Digital Communication and Learning : Changes and Challenges

This edited book collects papers with perspectives from scholars and practitioners in Asia, Australia, and Europe to reveal the pros and cons, chances and challenges, constraints, and potential risks that educators and learners are facing as the new paradigm for communication and learning takes place, with a view to shedding light on the global education climate in the midst of the pandemic. Since the onset of the global pandemic, education has been revolutionized in almost every aspect. The emergency precautionary measures which were once supposed to be temporary school arrangements only have now become the new normal, reshaping our understanding of learning environments, redefining the pedagogic standards in terms of teaching practices, learning designs, teacher–student interaction, feedback, and assessment. Online teaching, distanced learning, flipped classrooms, and self-paced e-learning have all played an increasingly vital role in shaping a new education culture in various education settings, affecting school management, teachers, students, and parents alike. While ICT in education, alongside new media, has provided ample benefits and convenience for educators and students, communication and virtual lessons conducted in the socially distanced classroom appear to have brought issues such as the digital divide, e-mental health, insufficient technical support, inefficient classroom management, reduced interaction between teachers and students, not to mention the growing concerns over privacy and security.

Tso, Wing Bo Anna (The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong)―Anna Tso obtained her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from The University of Birmingham, UK. She is currently Associate Professor of English at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. She is Vice President of the HKAECT, Associate Editor of the award-winning Digital Culture and Humanities book series, and Guest Editor of Creativity and Critical Thinking in Practice (2021), a special issue of the Journal of Communication and Education under the HKAECT. Her research interests lie in the intersection of applied linguistics, children’s literature, and digital literacy.

Chan, Chi-Keung Alex (Hong Kong Shue Yan University)―Alex Chan received his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota, USA. He is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Counselling and Psychology at the Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU). Alex is also Director of Positive Psychology Laboratory at HKSYU. Alex was former Vice President of HKAECT in 2016 and 2017. His research interests include positive technologies, serious gaming, and positive media psychology.

Chan, Wing-Lam Wendy (The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong). Wendy Chan received her Ph.D. in Journalism and Communication from Hong Kong Baptist University. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. Wendy was the former Vice-President of HKAECT in 2018 and 2019. Her research interests include media professionalism and journalistic presentation.

Peter Edward Sidorko (The University of Hong Kong - HKU)―Peter Sidorko is Senior Consultant of HKU Libraries. Peter Sidorko holds Masters’ degrees in library management as well as educational research and has enjoyed a career in academic libraries spanning over thirty-five years. He is currently Senior Consultant at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) Libraries and was most recently the University Librarian at HKU from 2011–2021. In the position as University Librarian, he held responsibility for leading and directing all aspects of the HKU Libraries network of 6 libraries.  Peter is past President elect of the Hong Kong Library Association, serving from 2011––2012 as well as a past Vice \President from 2017–2018.  
Will W. K. Ma, Ph.D., is Head of the Learning Commons & Digital Innovation, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi). The Learning Commons & Digital Innovation is responsible for providing physical learning space, information technology services, physical and online learning resources for staff and students to promote applied research and to enhance learning. He is also Champion of staff development, especially in technology-enhanced learning.  Dr. Ma's research focuses on the use of information systems for communication, knowledge sharing, andknowledge creation.