Is Remote Learning Here to Stay?

College of Education

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary for Georgia Southern University to change its mode of delivering instruction to what has become known as remote learning. The University has a decades-long history of providing some courses or entire programs of study, via distance education, but moving all instruction to an online delivery mode within a few weeks was a huge task. Faculty members redesigned courses; policies were adapted or created, and technology infrastructure was enhanced and supported in ways not necessary before the pandemic. Despite the enormity of the task, it was accomplished through the incredible work of the faculty, staff and administrators.

The change in delivery mode in March 2020 has been described as emergency remote teaching by many online learning scholars because of the circumstances that made it necessary, and the fact that it was meant to be temporary. Now that the initial emergency phase of the pandemic has passed,

terms like remote teaching or remote learning are becoming common as universities around the globe switch to these modes of delivery on an as-needed basis. The COVID-19 pandemic will not last forever, but is remote learning here to stay? The short answer is “yes.”

Remote learning skills, knowledge and infrastructure were developed as an institution in response to COVID-19 and they continue to be refined. We cannot view the world as we did prior to March 2020. Even before 2020, there was a need for continuity of instruction plans due to weather events like the hurricanes that closed our campus in recent years. Remote learning is now part of our institutional capacity. We must retain the ability to be flexible and responsive by utilizing remote learning when needed. We just hope it is not needed often.

— Charles B. Hodges, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Leadership, Technology and Human Development