University Teachers in a Challenging Situation

Teaching during the coronavirus-related situation
In order to secure the continuation of teaching at universities, the coronavirus crisis demanded a prompt rethinking by university teachers due to the ban on classroom teaching that has led to an immediate transition from conventional to online teaching. On the one hand, this abrupt change is associated with a certain digital and pedagogical potential for change due to the necessary adaptation efforts. On the other hand, it also poses an extraordinary organisational and pedagogical challenge. From an empirical perspective, it is therefore crucial to ask how university teachers and universities are dealing with the coronavirus-related situation against the backdrop of maintaining high quality teaching.

The transition of university teachers
Therefore, a research team at the Institute for Educational Sciences of the University of Basel, in collaboration with Eucor - The European Campus, is conducting a study among university teachers to examine the transition from conventional teaching to online teaching during the coronavirus-related educational challenges. This survey is part of a cross-cultural study comparing the short- and long-term effects of the immediate shifts and adjustments made by university teachers to teach courses in an online setting due to the lockdown of universities.

Aims of the study
The aim of this study is to observe the experiences, attitudes and needs of university teachers during the coronavirus crisis so that conclusions can be drawn for the future, which will ultimately benefit the sustainable development of digital teaching. The first, quantitative phase of the study will most likely be followed by a second, qualitative survey of university teachers. In the sense of a triangulation, this approach will lead to a multifaceted understanding of the change processes during the coronavirus crisis. Furthermore, the Institute for Educational Sciences is also committed to strengthening international relations with this project.

International Cooperation
The Institute for Educational Sciences coordinates the implementation of the study at the Eucor partner universities Haute-Alsace and Strasbourg in France and at the University of Westminster in the UK. The following CRTS (Coronavirus-Related Teaching Situation) project initiators are responsible for the intercontinental scientific cooperation (in alphabetical order of countries): C. Lion (Argentina); K. Göbel (Germany); G. Horenczyk and M. Dorfsman (Israel); E. Makarova (Switzerland) and D. Birman (USA).