Working from Home for Academics in Higher Education: An Evitable Reality in the ‘New Norm’

Wahab Ali ()
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Wahab Ali: The University of Fiji

Chapter Chapter 19 in Innovation, Leadership and Governance in Higher Education, 2023, pp 351-370 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The current coronavirus outbreak has led universities worldwide to find new means of providing uninterrupted education for their students. Travel bans, campus closures and isolation measures have forced university students and staff into their homes, which has required them to adapt quickly to working and studying remotely. This study examines working from home (WFH) as a teaching trajectory and investigates the perceptions of the staff of a tertiary institution regarding their experiences of it. An exploratory research design was adopted using an online survey and was supported by meta-synthesis in the form of pertinent literature in the appropriate field to reveal how academics had adapted to WFH. Findings reveal that the WFH requires a supportive virtual learning environment (VLE) consisting of interactive learning platforms, suitable technological gadgets and quality Internet service. Results further demonstrate that institutions need robust information technology (IT) departments that can regularly invest in upgrading institutions’ online platforms, provision of IT gadgets to staff and ensuring staff competence in using them. Findings also propose WFH as a necessity to offer uninterrupted learning safely in times of lockdowns and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Working from home; Technology; Learning platforms; Internet; Gadgets; Online teaching; Virtual learning environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-19-7299-7_19

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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-7299-7_19

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