Abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic has provided lecturers in higher education with an opportunity to pave the way for introducing digital teaching and learning. The pandemic has catalyzed significant shift to online teaching and learning where lecturers apply emerging technologies to enhance their students' learning outcomes. In the present study we examined 223 lecturers' opinions who teach at various academic institutions on the advantages and disadvantages of online teaching and learning from various aspects, from a systemic, multi-institutional perspective. The study employed the quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings of the study indicate the preference for online learning that was not high at the beginning of the crisis. The findings highlight the lecturer's role in the digital age, in teaching practice and the role of professional administrator in charge of teaching and learning at academic institutions, with an emphasis on the pedagogical aspects of that role. Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has gained its popularity in online learning environments during the pandemic to assist student's learning. The study focuses also on the question if teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic provided lecturers with valuable skills, insights and experiences that can be leveraged in the AI period and help them adapt to and work with AI in higher education. From the findings of the study it appears that by building on their technological proficiency, pedagogical innovations, data-driven decision-making, personalization efforts, and ethical considerations, lecturers can effectively engage with AI in higher education and harness its potential to enhance teaching and learning experiences. While this study seeks to shed light on teaching practice during a health crisis, it also focuses on the potential implications for teaching and learning processes after the current crisis. One of the lessons learned is that the future of higher education lies in the synergy between human lecturers and AI. It can create a powerful learning environment that combines the best of both worlds. It allows for the benefits of AI technology, such as efficiency, personalization, and data analysis, while still maintaining the human touch, empathy, and depth of understanding that human lecturers provide. This collaborative approach has the potential to revolutionize higher education and empower students and lecturers to thrive in the digital age.

Keywords:

Digital learning and teaching, higher education, lecturers' perceptions, covid-19 pandemic, AI period.