Transitioning to a Bichronous (Synchronous+Asynchronous) ODL Set-up in High School Education: An Autoethnographic Study

Abstract

Within the framework of Autoethnography, this study answered the research question: How did a high school teacher transition from a full face-to-face instruction to a Bichronous (Synchronous +Asynchronous) Online Distance Learning (ODL) Set-up in High School Education during the Covid 19 Pandemic? The autoethnographic genre of qualitative research enabled the researcher to craft a narrative and arrive with a deeper analysis of this narrative. After analyzing different data set and examination of artifacts such as email, curricular documents, discussion posts, video recordings, a workplace calendar, a personal journal, professional development logs, and personal experience; the study revealed, as reflected byseveral periods in the findings, that the author’s transition includes: (a) structuring the course (designing pedagogy in ODL) – designing the Leanring Contiuity Plan, In- service Training for Teachers, and Designing the Theresian Learner’s Study Guide (TLSG); (b) effectively using the ODL technologies to implement a Bichronous ODL set-up – structuring the course in the Learning Management System for the asynchronous mode and conducting real-time teaching using video conferencing tools for the synchronous mode; (c) establishing teacher presence in the asynchronous and synchronous modes; and (d) providing student-support mechanism - cognitive, affective, and systemic. The importance of designing a school’s ODL set-up for future remote teaching and learning scenario should be looked into and teachers should receive proper training on ODL Pedagogy and Technologies.