yielded four core themes: Educational impact, time management, challenges encountered, and preferences for the future. The online modality was well received, and all participants agreed that online sessions were timesaving and that their performance was improved due to enhanced utility of time; however, they indicated that they encountered some challenges, including methodological, content perception, technical, and behavioral challenges during sessions and online exams. Most of the preclinical students preferred online learning for the upcoming academic years.

All in all, synchronized online classes were well accepted by medical students, representing significant and promising potential for the future of medical education. The principles of the online learning model and learning outcomes should be rigorously and regularly evaluated to monitor its effectiveness. One outstanding pro that students reported was that recorded online lectures were of great help as they would teach them as many times as needed in their own time (Khalil et al., 2020).

According to Guo et al. (2014), educators have been recording instructional videos for nearly as long as the format has existed. In the past decade, though, free online video hosting services such as YouTube have enabled people to disseminate instructional videos at scale. A study on using video for remote teaching showed that shorter videos are much more engaging than longer ones. Results further showed that informal talking-head videos are more engaging and that videos that intersperse an instructor‚s talking head with slides are more engaging than slides alone. Findings also indicated that even high-quality prerecorded classroom lectures might not make for engaging online videos and that students engage differently with lecture and tutorial videos (Guo et al., 2014).

The literature indicates that the emergence of COVID-19 has made teaching and learning technologies in higher education more valuable than ever. Faculty members have had to identify numerous technology tools to facilitate online teaching and learning. It is clear from the literature that it has not merely been a matter of employing various tools but carefully identifying the right tech tools for the right teaching and learning contexts. Interestingly, in the postpandemic era and beyond, lesson design seems to have a lasting effect with new, technology-enabled strategies being implemented, thereby defining the future of teaching and learning.

A state university in the Southwest embarked on a transitioning initiative aimed at repurposing traditional courses to remote teaching in response to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) was charged with overseeing the transition. With COVID cases on the rise in the United States, and no vaccines ready, faculty members had to quickly transition to teaching online. Some had taught online before, while a significant number had never taught online. CETL offered crash programs to faculty members who needed training to teach online for the first time. Faculty members also worked with CETL to help identify various technology applications that would help them facilitate remote teaching in varying contexts. As courses went live online, naturally, issues patterning to using technology tools would arise, and faculty members would reach out to their designated instructional designers, who would work with them to resolve such issues.

Against this background, this study aimed to analyze the process through which faculty members at a state university in the Southwest of the United States underwent as they transitioned from traditional classroom teaching to remote teaching. Specifically, the study analyzed the process of implementing technology tools that facilitated online teaching in synchronous and asynchronous contexts. The study identified which technology tools faculty members found viable and implemented, the issues the implementation of the tools brought about, and how these issues were resolved.

1. What tech tools did the faculty implement to facilitate remote teaching in synchronous and asynchronous contexts?

2. What issues arose as faculty members implemented a variety of tech tools for remote teaching, and how were arising technology issues resolved? Going forward, what implications did the whole transition process have on teaching?

The study employed qualitative content analysis to collect data. Content analysis examines text and images to identify messages and meanings (Hartley & Morphew, 2008; Krippendorff, 2013). A more modern definition of content analysis is “a research method for the subjective interpretation of the content of text data through the systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes or patterns” (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005, p. 1278). Krippendorff (2013) stated that content analysis is often used to explore trends, patterns, and differences among similar components. Again, Fraenkel and Wallen (2015) argued that one of the primary reasons for using content analysis is to formulate themes out of large amounts of descriptive information and obtain information useful in solving educational problems. In this study, the content of 120 online courses taught for 1 year was analyzed for issues that instructors encountered. These courses were taught synchronously and asynchronously.

Research Question 1: What tech tools did faculty implement to facilitate remote teaching in synchronous and asynchronous contexts?

Results indicated that faculty members successfully implemented various technology tools for remote teaching. While some popular tools like the Zoom and Canvas Studio applications were already embedded within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) by the Center for Excellence in Teaching, faculty members also went further to identify more tools that facilitated remote teaching. As pointed out earlier, these tools either facilitated asynchronous or synchronous teaching. Tools that faculty members implemented to facilitate remote teaching were but were not limited to: video creation applications, such as Canvas Studio, Zoom recording, Edpuzzle, and Youtube; research tools, such as Wakelet, Turnitin, and Upswing; and formative assessment tools, such as Kahoot and Quizizz. Faculty members also employed design tools such as Canva, PbWorks, and Story Jumper. Communication and Learning Software was also used, and examples included Flip, Seesaw, and Remind. Collaborative tools such as Google Suite and Quizlet were also employed to facilitate remote teaching with Google sites, such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, Google Jamboard, and Google Classroom.

Canvas Learning Management System allowed Instructors to add much depth to courses using various tools. The LMS has various navigation tools and applications that work from within, such as Scheduler, Doc Viewer, Speed Grader, Studio, Big Blue Button, and others. Canvas Studio, for example, enabled the recording of how-to videos and lectures from which students benefited immensely.

Zoom recording, on the other hand, facilitated the recording of lectures or presentations for students to review or for absent students. It did help students who needed repeated lessons and those who could make it to class. Edpuzzle allowed instructors to create questions within a video, whether others or the teacher created the video. Video could be extracted from YouTube or other websites. YouTube itself proved to be an excellent source for videos explaining the content. Instructors used it to turn student- created videos into assignments as links.

Faculty members also used Wakelet, allowing for notetaking and saving resources in presentations and projects. This tool was beneficial for keeping everything in one space. Turnitin was also widely used to check plagiarism in student work submitted through Canvas Dropbox. Upswing was also used a lot by students on the recommendation of their instructors. It is a subscription-based help center for writing and other subjects. It gave students access to real people who gave them feedback or help with assignments as subscriptions allowed. The use of this tool gave students a very worthwhile experience.

Kahoot, a game-based formative assessment software, allowed students (in a group) to review or test on subjects created by their instructor or from a vast database of shared assessments. Another game-based tool that some instructors used was Quizizz. A formative assessment tool that allowed students to take assessments individually without seeing questions in a group. Questions could then be arranged in a random order for each student.

The application Canva was also used by instructors and proved a powerful design tool for creating fliers, brochures, invitations, newsletters, infographics, and more. Students used it to create newsletters and infographics collaboratively. PbWorks, a website creation software, was also employed in remote teaching and learning. It allowed the creation of several free web pages for educational purposes. It allowed students to upload files, edit appearances, post links, and text, and share website links with others. Another design tool used by instructors was Story Jumper, which allowed students to create an online storybook. Students found it easy to use; it had many options for creating a book, as well as an audio or voice version of the book, which students could share with other students.

Flip, a free video response tool, was used by faculty members and encouraged online collaboration. This application allowed students to record a minute-and-a-half video responding to a prompt or another student‚s video. Another helpful tool that was widely used was Remind. It could streamline students‚ needs to instructor‚s text messaging without giving their numbers to students. From experience, faculty members using this application found out that email could be overwhelming sometimes, so questions coming through to a cell phone also worked better.

Faculty members also used Google Suite to facilitate remote teaching. The suite was good for collaboration while holding both synchronous and asynchronous classes. Google Docs and slides were used to create presentations, collaborate, brainstorm, and create Google Classrooms where classmates could participate. Google Jamboard was exceptionally impressive. It allowed instructors to share a virtual whiteboard with a student, and both could work on it, to go over problems or show examples. Finally, Quizlet was also used and proved to be an excellent tool for assessment and review in the classroom. Virtual classrooms were more dependent on these online tools. Students used it to collaborate on flashcards, so it became a better tool for use in synchronous and asynchronous environments.

Research Question 2: What issues arose as faculty members implemented various tech tools for remote teaching, and how were emerging technology issues resolved?

As faculty members implemented these tech tools, issues would arise, and they had to work with a designated teaching and learning coordinator (instructional design specialist) to help them resolve such issues.

Students reported one outstanding issue while using the official University Learning Management System, Canvas. The variety of navigation from course to course could sometimes be confusing. Students were encouraged to continue using the system daily to master navigation quickly. Again, with Canvas Studio, a video technology tool embedded within Canvas, students found it difficult to place their recorded videos on a different page within the course.

By allowing students who did not want to attend a synchronous class session a way to get access to a lecture or presentation, Zoom recording discouraged participation. Recordings also took a long time to download sometimes, depending on lecture length. Ed Puzzle, on the other hand, posed issues with the Gradebook portion, which did not work well with some online environments. The instructor had to reinsert videos each semester to allay these shortcomings. Issues with YouTube included advertisements sometimes not being appropriate for class and somewhat becoming a waste of time when delivering content. Also, the limit of 15 minutes for any video uploaded to YouTube without a subscription was a shortcoming. With Wakelet, its interface kept changing, so it often looked different than the previous time it was used, and that would confuse students. On the other hand, Turnitin, if used more than once on the same paper, the plagiarism checker would sometimes warn that plagiarism had been detected when it had not. Again, as helpful as Upswing was, the only real drawback was that it is subscription based.

To use Kahoot, a user is supposed to have a digital device to play the game, but it could be a computer or portable device. Again, many of the options available on Kahoot are only allowed with a subscription. The Quizizz application, on the other hand, posed issues that included instructors not being able to stop on questions that students found difficult to clarify. Instead, explanations would take place after a quiz was complete. With the Canva tool, there was always a charge for using elements on the website. Again, the PbWorks tool posed a challenge because it is not searchable, and finding students‚ websites without a direct link was impossible. Again, Story Jumper always provided a cost for downloading the book once it was built within the tool.

The communication tool, Flip, posed issues in a way that students did not like to take videos of themselves, but then that became less of an issue with the proliferation of Generation Z. With the tool, Remind, it was difficult for instructors who do not like texting to like this communication tool. Also, when a phone is updated, a user has to be cognizant that they are still getting messages because it could disconnect the phone number from the application.

Last but not least, with a collaborative tool such as Google suite, the main issue was that the University is not a Google institution. Nevertheless, students were able to use it. To that end, it must be pointed out that there are additional benefits to being a Google institution. Finally, Quizlet presented several steps to go through in creating a collaborative assignment, which could be more straightforward.

Going forward, while it was at first a seemingly challenging task for faculty members to identify and employ a variety of technology tools that they had never utilized prior to the pandemic, the need justified the end. The propensity due to the emergency brought out a lot of courage and determinism and made instructors adventurous, which significantly paid off. Very useful applications were used, and these tools will continue to be helpful in the future. Also, faculty members reluctant to teach online due to the disinclination to embrace new technologies greatly benefited. They would come to the forefront, utilizing available technology tools to facilitate online teaching and learning.

It must also be pointed out that the issues brought about using new, somewhat challenging technology tools would prove to be beneficial because the input provided by instructional designers to resolve such issues helped the users to master them across different teaching and learning contexts, and that would prove its worth going forward. Going by the observation by Mohammed et al. (2020), due to the urgency and utmost priority brought about by emergency remote teaching, the situation provided reliable, temporary, fast, and durable access to the instruction and instructional, which culminated in unintended benefits for faculty members in online teaching in general. Thus, the benefits reaped because of an emergency like COVID-19, and the need to transition to online teaching would form a solid basis for improving technology tool utilization to respond to future emergencies and in regular online teaching and learning.