Editorial

Abstract

The nine articles in the special issue highlight two main issues related to the pandemic- induced experimentation in teaching and learning: As indicated by the diversity of the authors’ physical locations, COVID and emergency-remote teaching affected HEIs at a nearly global scale. Authors in this issue come from European countries (Switzerland, Germany), North America (the USA) as well as the southern hemisphere (South Africa). Given the breadth of COVID-related (change) experiences, the insights presented in this issue can be relevant to many HEIs across the globe, notwithstanding their cultural and institutional specificities. In addition, and of high relevance to us, the articles collected here focus both on different positions or roles (students, faculty, management) as well as on different levels of teaching and learning in higher education (teaching and learning, curricular or institutional levels). While most contributions focus on the student experience during COVID, others investigate faculty/instructors’ perspectives including faculty development. Yet another group takes a more systemic, institutional point of view. It could be argued that higher-education research takes up a multi-level perspective when exploring change and the new normal.