The national or local lockdowns in response to COVID-19 forced education systems to rapidly shift from in-person to distance learning. The hasty transition undoubtedly imposed tremendous challenges on teachers, students and distance learning infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to investigate how high school science teachers who had previously been trained in flipped-learning and advanced educational technology through the Science Teaching Excites Medical Interest (STEMI) program perceived their transition to distance learning during this pandemic. In this study eleven teachers were interviewed with a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analyzed using the deductive-inductive content analytic approach. Our results indicated that teachers reported having more confidence in using technology for teaching online due in part to their participation in the STEMI program. They also reported internet access as one of the most significant barriers, both for students and teachers. While some teachers thought that students may feel more in control of learning due to absence of time and place limits with distance learning, others may struggle to stay engaged without the classroom support they would normally have received. Teachers generally experienced increased workloads and harder work–life balance with online teaching. In spite of the unforeseen challenges, the pandemic situation afforded teachers with opportunities to adopt different technology in teaching and foresee the need for technology integration in order to better prepare for the unexpected in the future.

Base Pair is an ongoing (1992-present) collaboration between University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) faculty mentors and Mississippi high school students and teachers. UMMC faculty and Base Pair teachers designed a course which has allowed curriculum innovations by teachers. The student component engages 15 trainees annually in laboratory experiences under direct faculty mentorship while receiving high school graduation credit. Students have a 100% high school graduation rate (vs. ~88% nationally) and 99% college entrance. These students have co-authored/ presented over 450 times in UMMC, state or national venues. Of 220 graduates, roughly 63% are in/have completed post-baccalaureate training. Of these, at least 49 have gained a terminal degree in science or law, while another 35 students have attained a Master’s degree. Over 100 teachers have been mentored in grant-writing exercises and curriculum development, resulting in over 158 applications for external funding of inquiry-based classroom activities of which 78% were funded. Teachers have also implemented several innovative STEM curricula, reaching thousands more students. These include a student team-based competition that fuses citizen science and molecular biology to assess insect infection with Wolbachia bacteria. Base Pair bolsters student engagement, promotes STEM/health career advancement for students, and enhances teacher job satisfaction.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions of higher education into an emergency remote teaching practice. In this study, the researchers utilized a convergent triangulation mixed-methods study design to investigate the technological challenges and growth that faculty experienced in seven schools at the University of Mississippi Medical Center as a result of the transition to emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative data were collected through an anonymous online survey that asked faculty to rate their competency in each of the 14 technology-related tasks twice—once for the pre-pandemic period and once for the current period. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted virtually or in person. One hundred faculty participated in the quantitative survey. A significant difference between faculty self-rated competency levels in the pre-pandemic period and the current period was observed, suggesting technology knowledge growth from the forced transition. Qualitative interviews of 19 faculty revealed five overarching themes: inconsistency in instructional support, pandemic-induced technological growth, power of togetherness, maintaining continuity through flexibility, and resilience against adversity. This study provided faculty with the experience to perform effective self-reflection and gain insights into their pedagogical practices. Future research should focus on professional development that can help faculty remain up-to-date on technology utilization and establish a contingency plan to better prepare for the unknown.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the learning environments of 1.3 billion students worldwide, particularly as many traditional, in-person classes moved to virtual learning. This mixed-methods study surveyed and interviewed faculty within a US academic medical center to determine whether the pandemic stimulated technological knowledge growth. While the study collected both quantitative and qualitative data, priority was given to qualitative interview data to control for a small sample size and to gather in-depth insights. Data collection began approximately 18 months after the onset of the pandemic that occurred in spring 2020. Qualitative results garnered five major themes: collective decision-making and individual autonomy, flexible learning in the new normal, challenges with student engagement in the long-distance relationship, faculty well-being in the age of COVID-19, and opportunities evolved from challenges. Quantitative results indicated that significant differences existed between faculty self-rated competency levels of performing technology-related tasks in the pre-pandemic period and in the current period, suggesting technology knowledge gains from the forced transition to online teaching. Future research is needed to survey a broader audience and to determine whether faculty will continue to utilize technological resources learned during this pandemic to supplement in-person teaching as well as to establish a future contingency plan.