Evaluating Readiness for Technology Integration in the Classroom Post-Pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, various aspects of life, such as work, school and social gatherings, have shifted to online platforms. Pervasive technologies exist to cater to this shift, and in the case of online learning, they can not only sustain but help enhance the overall experience for both students and teachers. Ubiquitous or pervasive learning occurs at any time and place of the learner’s choice whenever the need arises, using tools from everyday life such as mobile devices. This style of learning allows students and teachers to engage in the learning process at their convenience. Teachers usually prefer conducting their lessons in a face-to-face environment, but the pandemic caused them to learn how to convey concepts online using pervasive technologies. In the span of a year, teachers’ initial apprehensions and resistance to online teaching are expected to have subsided, and in this paper, a group of teachers has been surveyed to assess the extent to which their attitudes towards online teaching and ubiquitous learning have changed. In the survey, the teachers were asked which of the stated benefits of online teaching they have experienced, what issues they have faced, their willingness to adopt increasingly advanced solutions to these issues and their inclination towards online teaching as compared to face-to-face in-classroom teaching. The findings from the survey indicate that although teachers’ attitudes towards pervasive learning have changed for the better, but due to the lack of physical contact, they would still prefer in-person classes, and the paper suggests future research directions to improve this aspect of the online teaching and learning process.

I. Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many aspects of daily life including education. The world has shifted all activities from a face-to-face setting to a digital environment. Around the globe, educational institutes are facing irregular closures due to this pandemic. As a result, around 1.5 billion students and 63 million educators are left with no option other than to opt for online education [1] [2]. The digital transformation of educational activities at all levels has made it possible to incorporate new teaching-learning standards such as e-learning, ubiquitous learning and blended learning.