Abstracts
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted higher education globally, revealing both traditional pedagogies' strengths and weaknesses. As institutions turned to online learning, significant gaps in accessibility, digital literacy, and adaptability became apparent. This paper argues for a radical transformation of pedagogical innovation in post-pandemic higher education, advocating for a shift towards more flexible, inclusive, and student-centred learning models to bring the sustainable change we all want. It highlights key strategies, such as hybrid models, personalized learning, active and experiential learning, and rethinking assessment methods. These innovations, supported by digital tools, can better address diverse student needs and prepare learners for a rapidly evolving workforce. Nevertheless, institutional resistance to change, addressing the digital divide, and ensuring scalability remain potential barriers and challenges that must be overcome to achieve it. This paper, therefore, calls for collective and coordinated efforts by higher education institutions, stakeholders and policymakers to drive the required systemic change in higher education. By embracing these innovations, universities can build a more flexible, resilient, equitable, and future-ready education system that moves beyond the limitations of traditional pedagogies. The pandemic offers a unique opportunity to rethink the foundations of higher education and prioritize pedagogical practices that promote critical thinking, adaptability, and lifelong learning in an uncertain world.
Keywords:
- Higher Education,
- Radical Pedagogy
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Appendices
Biographical notes
Dr. Awu Isaac Oben holds a PhD in Education Leadership and Management. He is a postdoctoral researcher at the College of International Studies, Southwest University, Chongqing, China. He is a researcher, teacher, creative writer, author, and mentor/team leader. His research interests include higher education, teacher education, curriculum and teaching theory, principles of education, artificial intelligence in education, educational psychology, educational technology, digital transformation of education, educational policy, educational leadership and management, teacher development, English language and literature teaching.
Prof. Xu Hui is a professor and PhD /Postdocs supervisor at Southwest University’s Faculty of Education. His career spans prominent roles, including Dean of the Chongqing Research Academy of Education Sciences (2013–2018), Director of the Higher Education Department of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Education (2009–2013), and Senior Visiting Scholar at the University of Illinois (1998–1999). His research interests include comparative education, higher education, internationalization of education, educational policies, pedagogy, curriculum, and teacher education.
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