CONTEXT: With the unprecedented challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are urgent calls for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to shift from face-to-face to online delivery of coursework. Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) has emerged as a targeted intervention enabling a temporary shift to online coursework delivery in times of crisis. While there is a large body of literature on ‘online teaching’, it is still unclear how to cater for ERT situations with regard to: 1) the transition into ERT mode, 2) ongoing curriculum delivery in ERT mode, and 3) the transition to ‘new normal’ practices following crises. PURPOSE OR GOAL: This study focuses on the transition into ERT and ongoing curriculum delivery. The research sought guidance from engineering educators on effectively delivering coursework during times of crisis. Specifically, the researchers built on their research experiences in addressing disaster preparedness and response through ‘remote immersive collaboration’, to identify enablers and barriers for emergency remote teaching that could guide engineering educators to make right time, right place decisions for effective learning and teaching outcomes during times of crisis. APPROACH OR METHODOLOGY/METHODS: An exploratory study was carried out to identify barriers and enablers for engineering educators to engage in flexible learning and teaching activities during crises. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with engineering educators within one Australian University, focusing on the COVID19 pandemic as a lived experience of teaching in a crisis. ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES: The findings of the semi-structured interviews comprised synthesised insights regarding:

1. Digital literacy of the participants; 2) Barriers for a rapid transition to ERT; and 3) Enablers and opportunities to improve ERT. All participants acknowledged the importance of doing online teaching well during the COVID19 crisis but felt under-prepared and at times ill-equipped to deliver what was expected by management and the students themselves.
   CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS/SUMMARY: The authors conclude that ERT relies on significant digital enablement, which has happened during COVID19 in an ad hoc manner, led by champions in the form of individual staff and local School leadership. The authors highlight the opportunity to use the gathered ERT evidence about perceived enablers and barriers to inform systematic and prioritised actions at the level of School and Program.