Editorial Overview

In the past two years, most K-12 and higher education systems have had to transition from F2F instructional systems to online learning systems. This paradigm shift required both instructional designers and teachers to design and test new online systems and attend professional development programs to learn how to use the new systems. The first three papers of this issue of the journal deal with three of the challenges that made this transition difficult and challenging. We also conclude this issue of JETS with a book review entitled: “Online Learning: The Student Experience “. This research-based book also provides many thoughtful and insightful suggestions for enhancing the paradigm shift.

In the lead paper, the authors report on the research that explored the experiences of instructional designers [IDs] and faculty who field tested the new online learning models. The authors characterized the IDs and faculty as first responders of the pandemic crisis who developed new models and approaches for distance learning as a replacement for pre-pandemic F2F learning environments. Four research questions are explored. However, the fourth question: What are the future implications to teaching and learning arising from the pandemic crisis? is the most significant one.

The next two papers deal with two other concerns of the transition from F2F to online instruction. The second paper focuses on the need to provide online systems with teaching presence that is normally provide in F2F classrooms. Certainly, future post pandemic learning systems can provide teaching presence via blended systems. The paper also explores how social and cognitive presence can be integrated into online systems.

The third paper focuses on the design and student use of teacher feedback. This study dealt with the how the technology-mediated systems are affecting the feedback process. The research data showed that only a limited number of students viewed and responded to the feedback. The study also explored the reasons for lack of usage of the feedback and ways of ameliorating the problem.

The next paper explores the following research questions that relate to the use and benefits of storytelling in online learning systems:

How is digital storytelling a modern reincarnation of traditional storytelling?

The next two papers focus on the impacts of and external influences on the new online learning systems. The fifth paper deals with the negative impacts on parents of elementary school students. The focus is on assessment of the stress and anxiety levels of parents caused by the online classes of their elementary school children. The study found that parents experienced mild to moderate levels of anxiety most of the time. The paper also suggested ways of addresses the problem.

In the last article, the authors use the scoping review process to examine the extent and nature of scholarship on adolescent out of school media information literacy published in leading literacy and educational technology journals. The objective is to identify themes and propose ways the two disciplines can work together to inform future research.

We conclude this issue of JETS with a book review by Co-Editor, Prof Lori Scarlatos, who found that the book “Learning Online: The Student Experience” is one of the best online books to be published in the past two years. This book is mest reading for instructional designers and online professors.