Reframing and redesigning learning, assessment, and teacher professional development in a post-pandemic era

Abstract

We are in a post-pandemic era with increasing emphasis on technology, interconnectedness, and problem solving. There are multidisciplinary efforts in re-envisioning and redesigning learning, assessment and teacher professional development by integrating theory, practice, pedagogy, and technology. This issue comprises six articles to contribute to this progress by addressing timely research gaps by building on learning theories and design principles and bringing innovative pedagogies and technologies to design opportunities for better learning experiences and environments. Cuong Huy Pham studied Vietnamese high school EFL students’ motivational constructions through their ongoing interaction with significant others such as teachers, peers, parents and extended family members in various social settings (Pham, 2022). The notion of significant others was from a social constructivist perspective which emphasises on the on-going interaction with the learner (Vygotsky, 1978). In Pham’s article, learning was considered to occur in multiple social settings including school and other informal contexts such as at home or other places. This is aligned with the notion of “seamless learning” (Looi et al., 2010) which views learning to happen through both individual and collective efforts, and across time and different contexts. Pham (2022) identified the mediating role of extended family members in students’ learning process. The study found four key themes entailing the role of significant others in making learners become more cognisant of the value of language learning, providing financial and academic support, arousing and sustaining their second language motivation, and imposing certain pressure on their academic performance. Piyawan Rungwaraphong (2022) analysed the implementation of Induction Helper, an online learning aid to facilitate and promote Thai EFL students’ inductive reasoning ability in online learning context during COVID-19 pandemic. The article analysed the advantages and disadvantages on online learning: on one hand, online learning promoted location-independent learning; on the other hand, certain instructional approaches were restricted in online learning contexts and students need to be supported with learning aid. The results revealed four features of the Induction Helper that need to be further improved to help students with their inductive reasoning. Mohamed Belamghari (2022) studied the experiences of Moroccan university students’ emergency remote learning (ERL) during the COVID19 lockdown period. The study identified the challenges of students’ online learning which including insecurity, the absence of intimacy, technical issues and unfairness. Despite the challenges, this study provided insights on how students learned to adapt and solve problems from the ERL experiences. This is what future ready learner about: being resilient in a VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world (Chen et al., 2023). LEARNING: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023, VOL. 9, NO. 1, 1–3 https://doi.org/10.1080/23735082.2023.2179187