Abstract
An academic’s adoption of online learning during the 2020 lockdown required new levels of engagement with the learning management system (LMS). In this position piece, we suggest that academics are pivotal to online course development, and they should determine alternative means of instruction and assessment during any transition to online learning. We present two models of an academic’s interactions with the LMS and propose that the academic’s engagement with the LMS, and their willingness to be in partnership with experts in e-learning, should remain central to their university’s strategic development. The 2020 lockdown presented both challenges and opportunities to academics regarding their engagement with the LMS and online teaching—we suggest that the role of the academic is critical for successful implementation of the post-pandemic online ambitions of New Zealand universities.
