Education in Emergencies, Inequities, and the Digital Divide

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the daily life of every individual throughout the world and has had an impact on every sphere of life. However, its impact on education, especially higher education, is profound. This chapter is based on a recent study, which explored teaching and learning in higher education in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 lockdown. The chapter focuses on how switching from face-to-face to online distance teaching and learning within a short period of time has created educational inequality and the digital divide among teachers and students in higher education in Bangladesh. Based on the findings from the recent surveys (teachers' and students' perspectives), this chapter provides recommendations for the stakeholders to support teachers and students during the emergency remote teaching and learning. It also shows how different strategies could minimize educational inequality and the digital divide during the time of crisis and how the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown impacted on the transition and transformation of teaching and learning in Bangladesh.