The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a seismic shift in the field of education worldwide, and India is no exception. With lockdowns and restrictions in place to curb the spread of the virus, the traditional education system was faced with unprecedented challenges. In response, distance education emerged as a crucial lifeline to ensure continuity in learning. This book, "Distance Education in India: Transforming Education in the Pandemic Era," delves into the evolution of distance education in India, its historical context, and its transformation during the pandemic. It explores the role of technology, pedagogy, accessibility, and quality assurance in shaping distance education. Through case studies and expert insights, it offers a comprehensive view of how distance education in India adapted to the challenges posed by the pandemic and the lessons learned. As we navigate an uncertain future where the boundaries between physical and virtual education continue to blur, understanding the evolution, challenges, and potential of distance education in India is essential. This book serves as a valuable resource for educators, policymakers, students, and anyone interested in the future of education in India and beyond.

This book is to explores a variety of facets of online learning environments to understand how learning occurs and succeeds in digital contexts and what teaching strategies and technologies are most suited to this format. Business, health, government and education are some of the core sectors of society which have been experiencing deep transformations due to a generalized digitalization. While these changes are not novel, the swift progress of technology and the rising complexity of digital environments place a focus on the need for further research and novel strategies. In the context of education, the promise of increased flexibility and broader access to educational resources is impelling much of higher education’s course offerings to online environments. The 21st century learner requires an education that can be pursued anytime and anywhere and that is more aligned with the demands of a digital society. Online education not only assists students to success-fully integrate a workforce that is increasingly digital, but it helps them to become more comfortable with the use of technology in general and, hence, more prepared to be prolific digital citizens. The variety of settings portrayed in this volume attest to the unlimited opportunities afforded by online learning and serve as valuable evidence of its benefit for students’ educational experience. Moreover, these research efforts assist a more comprehensive reflection about the delivery of higher education in the context of online settings.

This timely volume documents the immediate, global impacts of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on teaching and learning in higher education. Focusing on student and faculty experiences of online and distance education, the text provides reflections on novel initiatives, unexpected challenges, and lessons learned. Responding to the urgent need to better understand online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, this book investigates how the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) impacted students, faculty, and staff experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown. Chapters initially look at the challenges faced by universities and educators in their attempts to overcome the practical difficulties involved in developing effective online programming and pedagogy. The text then builds on these insights to highlight student experiences and consider issues of social connection and inequality. Finally, the volume looks forward to asking what lessons COVID-19 can offer for the future development of online and distance learning in higher education. This engaging volume will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in online teaching and eLearning, curriculum design, and more, specifically those involved with the digitalization of higher education. The text will also support further discussion and reflection around pedagogical transformation, international teaching and learning, and educational policy more broadly.

The unwelcomed arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities and inequalities in accessing educational opportunities among different social groups. Abruptly, the idea of inclusivity in education has become more of an abstract phenomenon that widens the digital divide and creates social injustice. The resulting intensification of digital disparities demands an immediate coordinated response from all education and government stakeholders to guarantee that no one is left behind as we navigate the so-called new normal. Without an appropriate intervention and sound policy guidance, negative repercussions may be so widespread that they will remain a problem in the education sector far into the future. Socioeconomic Inclusion During an Era of Online Education aims to answer emerging questions on inclusive online education by exploring and collating the experiences and lessons learned during the implementation of emergency remote education. With the earlier-than-expected arrival of the online education era, best practices and innovative approaches from various educational institutions are concrete paradigms for safeguarding the promise of an undivided future of learning through equal access to quality education from a distance. Covering topics from learning space to education governance, this reference work is ideal for policymakers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, scholars, instructors, and students seeking to adjust and adapt to technology-enabled education during and after the COVID-19 era.

Cyberpsychology is an emerging area of psychological study that aims to understand and explain all facets of online behaviour. This book brings together overviews from a number of leading authorities in the field, to suggest how academic theory and research can be applied to a variety of online behaviours. Both positive and negative behaviours are considered, including topics as diverse as parenting the online child, age-related internet usage and cultural considerations in online interactions. Psychological research can no longer view online and offline worlds as different entities, but must consider online behaviours as equally distinct as offline activities. This is especially apparent when looking at online dating, the role that social networks play in organisations and online consumer behaviours, and in a consideration of the role that psychological research plays in underpinning the multi-billion pound gaming industry. Focusing on these personal applications of the Internet, insight is also offered into the role that theory and research plays in training military personnel as well as the use of psychometric testing to select and retain employees.

This proceedings volume explores the disruptive effect of COVID19 pandemic on business leaders and managers. It covers the sweeping changes experienced by all sectors of work and business along with core functional verticals. As organizations institutionalize lessons learned through trial and error, an effort is required to document these efforts. The volume is an amalgamation of papers presented papers at the International Management Conference, 2021 hosted at KIIT University, India in February 2021. The thrust of this conference was to gather a holistic picture of the lessons derived during the pandemic hardship. Selected papers provide readers with an idea of the new normal in various domains of management across industries and organizations. Research papers, from each functional areas of business management, give focus on experiences and best practices.