Coronavirus Pandemic & Online Education Impact on Developing Countries

In this book, eight substantive chapters examine how “developing” countries such as Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Mexico confronted the pandemic-driven online education shift. As local instruments, resources, and preferences of specific universities meshed with global platforms, ideas, and knowledge, the book addresses several questions. Was the mix too flaky to survive increasing competitiveness? Were countries capable enough to absorb mammoth software technological changes? Throwing a “developed” country (the United States) in for contrast, the book elaborates on the inequities between these countries. Some of these inequalities were economic (infrastructural provisions and accesses), others involved gender (the role of women), political (the difference between public and private universities), social (accessibility across social spectrum), and developmental (urban-rural divides). In doing so, new hypotheses on widening global gaps are highlighted in the book for further investigation.

1. Introduction: End of the line, or new threshold? Pedagogy at Bay.- 2. Online educational & sustaining resiliency in Bangladesh: Scaffolding pathways.- 3. Undergraduate studies & the Covid context: Promoting self-regulated learning.- 4. Making the most of online classes: Clipping pedagogy’s future?.- 5. Bangladesh’s public universities, online education, & Covid-19 pandemic: Convulsions & corrections.- 6. Bangladesh women varsity students face Covid-19 online Education & inter-sectionalist insights.- 7. Online university teaching during Covid-19: The Malaysian experience.- 8. Dealing with Covid-19 in a Mexican university: Academic challenges, psychological wear & faculty economy.- 9. Transition to digital classrooms: Learning on one’s own.- 10. Conclusions: Roller-coasting Pedagogy: “We ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

Imtiaz A. Hussain is Professor in Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB, 2016-), having previously taught in Mexico’s Universidad Iberoamericana (1995-2013) and Philadelphia University (1990-94). He founded the Department of Global Studies & Governance (GSG) Department, and published Transatlantic Transitions (2018); South Asia in Global Power Rivalry (2019); Global-Local Trade-offs, (2022), Rohingya Camp Narratives (2022), Corona Pandemic & Online Education (2022); and Branding Bangladesh (2022). Previous publications include: North American Regionalism and Global Spread (2015); Evaluating NAFTA (2013); Border Governance and the ‘Unruly’ South (2013), North America’s Soft Security Threat (2013); Afghanistan-Iraq and Post-conflict Governance (2010); Impact of NAFTA on North America (2010), North American Homeland Security (2008); Running on Empty Across Central America (2006); and Globalization, Indigenous Groups, and Mexico’s Plan Puebla Plan (2006). His articles can be found in Handbook of Global Security and Intelligence (2008), South Asian Survey (2008), Politics & Policy (2008), Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (2006),  Norteamérica (2006), with columns in Dhaka’s Daily Star and Financial Express newspapers. A recipient of over a dozen international fellowships and 8 teaching awards in 3 countries, he graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 1989.