ABSTRACT
This work investigates the use of distance learning in saving students' academic year amid COVID-19 lockdown. It assesses the adoption of distance learning using various online application tools that have gained widespread attention during the coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Distance learning thrives as a legitimate alternative to classroom instructions, as major cities around the globe are locked down amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To save the academic year, educational institutions have reacted to the situation impulsively and adopted distance learning platforms using online resources. This study surveyed random undergraduate students to identify the impact of trust in formal and informal information sources, awareness and the readiness to adopt distance learning. In this study, we have hypothesized that adopting distance learning is an outcome of situational awareness and readiness, which is achieved by the trust in the information sources related to distance learning. The findings indicate that trust in information sources such as institute and media information or interpersonal communication related to distance learning programs is correlated with awareness (ß = 0.423, t = 12.296, p = 0.000) and contribute to readiness (ß = 0.593, t = 28.762, p = 0.001). The structural model path coefficient indicates that readiness strongly influences the adoption of distance learning (ß = 0.660, t = 12.798, p = 0.000) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Our proposed model recorded a predictive relevance (Q2) of 0.377 for awareness, 0.559 for readiness, and 0.309 for the adoption of distance learning, which explains how well the model and its parameter estimates reconstruct the values. This study concludes with implications for further research in this area.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to react to COVID-19 and is intended to transcend the regular thoughts to deeper issues towards humanity and nature. This paper also extends further the article “pedagogy of life beyond extinction” published in the Journal for Multicultural Education. This paper continues this discussion by further inward reflections on the self and the search for ultimate happiness amid the current pandemic that emerged in 2020. The study focusses on a holistic perspective towards a pedagogy that extends further the previous article by focussing on issues of happiness, dialogue and self-awareness.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a reflective and exploratory, style that is an enabler for future research into a pedagogy that is focussed on humanity and nature.FindingsThe conceptual paper explores a holistic perspective towards a pedagogy that considers issues of happiness, dialogue and self-awareness.Originality/valueThis study’s intention is to extend the notion of pedagogy that looks beyond educational institutions in seeking a wider understanding of humanity and nature. The concept of “pedagogy of life beyond happiness” is used as a way to understand levels of the “self” as a way to gain deeper self-awareness. This provides a lens for seeking ultimate happiness.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThe purpose of this study is a reaction to COVID-19 and is intended to transcend the regular thoughts to deeper issues towards humanity and nature. The study explores the notion of extinction, and what we value, and alludes to humanity increasingly having fractured self-awareness in the context of the uncharted health threat of the global pandemic of 2020. The study focusses on a holistic perspective towards pedagogy that explores related issues of knowledge, spirituality, self-awareness and embodied actions.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a reflective, and exploratory, style that is an enabler for future research into pedagogy that is focussed on humanity and nature.FindingsThe conceptual paper explores an holistic perspective towards pedagogy that considers issues of knowledge, spirituality, self-awareness and embodied actions.Originality/valueThis study’s intention is to extend our notion of pedagogy that looks beyond educational institutions in seeking a wider understanding of humanity and nature. The concept of “pedagogy of life beyond extinction” is used as a way to identify a selfless way in life that is underpinned by self-awareness. This provides a lens to intrinsic and extrinsic values that come from an interpretation of truth in our existence beyond self-interest.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Educational institutes around the globe are facing challenges of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Online learning is being carried out to avoid face to face contact in emergency scenarios such as coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Students need to adapt to new roles of learning through information technology to succeed in academics amid COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: However, access and use of online learning resources and its link with satisfaction of students amid COVID-19 are critical to explore. Therefore, in this paper, we aimed to assess and compare the access & use of online learning of Bruneians and Pakistanis amid enforced lockdown using a five-items satisfaction scale underlying existing literature. METHOD: For this, a cross-sectional study was done in the first half of June 2020 after the pandemic situation among 320 students' across Pakistan and Brunei with a pre-defined questionnaire. Data were analyzed with statistical software package for social sciences (SPSS) 2.0. RESULTS: The finding showed that there is a relationship between students' satisfaction and access & use of online learning. Outcomes of the survey suggest that Bruneian are more satisfied (50%) with the use of online learning amid lockdown as compared to Pakistanis (35.9%). Living in the Urban area as compared to a rural area is also a major factor contributing to satisfaction with the access and use of online learning for both Bruneian and Pakistanis. Moreover, previous experience with the use of online learning is observed prevalent among Bruneians (P = .000), while among friends and family is using online learning (P = .000) were encouraging factors contributed to satisfaction with the use of online learning among Pakistanis amid COVID-19. Correlation results suggest that access and use factors of online learning amid COVID-19 were positively associated with satisfaction among both populations amid COVID-19 pandemic. However, Bruneian is more satisfied with internet access (r = 0.437, P < .000) and affordability of gadgets (r = 0.577, P < .000) as compare to Pakistanis (r = 0.176, P < .050) and (r = 0.152, P < .050). CONCLUSION: The study suggested that it is crucial for the government and other policymakers worldwide to address access and use of online learning resources of their populace amid pandemic.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 pandemic has affected over 100 countries in a matter of weeks. People's response toward social distancing in the emerging pandemic is uncertain. In this study, we evaluated the influence of information (formal and informal) sources on situational awareness of the public for adopting health-protective behaviors such as social distancing. For this purpose, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted. The hypothesis proposed suggests that adoption of social distancing practices is an outcome of situational awareness which is achieved by the information sources. Results suggest that information sources, formal (P = .001) and informal (P = 0.007) were found to be significantly related to perceived understanding. Findings also indicate that social distancing is significantly influenced by situational awareness, P = .000. It can, therefore, be concluded that an increase in situational awareness in times of public health crisis using formal information sources can significantly increase the adoption of protective health behavior and in turn contain the spread of infectious diseases.