COVID-19: Higher Education challenges and responses |
The International Association of Universities continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation globally.
The Second Global Survey on the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education is now online! We invite universities and other higher education institutions to participate in this initiative and, in doing so, help drive positive change in the field.
Below are resources pages compiled by IAU, offering information about latest developments regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on universities, recommendations and initiatives, opportunities to engage or exchange, and a selection of recent country-based and international news items on the subject.
IAU has published two reports on the impact of COVID-19:
IAU also published a joint paper in collaboration with the Erasmus Student Network on COVID-19 Impact on Higher Education: Institutional and Students Perspectives.
HEIs and organisations from around the world engaged in developing responses to COVID-19 are invited to share these through this channel as well.
Contact: [email protected] and [email protected].
Follow us on Twitter @IAU_IAU and tweet about your institution/organization’s initiatives to fight COVID-19 using: #IAUcovid19
On this page, please find some of the recommendations for higher education institutions to carry on with teaching and learning activities during this socio-economic, cultural and health crisis and also on how to address the future.
UNESCO
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United Nations launches the UN Secretary-General Policy Brief ‘Education during COVID-19 and beyond’(August, 2020). | OECD has released Education Responses to COVID-19: Implementing a Way Forward. The paper proposes a framework and recommendations to help governments form and implement strategy for education responses to COVID-19 (July, 2020). | World Bank published the report The COVID-19 Pandemic: Shocks to Education and Policy Responses (July, 2020). |
INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
In this tab you will find information on how organizations monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the higher education community. A selection of survey reports on the impact of COVID-19 is also presented.
MONITORING BY MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS
UNESCO
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Council of Europe has published the book Higher education’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic - Building a more sustainable and democratic future. The book describes the various ways in which higher education is responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Secretary General, Hilligje van’t Land, is co-author of one of the chapters (2021). | World Bank traces in real time->https://www.worldbank.org/en/data/interactive/2020/03/24/world-bank-education-and-covid-19] the closure of schools by country and proposes key resources to address the health crisis. | World Economic Forum analyses how COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transformation of higher education. |
MONITORING BY INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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Agence universitaire de la francophonieproduces a weekly update monitoring publications related to the pandemic from higher education and partners of the AUF; and also monitors the actions of its members and partners in response to COVID-19. | Asian Development Bank has published Online Learning in Sri Lanka’s Higher Education Institutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic (September, 2020). | Asociación Colombiana de Universidades monitors the actions carried out by its member universities to alleviate the effects of COVID-19. | American Council on Education shares information and resources relating to COVID-19. |
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Association of African Universities offers a resource page to help higher education institutions plan for possible campus disruption by COVID-19. | Association of International Educators, NAFSA shares a Coronavirus Critical Resources document focus on international educators and students in United States of America. | Association of Pacific Rim Universities has made available a web page including links to members’ websites stating their policies and the actions they are taking to face the current health crisis. | Association of Universities in the Netherlands shares updates on changes within universities and the higher education system in the Netherlands in relation to COVID-19. |
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Boston College Center for International Higher Education has published a Special Issue of its International Higher Education quarterly publication on the many challenges relating to the COVID-19 crisis. | eLearning Africa and the EdTech Hub has published a report The Effect of Covid-19 on Education in Africa and its Implications for the Use of Technology. | International Sciences Council and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis launched a Consultative Science Platform in 2020 to examine how to design sustainable pathways during the COVID-19 recovery period and beyond. The results of this initiative have been published in a synthesis report with eight key recommendations, and four thematic reports on the policy choices needed to move towards a stronger and more sustainable long-term future. | Lumina Foundation launches the publication COVID’s Lessons for Global Higher Education Coping with the Present while Building a More Equitable Future (November, 2020). |
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Quality and Qualifications Ireland has released the report A QQI Evaluation of the Impact of the COVID-19 Modifications to Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education (HE) in Ireland (August, 2020). | Russian International Affairs Council has published the report The Response of Higher Education Systems and National Governments to the Pandemic. The report analyzes the consequences of the pandemic for the development of higher education in the world, as well as the reactions of higher education systems in response to the emerging challenges and threats (January, 2021). | System of State Universities of Oaxaca has released the book: Pandemic: The Catastrophic Crisis (in Spanish and English). The work is coordinated by Dr. Modesto Seara Vázquez and constitutes an analysis of the pandemic, within the framework of what is considered to be a major systemic crisis (January, 2021). | University Affairs Canada publishes regular updates on the situation facing Canada’s universities with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
IAU has developed a first Global Survey on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education (May, 2020).
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) released its first survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on German universities and international student mobility in Germany (June, 2020).
Educations.com has released statistics based on 7,400 responses to a recent survey on the impact of COVID-19 on study abroad.
Erasmus Student Network has published a report on the results of a survey of 22,000 international students in Europe regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their mobility experience (April, 2020).
European Association for International Education (EAIE) has published "Coping with COVID-19: International higher education in Europe", a report that offers some preliminary perspectives on the impact of the coronavirus on international education (March, 2020).
Institute of International Education (IIE) conducted a survey that shows the effects that travel restrictions related to the outbreak of COVID-19 are having on international student mobility, and released on 14 May 2020 the results of its second survey in the COVID-19 Snapshot Survey Series about the effects of COVID-19 on U.S. higher education institutions (May 2020).
QS shares the International Student Survey: Global opportunities in the new higher education paradigm. This report focuses on students wishing to study in Europe.
The IAU survey report on the impact of Covid-19 on higher education showed that one of the key challenges encountered by higher education institutions was the sudden shift to distance learning. This challenge comes with different dimensions, most particularly the technical infrastructure, the support tools to use for distance learning, assimilating online teaching pedagogies and finally how to organize and manage exams and student assessments from distance. IAU has made a selection of useful resources in order to respond to these challenges.
TOOLS, PLATFORMS AND SOFTWARE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING
DISTANCE LEARNING PLANNING AND PEDAGOGY
Conference of Principals of Spanish Universities (CRUE) in collaboration with the distance learning universities UNED and UOC, has launched a portal with a series of recommendations and advice for planning and structuring teaching by distance (the portal is in Spanish).
Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has released “Guidelines on Distance Education during COVID-19” with policy advice and practical tips on the use of distance-education methods, tools and appropriate technology as a response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Deaking University, Australia offers a free online course: Transforming Digital Learning: Learning Design Meets Service Design (estimated time required: 6 hours).
The European Maturity Model for Blended Education (EMBED), is a framework which can be used to assess conceptual or implementation issues regarding blended learning, teaching and education. It indicates which dimensions are relevant for lecturers and educators, but also institutions, policymakers and educational centres.
You can also enroll for the online course developed in relation to this project: Improve high-quality and mature blended learning practice in higher education (expected time required: 10 hours).
Blended learning for quality higher education: selected case studies on implementation from Asia-Pacific is an open access publication by the UNESCO Office in Bangkok, Thailand. It explores how leading institutions in Asia-Pacific build capacity through a holistic approach to drive, sustain and scale their blended learning practices.
Guide to Blended Learning by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an introduction using technology and distance education teaching strategies with traditional, face-to-face classroom activities. This Guide has been designed to assist teachers adopt blended learning strategies through a step-by-step approach taking constructivist and design-based approach and reflecting on decisions taken to provide authentic learning experience in their own contexts.
ASSESSMENTS AND EXAMS BY DISTANCE
Report on Remote Assessment Procedures by CRUE offers a holistic report on remote assessment procedure options, which considers every facet of the process: methodological, regulatory (including data protection) and technological.
Indiana University proposes a page with resources for assessments and final exams from distance. It includes examples for moving exams online as well as developing alternative assessment forms during this time of crisis.
This tab contains a selection of recent news on actions taken around the globe to respond to the current health crisis.
REGIONAL AND NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Select region of interest: Africa - Arab States - Asia and the Pacific - Europe - Latin America - North America
Worldwide
A time for innovation in international HE post COVID-19 (February, 2021).
Mental scars caused by on-campus teaching in pandemic may not heal (February, 2021).
International students stranded online (February, 2021).
Asian Development Bank published the note COVID-19 and Education in Asia and the Pacific. It provides guidance to help developing countries address the disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic but also identifies critical policy reforms and concrete actions - framed as the three Rs - Response, Recovery, and Rejuvenation (January, 2021).
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This tab contains information on calls for application and webinars to support and learn how universities are addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Select information of interest: OPEN CALLS - UPCOMING WEBINARS - RECORDINGS FROM PAST WEBINARS
International Association of Universities launches the Second IAU Global Survey on the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education (available in English, French and Spanish). Through this Survey, IAU endeavours to raise concerns of universities and higher education institutions in the current context by providing evidence-based data to underline the seriousness of the impact of COVID-19 on higher education and society. To access the survey, please follow the link .
International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) has launched the OER4Covid initiative which comprises a diverse group of almost 900 participants from 69 different countries. They are requesting help from educators to identify and prioritise local needs for open educational resources. To access the survey, please follow the link.
Institute of Applied Linguistics (University of Warsaw) invites to take part in a research investigating how language and linguistics teachers/instructors and students/learners have been coping with the transition to remote instruction. The survey is anonymous and will solely serve scientific purposes. It should take no more than 25-38 minutes to complete; around 85% of the questions are of the quick multiple-choice type.
There are different versions of the questionnaire:
for Language Teachers
for Linguistics Instructors and TAs
for Language Learners
for Linguistics Students
for Educators in subjects other than language
QS Quacquarelli Symonds invites to take part in a new survey for university staff as part of its commitment to providing the higher education sector with data-driven insights. To access the survey please follow this link.
University of Glasgow’s School of Education organizes a free webinar series "Celebrating Social Justice Research in Education".
3 March 13.00-14.30 (GMT): Migration and Refugee Education
17 March 12.00-13.30 (GMT): Ethics, Religion and Values in Education
Click here for more details on the webinars and how to register
Contact North | Contact Nord Webinars organizes a series of free weekly seminars on how to teach and learn online, best practices and the dos and don’ts. Upcoming webinars can be found here.
December 7, 2020: The what, the how and the why of the pandemic
Offered by International Sciences Council | |
![]() | September 25, 2020: What happened during the Corona crisis?
Offered by Nordic Webinar Series |
September 18, 2020: What are we learning from Covid 19?
Offered by Magna Charta Observatory | |
![]() | August 18 and 19, 2020: Impact of COVID-19 on Education
Offered by the RUDECOLOMBIA Doctorate in Educational Sciences of the University of Cartagena, Colombia. |
August 18, 2020: Strategies and actions for returning to academic activities (Estrategias y acciones para el regreso a las actividades académicas)
Offered by UDUAL. | |
![]() | August 11, 2020: Choosing a Technology that Makes a Difference to Learning - Getting Past the Hype
Offered by Contact North/Contact Nord |
![]() | July 20, 2020: Building Anti-Surveillance Ed-Tech! In Conversation with Audrey Watters
Offered by Contact North/Contact Nord. |
![]() | July 14, 2020: Help your Students Succeed in Their Online Courses |
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