Engaging learners in the emergency transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic INTRODUCTION

Students and instructors in K-12 and higher education had to quickly transition to remote or online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid shift was challenging for students, instructors, administrators, and parents across the world. One of the biggest challenges was keeping learners engaged during remote learning due to the physical separation of instructors and students that resulted due to the pandemic. Among the fourteen articles published in this special issue on online learner engagement during COVID-19, three major themes emerged, including: (1) theories and frameworks to engage online learners, (2) characteristics of learners in various educational contexts, and (3) the selection of strategies and provisions of support in the engagement of learners during this quick transition to online or remote learning.