As educators around the world respond to the challenges created by COVID-19, the Brock Education Journal has released a special issue exploring the impact of the pandemic on education and innovative strategies to help educators adapt.
Trevor Norris, Editor-in-Chief of the journal and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, saw an opportunity for Brock researchers and experts to contribute to the response in education at all levels.
“It became clear that our faculty members had considerable expertise and were innovative at finding ways to adjust and adapt to COVID, even in those fields that might seem especially hard to transition,” said Norris, who added that there are few academic papers available about education during a pandemic.
Pandemic Pedagogy: Innovative Strategies for Uncertain Times features articles with suggested pedagogical strategies can be put into practice quickly to help educators improve teaching and learning for students during COVID-19 and beyond. Topics include teaching subjects like math and physical education online, strategies for effective digital learning, and the impact of technology on assessment strategies. Because the Brock Education Journal is an open-access journal, the special issues can be accessed for free by teachers.
As well as articles with practical applications, the issue also contains some thought-provoking discussions around deeper questions about education in the present and possibilities for education in a post-pandemic world.
With the response to COVID evolving rapidly over the spring and summer, Norris and the editorial team had to move quickly.
“The timeline was incredibly tight,” said Norris, who aimed to have the issue available in time for the fall following a call for papers in early June.
The issue was published just over three months from the call for papers. While the quick turnaround meant articles were shorter than usual, each still went through a double-blind review process and multiple stages of revisions.
“Everyone worked hard to meet the deadlines in recognition of the urgency of the topic and need for scholarly analysis and commentary,” said Norris. “All of the authors in the issue are Brock faculty, staff and graduate students, making the issue a true community effort.”
As well as providing immediate expertise and strategies for educators, Norris hopes the issue will capture this unique period of time for the future.
“These are extraordinary times,” said Norris. “One day we will look back on it and a document like this special issue will be very helpful not only to those of us trying to find our way in the present, but also provide a window into our strange times and how we found our way through it.”
