ABSTRACT
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected every facet of human life in the contemporary world. Consequently, university students have to adjust to radically change learning environments. Moreover, the movement restrictions from the government-imposed lockdowns negatively affected students' mental health due to mental issues such as stress, frustration, and depression. The pandemic has caused considerable changes in our daily lives. These reasons are why the virus has hurt individuals' mental health, especially students who had to cope with changes in the education system and even the loss of loved ones. The ambiguity resulting from the pandemic has yet to be fully covered, particularly the students' well-being and the new learning landscape that they are anticipated to navigate seamlessly without their usual support systems. Covid-19 did disrupt the normal and put us all in numerous stressful circumstances' and forced us to have to face overwhelming difficulties at a time. Covid-19 lockdown and pandemic did bring about a sense of anxiety and fear around the world. The spectacle has led to students' long-term and short-term mental health and psychological implications. The paper presents research showing that most students were not prepared for this change, and that indeed they were affected mentally by remote learning. Additionally, the effect of prolonged pandemic fatigue and lockdown on university scholars and academic experiences is unclear. This paper reviews articles about mental health aspects of students and online learning experiences impacted by Covid-19 and provides a roadmap for an ongoing research. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
Many higher education institutions moved to online learning settings due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued using online settings entirely or in a blended learning format. Usability and design interactivity are essential components of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), which need to be frequently measured and studied to ensure successful users' adoption of learning management systems (LMS) for higher education institutions and to achieve deep learning and improve students' engagement. This paper examines the usability level of the Blackboard Ultra interface perceived by two groups of users, faculty members and students at the College of Applied Studies (CAS) at the University of Bahrain (UoB). It investigates if a correlation exists between the results of each group. In addition, it studies demographic factors influencing users' perceived usability. This study uses a usability metric called Website Analysis and Measurement Inventory (WAMMI) to evaluate perceived usability. WAMMI measures five usability sub-scales: Attractiveness, Controllability, Efficiency, Helpfulness, and Learnability. Results indicate that Blackboard Ultra achieved an acceptable level of global usability score by both groups. Moreover, no significant differences were found between students' and faculty's perceptions of usability except for the efficiency sub-scale. Furthermore, the learnability sub-scale scored the least among students and faculty members, resembling a neutral usability level. The study also found that a higher frequency of BB usage resulted in higher levels of perceived usability. Based on the findings, the study proposes recommendations to improve Blackboard Ultra's usability level further among students and academic faculty members. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 Pandemic still surges persistently in 2020, affecting lives, all forms of businesses, individuals, and industries globally. The pandemic has a clear and strong effect on world economic development. The assessments so far show that the COVID-19 could slash global economic growth by 2.0% for each month when existing challenges persist. World commerce might also slash by 13% to 32%, subject to the penetration and level of a world economic depression. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on Malaysian Takaful business and future effect of COVID-19 in Malaysia at 2020. By this time, it is obvious that the pandemic has intense detrimental effect on both the Malaysian macroeconomic and economic welfare of the people. Bank Negara Malaysia in 2020 has forecast that GDP growth will fall between 3.5% and 5.5%. Currently, unemployment is expected to rise to 5%. Islamic economy is also being affected by the virus incidence. The Malaysian Takaful industry is not excluded from the anticipated impact of the economic slowdown in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from considerably hampered growth in 2020, Takaful operators will also have to cope with the increased volatility and rising credit risks of their investments in 2021 and may be 2022. During the pandemic spread of COVID-19 the Malaysian government took financial actions to save the economic sector and to reduce the negative effects of MCO. Malaysian Takaful companies provide better service by using new technological tools;thus, to maintain the operations and social responsibility. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.