Illusions of online readiness: the counter-intuitive impact of rapid immersion in digital learning due to COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Framed from a socio-cognitive perspective, and the contemporary increased salience of digital learning readiness and competence, the purpose of this study was two-fold: to validate Online Learner Readiness Scale in a new context and to explore potential variances in online readiness within a student-teacher population between less (pre-COVID) and more experienced (during COVID) groups. A CFA was used to examine the suitability of the OLRS in an Irish context, and variances between groups based on gender and professional experience were explored. Two cross-sectional datasets were gathered from student teachers from a university teacher education programme in the Republic of Ireland (n₁ = 281, n₂ = 154). The analysis demonstrated significantly lower perceived online readiness in the more experienced ‘during COVID’ cohort compared to ‘pre-COVID’ cohort. This counter-intuitive finding is in direct contrast to prior research, and potential influencing factors include the sudden immersion in an entirely digital learning environment. The more experienced cohort reported significantly lower online readiness across all five components of the OLRS. The findings are discussed in the context of a major shift in the student-teacher learning experience due to COVID-19. Implications for future research are explored in the context of increasingly digitised teaching and learning environments during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Online learner readiness
• self-efficacy
• teacher education
• COVID-19
• student teacher
• digital competence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jason Power

Jason Power currently leads a EU funded study that aims to enhance evidence based practice within third level STEM learning environments. Within this, and related nationally funded projects, he is leading an international team in the development of professional development programs, synthesised evidence bases and associated supporting resources. His previous research has focused on non-cognitive factors and their relationship to performance within STEM learning environments.

Paul Conway

Paul Conway is a Professor in the School of Education at the Univerity of Limerick. His reserch interests are in: learning and development, teacher education, educational policy (in two areas: e-learning; teacher education) and teacher learning.

Ciarán Ó Gallchóir

Ciarán Ó Gallchóir is a Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Limerick. He teaches on the school's initial teacher education programmes and postgraduate programmes in educational leadership. His research interests are identity development, school placement and educational leadership.

Ann-Marie Young

Ann-Marie Young is the Academic Director of School Placement in the School of Education at the University of Limerick. Her research interests include initial teacher education with a focus on the development of the school placement process. Specifically looking at the role each of the key stakeholders play in the development of student teachers.

Michaela Hayes

Michaela Hayes is the School Placement Research Assistant and PhD Candidate in the School of Education at the University of Limerick. Her research interests include initial teacher education, school placement and mentorship within teacher education.