During the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen universities and other education providers responding quickly to the challenges of providing education in an environment where campuses have been forced to close. Some were already providing blended education and have had to scale up; others have put in place what has sometimes been called ‘emergency distance education’. Those who are concerned with only f2f teaching have had to innovate / improvise to put in provision very fast. A number of journals have called for special issue papers to explore various aspects of this unforeseen situation such as sustainability for the future, engagement and accessibility to all.

Call for papers for a special collection

Now that we are at a little distance from the onset of lockdowns in many countries and universities are open to students again, JIME is calling for papers for a special collection that can offer some longer-term reflections on the responses to Covid-19 in higher education. The editors invite papers in this theme, meeting the normal author requirements. JIME seeks to gather a collection of papers to contribute to its understanding of how educational technology has been harnessed to support education during this period, and what has or has not worked. Given the speed with which new approaches have been put in place, the editors welcome consideration not only of successes, but of challenges and lessons learned. Papers might explore the following themes:

• Case studies of new approaches to teaching with evidence of their impact
• Accessibly of online/blended provision during this time for disabled students
• The role of different communities in supporting teaching during this time
• The role of MOOCs and online courses during this period
• Support for teachers in hitherto face to face institutions that have made a transition
• The extent to which new approaches are likely to be sustainable
• The role of OER
• Surprising challenges and surprising successes

Overall, the editors welcome a focus on a reflective approach, and as usual, submissions to JIME should have a clear educational focus or application, and should go beyond anecdotes or opinion. The editors encourage historical analysis, rich case studies, and innovative analytic methods applied to literature, interviews and data. Submissions are expected to advance knowledge in the field of educational technology and/or open education conceptually and/or empirically.

Full papers should be submitted by the 31st January 2021. Further information can be found on the JIME website.