Dr Dr Robert Hatch

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first recognised in Wuhan City, China, has spread rapidly around the world. As a result, record numbers of students are not attending University due to temporary closures mandated by governments in an attempt to reduce the number of cases. The COVID-19 outbreak has created challenges for academics and students in the process of adapting to online teaching and learning. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of bioscience academics during the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020. Perspectives from academics across eight countries (Brazil, Georgia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, UK and USA) were included giving a global insight into the phenomena. A descriptive multiple case study approach was used with each academic in their context as the case. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data, which enabled themes to emerge. Three major themes emerged from the experiences of the participants: (1) teaching methods, (2) emotions, and (3) support networks. Our results suggest there have been both benefits and challenges to the change in teaching methods and this is reflected in similarities across the case studies. One key finding was that both students and staff need to be better trained to use online platforms, and adequate peer support and technical support must be given to improve program effectiveness. The results of this study have contributed new information on teaching and learning throughout the pandemic and can be used as a platform for further research and also as a reflection for those making high-level decisions in policy in education in these interesting times.

The aim of the Foundation Year of university is to prepare students for their undergraduate study. Part of this preparation is enculturation into ways of speaking. Undergraduate study involves small group interaction in which students are expected to use educational dialogue to co-construct conceptual understanding and engage in critical thinking. In this study, we were interested in whether and to what extent Foundation Year Bioscience students used educational dialogue in problem-solving tasks. Seven groups were audio recorded during online group discussions at three points during the semester. Transcripts were analysed according to a framework of educational dialogue codes. While some groups engaged in educational dialogue, there was variability within group members, within the session and across sessions. Based on this small case study, we argue that Foundation Year teachers can support the development of students’ educational dialogue by raising metacognitive awareness of language and providing opportunities through task design. We conclude the paper with specific suggestions for classroom practice which are not restricted to Biosciences Foundation Year and relevant to all stages of university study and across disciplines.