After the Virus: Disaster Capitalism, Digital Inequity, and Transformative Education for the Future of Schooling

The 2020 COVID-19 disaster triggered an educational crisis in the United States, deeply exacerbating the inequities present in education as schools went online. This primary impact may not be the only one, however: literature describes a secondary impact of such disasters through “disaster capitalism,” in which the private sector captures the public resources of disaster-struck communities for profit. In response to these warnings, we ask how schools, families, and communities can counteract disaster capitalism for educational equity. To address this question, we first synthesize a critical framework for analyzing digital inequity in education. We then dissect the strategies disaster capitalism uses to attack the school-family-community relationship and exacerbate digital inequity in “normal” times as well as during crises. Employing the notion of community funds of knowledge, we next examine the resources schools, families, and communities can mobilize against disaster capitalism and digital inequity. Finally, guided by the concepts of generative change and transformative learning, we consider actionable practices of countering disaster capitalism for a transformative education.

Coping with Education during Lockdowns amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of Corona Virus disease (COVID-19) in China in December 2019 has rapidly morphed into an unprecedented health, economic and educational crisis globally. This study focuses on tertiary students’ perspectives on Emergency Remote Learning (ERT) amidst COVID-19 Pandemic. The schools in Fiji closed its doors to face-to-face classes on 20th March, 2020 and tertiary institutes followed suit. This study was conducted to establish how tertiary students were coping with online learning at a university in Fiji. Subsequently, telephone interviews were held as it was most appropriate method at this time of lock down and social distancing amidst COVID 19 Pandemic. A meta-synthesis methodology was also adopted for this study and pertinent literature was visited to capture the essence of continued learning during these unprecedented times. Findings reveal that students were slowly adapting to online learning or E-Learning. Findings also reveal that lack of gadgets like laptops and desktops were major issues faced by the students. This is followed by lack of access to high quality internet and connectivity problems followed by lack of confidence in using online learning platforms. This exploratory paper proposes that students need to be well versed with technology and technological gadgets to enhance learning especially during these exceptional times.

Meaningful Learning Experiences in Everyday Life During Pandemics. A Qualitative Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the lives of people all over the world. In particular, an unprecedented educational crisis has occurred due to the circumstances of physical distancing and remote learning. This article focuses specifically on the meaningful learning experiences in the everyday lives of adolescents during the pandemic. 72 meaningful learning experiences were identified from 11 participants who recorded their specific learning experiences for a week by a means of a journal recorded by themselves. A content analysis was undertaken in order to identify the ecology (what, how, where, and who with) of the different learning experiences. The results show a prevalence of personal and conceptual learning, a presence of both formal and specifically informal, everyday activities among the meaningful learning experiences detected, the importance of peers, teacher and “learning experiences while alone,” and the use of digital technologies as learning resources; they also reveal the assistance of others in the learning process. The main contribution of this study illustrates how students in everyday life during pandemics are involved in a whole range of different activities both at school and at home.

A look at the global educational crisis through the lens of experience of the history of science. Part II. The structure of general education content

Introduction. The first part of this work is devoted to the examination of the scientific knowledge structure as a three-level scheme of its division (the field of phenomena of nature, laws of nature and the field of symmetry principles), wherein each next level provides the previous one with its structure. According to V. S. Lednev’s approach, scientific knowledge is a determinant of the general education content. Therefore, the general education content structure requires to be revised as well. Aim. The aim of the current study is the determination of a needed alteration of the general education structure corresponding to integrative trends, which have been registered in the process of formation of the scientific knowledge new structure.Methodology and research methods. The methodology of the study is based on the ideology of F. Klein (the Erlangen programme) and the ideas of E. Wigner about the levels of division of the scientific knowledge field (the totality of these ideas allows using them as a tool for description of the scientific knowledge structure and, consequently, of the structure of the education content, the determinant whereof it is); on the personal-activity approach developed by V. S. Lednev for the analysis of the structure of the education content, and on the approaches to description of the behaviour of complex systems on the base of regular laws established by synergetics.Results and scientific novelty. A new element, specifically “Structure of scientific knowledge (symmetry)” through line, is proposed for introducing into the general education content structure. Its function is the global integration of subject-based through lines of the general education. On this basis, it is possible to optimise the content of education that balances the process of differentiation within scientific knowledge. It allows solving one of the topical issues of the global educational crisis related to the constant growth of the scientific knowledge volume and fragmentation thereof. The present paper takes into consideration that certain features of sporadic formation of such a new element of the education content structure take place. Among them, one can mention the attempts to launch “Concepts of the Modern Natural Science” and “Scientific World View” courses, discussion of possibilities to use synergetics in pedagogy and active discussion of use of the ideas of symmetry within various disciplines – from humanitarian to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The perspectives of further development of formulated ideas about the scientific knowledge structure and the general education content structure in light of trends in STEM are also discussed.Practical significance. The ideas about “Structure of scientific knowledge (symmetry)” through line will be utilised for task-oriented revision and re-distributing of the content of subject-based through lines of the general education with the aim of its optimisation, taking into account the highest level of the scientific knowledge integration, which was formed in the course of the evolution thereof.

Good Vibes Only

We live in a period when schools are involuntarily closed; human life gradually slowed down and came to a halt due to a pandemic, but distance education is already underway. While some higher education institutions have been struggling to meet distance education, the ones that have currently provided distance education in many parts of the world continued to maintain their existing educational systems in the time of the pandemic. In this connection, the central objective of this paper is to explore how online solutions and attempts have been defined under the term of “emergency remote education” since the first outbreak of the pandemic and how pandemic pedagogy during COVID-19 has contributed to emergency remote education and online education both in the world and specifically in Turkey. As there has been a gradual shift in higher education lately, this chapter is a response to educational crisis specifically for English teaching and learning at a distance from a positive perspective.

Engaging Education: The Foundation for Wellbeing and Academic Achievement

In a world of educational crisis, students who lack engagement and feel bored at school might not pursue further education when given opportunities to leave school. In the twenty-first century, there is a need for lifelong learners and it is therefore essential to focus on optimising education. How do we support deep learning and application of knowledge? How do we support student motivation for learning? How do we engage students in learning activities? How do we make students thrive in schools and learning activities? This chapter offers possible answers to these questions. The chapter starts by introducing important elements of learning and a framework for optimising education and engaging the students. Next, the PERMA model for optimising wellbeing for students is presented, and finally the two frameworks are combined to create thriving learners by focusing on active, involving, and engaging learning in combination with a focus on wellbeing.