Innovating Amid Disruption: Patterns of Change and Priorities in Technical Education During COVID-19

Objective/Research Question: The global pandemic has caused major disruptions to technical education, a leading innovator in providing students with the most up-to-date education and training as they transition into careers. Although there is growing evidence of instructional changes in higher education more broadly in response to COVID-19, we have yet to learn what has happened in community colleges and specifically technical education. This study examines what new policies, practices, and initiatives pertaining to technical education emerged as a result of COVID-19, along with prominent patterns and themes that underlie the uncovered changes and innovations. Methods: We leveraged the concept of disruptive adaptation, technical college system media sources, and cutting-edge text mining techniques to present a portrait of the changes and innovations that emerged in technical education during the pandemic across a statewide technical college system. Results: Findings revealed seven key areas of change and innovation: technology/material access for virtual learning, instructional adaptations, student support, college operations, return to campus, COVID-19 and community support, and new initiatives. Four themes underlie the emerging patterns and priorities: access and flexibility, holistic support for students, community focus, and agility to innovate. Conclusions/Contributions: Our study points to community colleges’ and technical education’s commitment to students amid disruptions, as well as the need for a focus on faculty support and development and sustained diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Moreover, through the lens of disruptive adaptation, the pandemic has served as a catalyst accelerating technical education innovation in widespread and overlapping ways within the college, community, and beyond.