Abstract:

The paradigm shift from the traditional classroom to remote teaching and learning situation because of a COVID-19, a new normal, has seen several teachers and students coerced to a ‘virtual plane’. For this reason, this study seeks to explore the pros and cons of traditional and remote teaching. The central question is: How has the online teaching experience been compared to the usual classroom teaching and learning for both colleagues and students? I used reflexivity for diverse designs such as interviews and questionnaires for data collection. The study revealed that while the overall impact has been manageable, however, the general sentiment between colleagues and students is that traditional classroom instruction is the better method. The respondents agree that a switch from usual to remote teaching has not been easy. In addition, while online teaching and learning can simplify things for those who already used Blackboard Board, others had a lot to learn. This situation has been exacerbated by the fact that most teachers and students come from less-affluent schools and Universities, who still collect printed assignments.

Keywords:

COVID-19, new normal, remote teaching, traditional classroom, virtual plane, reflexivity.