Abstract:

Teaching during times of potential disruption like that caused by the COVID-19 pandemic where universities had to fast switch to Online Learning Environments and course delivery systems requires flexibility, creative thinking, good knowledge, and training from the part of instructors who should adequately support the students so that the learning outcomes of a course and the lab activities (if any) are met. This paper through a systemic literature review examines how successful such efforts have been during the COVID-19 pandemic by examining how the lab activities in introductory biology courses were delivered and by linking cognitive presence and engagement to student and instructor satisfaction as well student’s performance and evaluations. The paper offers suggestions and recommendations of best practices, remote teaching resources, and ICT tools used in support of a student-centered learning experience in a face-to-face, blended or online learning environment. Special attention is given to patterns that emerge concerning cognitive presence, student engagement, satisfaction, and performance.

Keywords:

Biology lab activities, online learning environments, digital resilience, cognitive presence, blended learning, student-centered learning, student performance.