To what extent have Chinese higher education institutions applied educational technology to teaching and learning more successfully than UK higher education institutions during the pandemic?

Introduction

More than 150 million people have been impacted by the COVID-19 sickness, which has spread to more than 150 countries and affected more than 1.6 billion students worldwide. As a result, some countries have turned to remote learning as a solution to the problem. The initial educational strategy pursued by COVID-19 was to develop remote learning methods that might be used in the case of a disaster. Many groups, despite their best efforts, were unable to reach all of the children in their target population. In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, a number of schools and institutions were forced to close their doors temporarily. The extensive damage has raised concerns that this semester’s worth of work — and any subsequent semesters — may be lost as a result of the disaster. A number of educational institutions began the process of transitioning away from in-person instruction. According to the conclusions of Adedoyin and Soykan (2020), it is unlikely that we will be able to return to traditional teaching methodologies in the near future, if ever. During this key developmental age, social isolation will have a negative impact on learning.

A huge number of educational institutions are working hard to find solutions to the difficult circumstances that they have found themselves in. There are others who are critical of the use of electronic learning. Accessibility, cost, flexibility, learning pedagogy, lifelong learning, and policy are just a few of the reasons why online pedagogy is becoming more popular. Other factors include the availability of resources and the availability of time. According to Bao (2020), online education is freely and readily available to anybody, even those living in rural or isolated places. The lower expenditures of travel, hotel accommodations, and tuition associated with distance learning are regarded to be more cost-effective than traditional schooling. When compared to traditional schooling, distance learning is considered to be a more cost-effective option (Bhagat and Kim, 2020). Online educational possibilities provide students with the ability to organize and manage their time in order to complete online courses, which is an appealing feature of the learning experience. It is possible to expand the learning potential of students through blended learning and flipped classrooms, which mix face-to-face lectures with technological support to enhance student learning (Carey, 2020). Students can take up new knowledge and abilities at any time and from any location, allowing them to continue their education for the rest of their life if they so choose. More and more government organizations are recognizing the relevance of online education, and this trend is expected to continue. The aim of this essay is to examine the extent to which Chinese higher education institutions have been more successful than UK higher education institutions in using educational technology in teaching and learning during the pandemic.

Main Body

Higher education institutions and students are affected to varying degrees during the pandemic (Zhao, 2020). In terms of higher education institutions, COVID-19 has directly impacted China, and the UK has closed schools, colleges, and universities or forced them to close. Due to national policies and the impact of COVID-19, and the fact that the Chinese government is still advising people not to travel and study abroad for security reasons (Goebel and Hoover, 2020). As a result, this may exacerbate the decline in enrolment of educational institutions in the UK and other countries. Higher education institutions have had to innovate, including teaching methods, student monitoring, and assessment systems (Bao, 2020). Because potential students cannot take exams, directly affecting higher education internationally, some study abroad programs in various countries may be at risk of being canceled. Moreover, because students cannot participate in exams, they have to put their study plans on hold, leading to additional time costs. In addition, over 1.5 billion students in 190 regions cannot attend school regularly due to the highly contagious nature of pandemics (UNICEF, 2020). Furthermore, according to a survey published by the British Council in April 2020, 39% of Chinese students are the most significant international students for UK universities. The number of students reduced could directly put a heavy financial strain on some UK university institutions. The uncertainty over the cancellation of study programs significantly delays their future arrangements (Dubey and Pandey, 2020). Moreover, in this situation, educational technology is undoubtedly a good way for students and higher education institutions to continue their studies during the pandemic (Chan, 2020). However, while various educational institutions use educational technology, disadvantages continue to be identified (Dubey and Pandey, 2020).

Firstly, according to Wallace (2021) survey on student satisfaction, some students remain skeptical about educational technology. For example, some students say that professors are difficult to access online. They are not as tech-savvy as required to take a full-day online course. So often, there are may no lectures, or teachers will choose to send their lecture notes, which unfortunately is undoubted of little help to students. Students also say that using software for classes and learning is more stressful. They cannot communicate with their tutor face to face and often experience network delays or technical problems. Network delays or technical problems can lead to not hearing the tutor in class or not responding to students’ questions (Puljak, 2020). Even in some instances of network instability, students do not receive timely feedback and assignment reminders from the teacher resulting in delays, making the teaching progress, and the students themselves suffer greatly (Carey, 2020). However, according to Bhagat (2020), educational technology still has drawbacks. However, it is undeniable that educational technology may be a ray of hope in dealing with covid-19.

China will send over 711,000 international students overseas in 2019, with 518,300 of those students enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the United States and the United Kingdom (Wei, 2020). Students in China have postponed or abandoned their plans to study abroad as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has raised concerns about public health and caused travel restrictions. Because of safety concerns, the Chinese government has urged first-year students not to travel to particular sites due to a lack of security (Chinese Ministry of Education, 2020). Colleges and universities are faced with a huge challenge in dealing with the pandemic danger, which is aggravated by a lack of preparedness on their part. This is an issue because the outbreak forced the suspension of all face-to-face activity, including college campuses, in both China and the United Kingdom. According to Chan, the vast majority of campuses were forced to close and transition to e-learning (2020). Education institutions are unable to respond to the needs of learners because students with low social status are unable to access the internet and technology in order to participate in online learning environments. As a result, educational institutions are unable to participate in online learning environments (Zhong, 2020). The ability of higher education to adapt to the digital age of transformational learning has been called into question (Houlden, 2020).

At the same time, initial replies from several UK and Chinese educational institutions included teachers who were eager to make changes to their traditional curricula in order to incorporate online materials. Then there’s the importance of technique, the usage of a learning management system, and a variety of e-learning resources that students may access from the comfort of their own homes. Perrotta (2020, ed.) Some educators and students, on the other hand, considered that the transfer from information to an electronic learning experience was insufficient (Zhao, 2020), primarily because some educators believe that online education has some disadvantages (Zhao, 2020). A student’s capacity to learn more effectively and honestly when not under supervision is entirely dependent on his or her own effort and integrity, yet there are some disadvantages from the student’s perspective, as follows: Communication may be difficult for the student since he or she is in a different nation or location, and difficulties may not be resolved in a timely manner (Garrison, 2005). China’s Zhao (2020) noticed that when making the shift from traditional learning approaches to online structure, it is necessary to consider all of the factors involved. Due to the increased use of distance learning in higher education, this issue has arisen as a result of the shift to online learning, which has raised concerns about the value of e-learning due to limited or inadequate access to technology (Anderson and Carey, 2020) and raised several questions about the quality of online learning. Poor institutional management and a scarcity of resources may be to blame for the lack of access to online learning opportunities available to students. This, combined with socially disadvantaged students’ limited access to the internet and technology, has an impact on how universities can effectively respond to learners’ requirements and on their ability to engage in an e-learning environment, as well as on how universities can effectively respond to learners’ requirements and engage in an e-learning environment (Zhong, 2020). In essence, this is a test of the ability of educational institutions to adapt their organizational structures to the digital age (Zhao, 2020). Beyond curriculum modifications and delivery mode modifications, the epidemic has driven other types of operational reform throughout the higher education industry (UNESCO, 2020).

The challenge of post-pandemic educational technology

Schools have had to react promptly to the situation in order to maintain the smooth and effective operation of the educational process. As a result, there has been a dramatic growth in the number of students enrolled in online courses during the last several years (Chan, 2020). Even commercial suppliers of digital learning platforms have jumped at the chance to provide their aid and “solutions,” which are sometimes provided at no cost to participants. As a result of the Covid-19 epidemic, Crawford et al. (2020) found that a booming industry in educational technologies has sprung up as a result of the circumstances. Dhawan (2020) presented a concern that some types of emergency online learning do not adhere to core pedagogical principles and best practices, as well as previous research on the issue, and hence should be avoided. The motives of individuals, organizations, and businesses who have stepped forward to provide assistance in the past have been called into doubt by a number of well-known social media professionals in the past. There is some confusion over whether or not their motivation is driven by market forces or by something altogether different. Dubey and Pandey (2020) expressed concern about the potentially detrimental impacts of implementing educational technology quick fixes without considering the long-term ramifications of their decisions. Furthermore, the widespread use of learning platforms and online learning has raised awareness of concerns about privacy and monitoring in the workplace, which has resulted in increased awareness of these issues.

As a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, several new difficulties and paradigm shifts have evolved, posing new challenges and paradigm shifts to the academic community as well as institutions of higher education around the world. It was important to develop new techniques. Even in tough economic circumstances, schools and institutions should carefully assess their online learning and educational technology options (Goebel and Hoover, 2020). This action has the potential to bring about new forms of student unfairness and inequality, as well as other unanticipated consequences down the road. As a precaution, educational institutions should draw on their previous experience with online learning as a technology that may be used for a number of objectives other than simply communicating information in order to avoid any unintended consequences. When it comes to the most fundamental concerns of our time, digital learning should not be considered a self-evident and all-encompassing solution, particularly in the context of modern mass education and organized teaching and learning.

The pandemic is forcing schools to undergo an unprecedented digital transformation, which is having an impact on the future of education as well as the manner in which it will be delivered in the future. Hebebci et al. (2020) study assert that the use of traditional and technological resources, as well as teaching approaches, will increase over the next decade. Instead of being contained within four walls as it was before COVID, today’s classroom is open to the entire community. However, despite the fact that digital technology for distance learning is becoming increasingly popular, there are still a number of obstacles to overcome in order to ensure that educational continuity is maintained (Kamal et al., 2020). However, as has been the case in the past, technology in education should not be utilized to exacerbate already existing social inequalities or to widen the digital gap, as has been the case. Students from low-income families will have an especially difficult time succeeding in school if their schools are closed because they lack the resilience, learning abilities, and motivation to complete their education on their own time.

Evaluating the challenge for educational technology

A number of government responses to the epidemic have been implemented, including laws and projects aimed at improving public health as well as the economy, among other things. In order to prevent chaos, ‘lockdowns’ have been enacted, during which businesses, schools, and commercial facilities have been closed and people have been advised to stay at home, with the exception of essential services such as food distribution and medical assistance, which have been made available.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, a large-scale endeavor is ongoing in the United Kingdom and China to harness technology to foster remote learning, distance education, and online learning. COVID-19 has, according to Ma et al. (2021), thrown a lot of industries completely off their game. Education is the only industry in the vast majority of countries that has completed the shift to a web-based learning environment completely. Keeping students in school during epidemic was by far the most successful means of preventing them from dropping out (Puljak et al., 2020). Because of the rapid advancements in technology, it has become vital to bring educational curricula into line with current trends. Students continue to encounter a number of obstacles on their route to achieving their goal of being able to learn at any time and from any location. Over the last two decades, some global institutions have switched their emphasis away from traditional classroom instruction and toward online learning.

A single method for incorporating technology into the classroom does not exist because it is dependent on the kind of technology that are being used at any particular time as well as the content of the curriculum being taught. For this reason, adding technology to the classroom and developing educational materials adds new considerations to the already complex process of education (Sandars et al., 2020). Despite this, the idea that technology integration, learning enhancement, and student engagement are all inextricably intertwined has gained widespread acceptance in recent years. The use of technology is typically assumed as given. While it is not always the case, teachers may experience increased workload pressures as a result of the need to differentiate instruction for each learner within and between cohorts, as they strive to adjust to the specific learning and engagement demands of each cohort in a reactive manner, as opposed to the traditional approach.

Because of lockdowns, social distance, and COVID safe hygiene rules, among other considerations, several higher education institutions around the world are unable to conduct traditional face-to-face course delivery. To avoid being forced to close their doors completely, several educational institutions have been compelled to change their focus to online learning. Individual differences between and within cohorts can be highlighted in collaborative learning activities (group work), highlighting the challenge of applying a “one size fits all” approach to collaborative learning tasks (Kamal et al., 2020). It is common for assumptions about collaborative learning activities to be applied to the online environment, where there is typically a higher emphasis on the task/content and less emphasis on the delivery of information. The result is that an application that is supposed to be universal and one size fits all makes the assumption that students are familiar with and capable of working in groups regardless of how the information is delivered. It is possible that the online environment will provide additional issues for the external or isolated learner as a result of the concerns about engagement, access, community, and support that students can have while participating in group activities regardless of the medium used.

The Importance of Educational Technology during the Pandemic

Everyone on the planet is concerned that, in the wake of the outbreak, online learning will lose its popularity, and that this would have ramifications for the global education business. Even prior to the COVID-19 meeting, there has been a significant increase in the acceptance and usage of educational technologies in the classroom (Wallace et al., 2021). Since the COVID-19 conference, other trends have evolved, including an increase in the usage of language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing technologies, and online learning software, to name a few examples. To illustrate, consider the scenario in China, where the government mandated that 250 million full-time students begin their studies online in the middle of February, resulting in widespread use of the online learning platform Tencent Classroom throughout the country (UNICEF, 2020). 800,000 or 80 percent of China’s K-12 students are currently enrolled in lessons offered by the Tencent K-12 Online School (Zhao, 2020), which has developed to become the largest online educational movement in the history of education. Many people are concerned that making a hasty and unprepared transition to online learning may result in a terrible user experience for the student. The vast majority of individuals, on the other hand, believe that a new hybrid educational paradigm will emerge, one that will offer significant benefits. As the use of technology in education continues to gain momentum, it seems likely that online learning will become a normal component of school curricula in the future.

Educating people outside of the traditional classroom context has become increasingly viable, thanks in large part to technology improvements. Remote learning technologies have been effectively implemented in all countries, and they make use of a combination of television, radio, the internet, and mobile platforms to accomplish this. Regarding low-income countries, over a third of the population stated that at least half of their children had not been reached through remote learning opportunities. Because of the substantial digital gap, a “business as usual” approach will not be helpful in ensuring that all children have access to educational opportunities and opportunities (Dong et al., 2020). It is necessary to address three parts of the digital gap in education in order to close it: ICT infrastructure consists of three components: digital infrastructure (connections, devices, and software); human infrastructure (teaching capacity, student abilities, and parental support); and logistical and administrative processes for the deployment and maintenance of IT architecture.

Despite the fact that education technology investments have increased across the board in many nations, learning and results have not greatly improved as a result of these increases. To put it bluntly, the use of computers in schools has had a mixed influence on students’ academic ability, to put it another way, to put it another way, to put it another way, to put it another way. Instead of debating whether or not to do anything, COVID has changed the focus to how to go about accomplishing that goal. We don’t need to state that online teaching and learning are not the same as teaching and learning in a traditional classroom environment. Professors with access to e-content, for example, have used it in class exactly like they would any other textbook, according to many students who attended the class. The information structure should be made more compact and modular, and edutainment and regular feedback might be included. Smaller online discussions with more open-ended questions may also be held, among other things. No amount of emphasis can be placed enough on the importance of human connections and relationships in educational settings. It is impossible to replace outstanding teachers and students in a physical setting; but, we should concentrate on the social aspects of technology in order to create relationships across time and space from a distance. Education professionals must devote a significant amount of time and attention to technological advancements in order to improve teaching and learning for children in both the classroom and the home environment.

Comparing the lack of educational technology between the UK and China

When it comes to integrating electronic learning technologies, university administrators in both China and the United Kingdom face a variety of challenges, some of which are similar and others which are distinct. A traditional way of thinking, limited government support, ineffective teaching procedures, and a high level of market demand hamper schools in the United Kingdom (Yen et al., 2021), while a lack of time and money, as well as the use of outmoded technology, stymie educational institutions in China (Zhao, 2020). In terms of putting e-learning into practice, the organizational and technical challenges are the same in both the United Kingdom and China. When it comes to the deployment of cutting-edge e-learning technology, higher education institutions across the United Kingdom and China require a significant amount of assistance. In order to ensure the successful implementation of e-learning technologies in higher education, it is required to make investments in technological competency as well as additional funding for training and human resources. This investment should come from a variety of sources, including both institutional and governmental sources. This means that e-learning technologies require both institutional and governmental investment in order to be successful in their implementation.

Throughout the world, educational philosophy is based on the promotion of higher education and the encouragement of gifted individuals to pursue technical education. The promotion of higher education is particularly important, as is the encouragement of gifted individuals to pursue technical education. In order to stimulate and support the development of higher education in their respective countries, all countries have adopted proactive measures to accomplish this goal. China’s higher education system has evolved into a stumbling barrier to the country’s social and economic prosperity as reform and openness have advanced further. In order to meet the growing demand for professional and technical skills in the country’s economic development sector, China’s vocational higher education has set itself the goal of educating individuals to meet the needs of social and economic development. This is in response to the country’s growing demand for professional and technical skills in the economic development sector. It is no coincidence that when it comes to educational practice, talent training is closely related with the social technology employment shortage. The batch of market-oriented training models for qualified personnel has taken the initiative in this direction (Zhao, 2020). It is anticipated that this will reduce the need for new workers in the market and will contribute to ensuring that the Chinese economy continues to grow at a healthy rate in the future. China’s higher education system differs significantly from the “dual system” of British education, which is a system that has two distinct levels of instruction at the same time. In higher education in the United Kingdom, an increasing amount of focus is being placed on ability training, which is a trend that is becoming more prevalent. Universities support higher education in a variety of ways, and the university-supported Chinese higher education system will not only provide students with systemic knowledge, but it will also be able quickly adapt its curriculum to meet changing industry needs, thereby increasing its utility to society as a whole. Higher education reform in China should aggressively draw on British experiences in order to develop a system that is distinctively Chinese. This includes enhancing the fundamental construction of the legal system as well as the top-level construction of vocational education; conducting quality certification and encouraging businesses to participate in the practice of the vocational education system; and regulating the connotative implications of words and phrases, among other measures.

Education leaders in China are setting the bar extremely high for themselves when it comes to integrating cutting-edge digital tools into the classroom environment. Parents and schools alike are eager to embrace any new technology that may assist their children in their academic endeavors, and as a result, the market is still in its infancy and quite competitive at this point.. Increased availability of publicly available data, increased technology capabilities, significant public money, and hands-on support are all necessary to catalyze this expansion. Inhibiting the growth of educational technology are structures such as the importance put on entrance examinations for students or a scarcity of a critical mass of experts in artificial intelligence (AI) and implementation in educational environments (Zhao, 2020). These limits have been recognized by the Chinese government, which is attempting to improve the quality of local educational institutions, with the goal of scaling up such changes across the country if they are deemed successful in the near term. During the period of Covid-19, education technology grew in China as a result of official and commercial initiatives that analysts referred to as “boiling hot.”

According to a new report, technology is becoming more prevalent in British classrooms, putting the country as a leader in the global transformation of the classroom. It is possible that educational technology (ed tech) will revolutionize the way pupils perceive and absorb information as it becomes more widely used in today’s classrooms as it becomes more ubiquitous. Incorporating more current technology into the education model is being pioneered by British information technology businesses, which are developing everything from mixed reality courses and coding kits to digital textbooks and the usage of video games as a learning tool. In schools, interactive smart board screens have replaced chalkboards; pupils now utilize tablets to answer quizzes on novels they have recently read, and colorful smartphone apps to solve arithmetic problems at home. For the purpose of keeping parents informed about their children’s progress throughout the day, some teachers employ social media sharing platforms that are specifically intended for this purpose.

Analysis of COVID-19 pandemic response strategies in Chinese and British Institutions of Higher Education

China

The epidemic had a major impact on all parts of Chinese life, especially schooling. China was the first country to deal with COVID-19. After SARS in 2003, a responsive and transparent emergency structure was progressively established, paving the way for the more difficult COVID-19 viral pandemic. All parties engaged coordinated interventions to achieve a safe, resilient, and inclusive recovery. All schools were closed on February 17, 2020, but gradually reopened in March, with a full reopening in September. Its ability to open and administer schools without cluster transmissions was outstanding. COVID-19’s unexpected outbreak forced China to declare an emergency. Closing schools was seen as a good way to stop the sickness spreading. It did, however, create huge difficulties for all students and teachers to continue obtaining great education.

Large-scale, sudden school closures hampered the delivery of education services to students, especially those from low-income households and those living in remote areas without access to the internet or technical devices. Children left alone at home during lockdowns were more prone to physical and psychological issues. To remain competitive, teachers of different genders, ages, experiences, educational backgrounds, and geographical regions had to quickly transition to distant education. This required new skills and knowledge in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, online learning platforms and technology, as well as physical classrooms and facilities. Due to the outbreak, teachers were forced to handle a wide range of difficulties far faster than previously thought possible. Providing online lectures to all pupils and establishing facilities for reopening in China proved tough due to China’s enormous school population and varied ICT infrastructure. National and local government cooperation The epidemic had a major impact on many aspects of Chinese culture, especially education. China was the first to deal with COVID-19. During the SARS pandemic in 2003, a rapid and transparent emergency response structure was gradually established, laying the groundwork for the 2014 COVID-19 epidemic. Participants’ actions were coordinated to create a safe, inclusive rehabilitation. All schools were closed on February 17, but began reopening in March and will be fully operating by September. It’s worth emphasizing that schools could be opened and run without transmission cluster data. The unprecedented spread of COVID-19 has prompted a declaration of emergency in China. It was supposed to be effective in decreasing pandemic influenza spread while schools were closed. Despite this, it faced significant obstacles for both students and educators to maintain high-quality education.

School closures prevented many students from receiving regular face-to-face instruction, particularly those from low-income families and those living in remote areas. Children who were confined to their homes during lockdowns were more prone to physical and mental illnesses. To succeed in the new world of distance education, teachers must quickly adapt to their new roles. New abilities were required in curriculum, pedagogy, and evaluation, as well as in digital instructional platforms, infrastructures, and platforms. The pandemic compelled teachers to deal with an extraordinary amount of difficulties in record time. Providing online lectures to guarantee all students continue to study and preparing facilities for reopening proved tough in China, which has the world’s largest school population and the most diverse ICT infrastructure. Collaboration between central and school levels within education,