Dear Author:

It is clear that you have taken a lot of time to prepare this manuscript.  I hope that my comments (below) are of some use to you.

Your research is quite timely, considering the current shift in instructional trends.  It would strengthen the paper to identify the pandemic by name and date in order to further establish relevance, rather than simply calling it "the pandemic" in your introduction.  While you do list it by name later, it may be more prudent to formally introduce it earlier in your text.  

Direct quotes should include the page number from which the quote was derived.  You have done this sometimes, but the Prensky reference on page 1 and the Mandernach and Holbeck reference on page 8 are missing their associated page numbers.

You discuss the shift to online learning for all grade levels, but you don't clearly establish where this study takes place in that statement - are you addressing a global shift, a shift only in America, or a regional shift?  It appears to be a regional shift when you discuss ASU and GCU, but it might be more clear to the readers to specify that earlier in the paper.

How are you measuring success in the "Lessons Learned: What Worked" section for ASU?  I like how you've addressed what was done, but the degree of success is unclear in this section.  However, your "Lessons Learned: Areas for Improvement" section does provide clear areas where educators and educational leaders adjusted in order to meet the demands of the new format.  This section is well-developed, and I might suggest combining both of these sections into a single section called "Lessons Learned."

You have done a good job of identifying multiple platforms for online and hybrid learning.  This adds to your paper in a meaningful way.

Your section on Discussion Boards under GCU is quite long.  I would suggest breaking down that single paragraph into multiple paragraphs for clarity.  

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on your work!  I enjoyed reading your paper and hope that my suggestions are helpful to you.  I am looking forward to reading your final draft in the JIR!

This was an interesting article, the content of which we are all seeing play out in real life.  One thing I find interesting is that there are some of us who have only ever taught online and for decades at that.  For us, the "shift" was non-existent.  We were used to it.  The tools discussed are not new to those who have been teaching online for years.  The real transition seems to be primarily with those who have taught only by traditional means.  So in a sense, it is almost like there is an entire group of educators who have been teaching online for years that are simply being ignored.  It is as though the discoveries coming about as a result of the pandemic are new when they are in fact not.  For example, you said, "Traditional methods of teaching focus on transmitting knowledge to learners."  Online methods do not?  Online professors have been looked down upon by the traditional professors as not being real professors for quite a long time.  Now when traditional instructors have been thrown into having to engage in online teaching, all of a sudden there is an effort to legitimize online teaching proving these "poor" individuals who have been forced to go virtual tools and techniques.  Pardon my harshness and sarcasm.  It is just that having been an online professor for 14 years, it feels like another slap in the face because there are those of us who are already experts in this area.  I am not certain why the article hit me in that manner, but unfortunately, it did.  

Jennifer Geyer I can strongly appreciate your sentiments.  As a prior Master's Degree online student, I had often heard that online learning was not as valuable as a traditional college education, when in fact, I have had the experience of both, college with my Bachelor's Degree in the traditional setting and my Master's Degree in the online format.  I have to say that online is a very different experience, but I found it to be more challenging.

In addition to being a prior student in both formats, I am also an instructor in both the traditional setting and online.  Both have their different challenges, however they are both very valuable educational formats.

I do agree with you that, online learning has all of a sudden become more of a legitimate format given the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is not fair to the experts who have been providing that education in that format for years.

Best, 

Shannon

Dear Author, 

Thank you for an opportunity to read your article and provide you with my feedback on it!

As my colleagues who shared their perspectives above, I find your topic extremely appealing and critical in the digital era and pandemic environment which are woven in all aspects of our life and work. I appreciate the efforts, time, and energy you have put into writing the article. I really enjoyed learning the experience of two educational institutions of transition to online learning and teaching. I understand that it must have been a challenge to find relevant peer-reviewed sources to support the statements you share in the paper, but you did a good job on it. 

I took the liberty to make specific comments of what you did really great and pointing out some areas which may be improved to make your article even stronger. Please, find the file with the comments attached. 

If you have any questions regarding my feedback, please, reach out. I would be happy to clarify the details and my perspective on the issue. 

Hope you will find my feedback helpful. Wishing you further success!!

Blessings

Dear Author,

It is clear that the focus of this manuscript is to provide a scholarly review of past to current educational practices, from the traditional in person classroom to that of the online classroom in the remote setting, and to summarize best practices for the online learning environment.  This focus is valid, important and relevant given the current trend nationally toward teaching in the online format given the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.  (I would also note this significance earlier in the manuscript as my prior colleague mentioned).

This manuscript provides great value to the reader, especially the educator – reader, because it details specific best practices for the online learner and educator.  The findings and conclusions are important, meaningful and timely given the current state of this nation and the pandemic, which is forcing educational systems to advance from the traditional in person classroom to that of the virtual classroom.  This manuscript is meaningful and important because it not only details the best practices, it outlines lessons learned, “what worked” and “areas for improvement”.

This manuscript outlines how best practices assist the educator through proper training opportunities.   It explains that it is important for educators to be competent in their online teaching platform in order to best manage disruptive students in a timely manner.  This is just one example detailed in this manuscript, there are several.   This information is vital to the educational shift to the online platform given the worldwide pandemic, and adds to our knowledge of the field.  This manuscript is definitely worthy of publication given its relevance and meaningfulness for improving the online learning platform.

Thank you for this opportunity to provide my review of your manuscript.

Best regards,

Shannon

Thank you for allowing us to review your manuscript. This topic is extremely relevant to the current educational climate; however, I have several recommendations to strengthen the manuscript. 

First, explain how you are getting your information; are you speaking to teachers from these two schools? Is it a survey of the literature? Be specific about what you are doing. 

Second, you go between discussing the two schools and the literature which can be a bit confusing for the reader. Work on the organization, flow, and transition of ideas to aid the reader in following your line of thought. 

The last part of your manuscript does not seem to match the first half. The first half discusses the two schools while the last half seems more general information from the literature. I think there is benefit to both, but you need to work on using one to form the other. Can you use examples from ASU Prep and GCU to exemplify what you are discussing in the second half? 

I have attached the manuscript with my comments for you to read. Best wishes as you continue working on this endeavor.  

The focus of this manuscript is intended to address obstacles and challenges of educators transitioning from on-ground to online learning, present best practices, and make recommendations for professionals transitioning to online learning. The focus of this manuscript is valid, important, and relevant as educators continue to transition through a variety of learning modalities. 

The manuscript is valuable to the reader because it names the struggles for the educator and the learner that was experienced globally. Narrowing the manuscript through “lessons learned” and identifying “areas of improvement” are helpful. Is it possible to propose further ways to improve by exploring the need for internet infrastructure that is fair and equitable for educators and students across rural areas? How can learning management systems and professional development be supported when there is a general lack of funding? Is there any innovative proposal or new research? The Khotimah, Zainiyati, Hamid, and Basit (2020) source presents meaningful and timely support within the manuscript. 

The changing learning landscapes requires the learner and the educator to be prepared. The manuscript brings to light several solutions that are necessary within the changing education landscape. It is important that the population and area being examined is identified as experiences may not be generalizable. Ideas stated within this manuscript add value to our knowledge of the field of education during a global pandemic. With further editing and revising, with careful proofreading, this manuscript could be ready for publication. 

Hello!

Thank you for taking the time to write and inform fellow educators related to the sudden pivot from in-person to online learning. Each school, teacher, and student may have experienced different levels of concern, training, support, and acclimation to such a sudden shift,  so it is important to document what occurred and to learn from those experiences. Should this event occur again in the future, lessons have been learned from previous experiences, and the idea would be a smoother shift to online from in-person learning and vise versa.

• What is the focus of the manuscript? Is this focus valid, important, and relevant?

The focus of this manuscript was to detail the challenges of a sudden pivot from in-person learning one week to entirely online learning the next week. Teachers, administrators, parents, students, and all others were not adequately prepared for this sudden and massive shift from in-person to online learning. 

This focus is important in that details of how and the steps that took place to move so suddenly from one learning environment to another should be documented and understood. By all accounts, the pandemic is not going to go away anytime soon, and schools and their staff and faculty members need to be prepared for this to occur again. 

• What is the value of this manuscript for the reader? Are the findings or conclusions important, meaningful and timely?

The value of this manuscript shows the reader what took place in an unprecedented teaching and learning situation that was unforeseen and sudden. Not everyone was involved with this sudden shift, as it fell to the shoulders of educators and then to the shoulders of students and families. Learning what had to be done, when, how, and why is important to not repeat history and proactive actions and plans can be crafted to ensure that such a pivot is planned for and adjusted to accordingly. 

Yes, the findings were important and timely. Educators and all others need to know what occurred and how the sudden change in schools across Arizona and other locales was adapted to. There will be ongoing adaptations based on the ever-changing forecast of the pandemic and how it will affect short-term and long-term learning, but the biggest hurdle is behind us, and understanding how that took place is important to process. 

• Is the scope, intent and implications of the manuscript aligned with the focus of JIR?

Yes, the manuscript is in alignment with the scope, intent, and implications of JIR. 

• Is the theoretical and/or empirical focus of the manuscript worthy of publication?

Yes, the empirical focus of the manuscript is worthy of publication as it documents the accounts a charter school system and a private college had to take with little to no understanding of what happened and how long it would last. This information is important so other school systems and universities can continue to adapt based upon the experiences of others who had similar challenges. 

• Does the information presented in the manuscript add value to our knowledge of the field?

Yes, the information presented in the manuscript is value added to our knowledge and understanding of the pandemic and how it affected, negatively and positively, the teaching and learning of instructors, students, families, communities, and others. It is important to document these occurrences and to continue adapting and striving for the best education possible for every student under every circumstance. 

I enjoyed reading the manuscript and I look forward to its publication in JIR!

Hello,

• What is the focus of the manuscript? Is this focus valid, important, and relevant?

This manuscript detailed the initial challenges of the spring 2020 transition from face to face to online formats. The challenges were the short amount of time before the transition, investing and creating tools need to complete the school year, and providing training to prepare educators for the online formats. The author of this manuscript discussed the lessons learned from this transition. This manuscript’s topic is valid and used sources that made good arguments for the best practices for teaching online formats. The case examples emphasized the importance and made the topic relevant to current trends in education. 

• What is the value of this manuscript for the reader? Are the findings or conclusions important, meaningful, and timely?

Even with previous studies focusing on best practices of online formats, the value of this manuscript is the result of best practices for online learning for K-12 and college/university levels. The difference with this manuscript is the changes due to all types of education settings having to shift to online in a short amount of time. The author provided how online could be implemented in each level of educational institutions and how each learner can utilize distance learning formats. It focused on what technology tools were needed, providing professional training, and synthesizing new ways to develop the same skills from a face to face to online format. Educators know how to develop a lesson and utilize classroom management, but the challenge was using a different method to produce the same result. 

• Is the scope, intent, and implications of the manuscript aligned with the focus of JIR?

Yes, the author of this manuscript perspective was improving teaching and learning.

• Is the theoretical and/or empirical focus of the manuscript worthy of publication?

Yes, the purpose and the development of the manuscript is well supported by research. It is written well, and the points are developed well. This is a manuscript that a principal or head department chair could review the information and implement ideas to prepare teachers and/or professors for teaching in an online format. 

• Does the information presented in the manuscript add value to our knowledge of the field?

Yes, this topic and the development of this topic is current and adds to the education field. The discussions presented in this manuscript could provide best practice for other professions

Thank you for your dedication to the field. I enjoyed reading this manuscript. I like how through lessons learned resulted in best practices for future guidance. Education has a history of evolving and trying different things. I like the flexibility that was a result of the online experience. There is more than one way to teach or learn. What I like about this manuscript is other future topics could develop from this topic. For example, how are schools going to continue implementing online into their classroom post-pandemic? Are there going to be whole schools being online for the K-12 students? Are there clearer ideas of who is a good fit for the online format or are there specific skills needed for online students? 

Janet Barnes

Hello,

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life activities, including education. Distance learning is not new, but the circumstances have forced a sudden need to change to that platform.

Online learning has provided opportunities and convenience to education for those students who otherwise might be denied, because they do not live in close proximity to a ground campus, conflicting work hours, travel, or in the military service.

Hopefully, whatever instruction, practices, and assessments are provided online, and at whatever educational level, the learners will flourish. 

Having taught on ground and remote for over twenty years, synchronous and asynchronous, I can see the value of both modalities. If the material and instruction provided have the needed quality and rigor, either learning environment can provide an opportunity that will promote success. The concern is that those transitioning to online be on the same high quality playing field as they would have in the brick and motor environment.

Transitioning from ground to online education, particularly, in the time of emergency is an important topic for consideration.

Ray November

Thank you for sharing your research and providing us with the opportunity to review your work! Following are my comments intended to assist you in enhancing your work.

• What is the focus of the manuscript? Is this focus valid, important, and relevant?

The focus of your manuscript – the shift from traditional face-to-face instruction to the online format is valid, important, and relevant. As you well explained, this shift has been accelerated due to the Coronavirus pandemic; catching many teachers and institutions unprepared for the transition. 

• What is the value of this manuscript for the reader? Are the findings or conclusions important, meaningful and timely?

I found your manuscript to be of great value for both instructors who have been teaching in the virtual classroom and for those transitioning to a new format. In conversations with educators transitioning from the traditional setting to the online format, I was struck with the difference in mind-set and approach applicable in the different settings. There is a learning curve transitioning between the two settings, and your manuscript provides some valuable insights in facilitating that learning curve. 

• Is the scope, intent and implications of the manuscript aligned with the focus of JIR?

Definitely!

• Is the theoretical and/or empirical focus of the manuscript worthy of publication?

The concepts contained in the manuscript are worthy of publication; however, I think the manuscript would be enhanced by cleaning up some common miscues in the writing, such as – there is an extra ‘to’ in the second sentence of the abstract, the word ‘were’ seems more appropriate in the first sentence under ‘Historical Perspectives of Online Learning,’ ‘and’ could be replaced with ‘but’ in the fifth sentence of the same section, along with other minor mechanical miscues. 

• Does the information presented in the manuscript add value to our knowledge of the field?

Your manuscript presents some excellent suggestions for engaging students in the Discussion Forum – pages 10 & 14 stood out in my review of your writing. 

Have a blessed day!

Ron Steadman

Dear writer,

I've enclosed a Word document with comments.  I've synthesized my suggestions into the following notes:

1. Watch out for your comma usage.

2. Make sure you have a source when you make a broad assertion - since this is a literature review you MUST rely on other research.

3. You'll want to add definitions when you try to make contrasts (example: traditional vs. nontraditional).

4. You missed some nuance within the public-private divide; public institutions have lagged in their adoption of broad, online programming.  There's also education happening in the tutoring space and has been so in countries like China for over a decade.

5. Your headers don't help readers understand how the essay is organized.  You may need to add something like a methodology section to help readers understand the structure of your content and the decisions you made.

Please apply individual comments holistically, as you've got several of the same errors throughout and I did stop in the middle due to time constraints.  Hope this helps you.

Regards,

Dr. Holly Whistler