COVID -19: Pedagogical Shift, and the Rise of Divergent Approaches

Abstract

The show must go on. Though the integration of technology in the learning process has been on a rise over the last decade, COVID -19 has made a dependency on technology inevitable as educational settings change from in –person instructions to virtual instructions. Due to sudden challenging demands, the virus factor should not be considered a hindrance toward the teaching /learning process. In fact COVID -19 provides an opportunity to rethink about transforming the conventional mode of teaching /learning. Thus, in this challenging era it is imperative to shift from convergent pedagogical approaches to divergent approaches to promote active learning. The study aims to find the existing gaps between virtual learning and instructional activities in EFL context. The study adopts a triangulate approach .First ,it takes through the journey of nineteen faculty members  from the Department of English at Prince Sattam University, KSA in three stages: The Initiation stage (Readiness),the exploration stage (pedagogy, student engagement and assessment), and the Adaptation stage (coping strategies).Second ,it interprets data on the usage of digital Tools by nineteen faculty members from the department  during a span of ten months. The study relies on open-ended questionnaire  and  data documented by the Quality committee .From the results of the study, it  is evident that  pedagogy  has  to undergo major transformation  to face the challenges of virtual learning .The study suggests adopting divergent approaches to engage the EFL Learners and  making the learning process effective and productive.