This edited collection addresses the need of evaluating innovative or non-traditional academic schemes for understanding their feasibility in extraordinary educational environments. The individual chapters are enriched with robust appraisals of policies and practices linked to academic innovations in higher education during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The case studies report wide-ranging teaching, learning and academic support practices within online, open, blended and distance learning models. The findings supply two domains of scholarship: evidence-based scenarios through real-world case studies, and a critical evaluation of educational quality through research-informed argument. The evidence gathered from countries, such as Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the UK show empowering and deterring elements of academic innovation amid disruptions. Although this book highlights academic innovations in disruptive situations, they emerge as powerful tools and approaches to be considered in traditional face to face learning.

Md Golam Jamil is Senior Lecturer in Academic Development at Leeds Trinity University, UK. Prior to this role, he worked as Researcher (Assessment) at the University of Bristol and Research Fellow (Research-informed Teaching) at Solent University. Golam is Senior Fellow of Advance HE, UK.

Dawn A. Morley is Principal Academic in adult nursing and leads a new registered nurse degree apprenticeship at Bournemouth University, UK. She has previously worked in academic development and has published extensively in alternative pedagogies including editing three previous collections. Dawn is Senior Fellow of Advance HE, UK.