Examination of Variables Affecting the Perceptions of Academic Performance of Higher Education Students during the Distance Education Process

COVID-19 has had serious consequences in all areas of social life, including education. In this period, distance education appeared as an inevitable solution. Even today, when the pandemic process is over and re-normalization has begun, online teaching environments have become such an indispensable part of education systems that it has been decided that a certain proportion of the courses will be conducted online in universities. For this reason, determining student experiences in online courses is important in planning the future of distance education. Since academic performance is the output of the teaching process, students' academic performance is one of the topics of interest in higher education research. There may be different factors affecting the academic performance of students in the distance education process, which imposes more responsibility on students and requires self-control. This study aimed to examine the relationship of academic performance in the distance education with home infrastructure, student interaction, computer skills, academic satisfaction. This research is based on a large-scale study, "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of higher education students", examining the pandemic's impact on higher education student perceptions in 2020. It has been observed that home infrastructure has a significant impact on the student's academic performance. The infrastructure increases the interaction of the student. When home infrastructure is taken as a control variable, students' computer skills are the highest predictor of their perception of academic performance, followed by their online interactions and, finally, perceived satisfaction. Today, pandemic conditions are still ongoing. In addition, even as the pandemic ends, online education has become an indispensable part of our education system. Therefore, the findings of the research would be beneficial for the ongoing planning process.

Flexible curriculum design for quantitative skills development: Building on the insights gained during COVID-19

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, technology-enhanced learning and its relation to student engagement, and the necessity of good student-staff relationships for creating a successful education environment were evident. The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher education to adapt to a challenging technology-led learning environment that demanded, inter alia, high levels of flexibility and human-centredness. Valuable lessons were learned that highlighted new perspectives on curriculum design and delivery in a normalised, technology-driven environment. Against the background of COVID-19-related literature on teaching and learning, the authors reflect on their insights regarding curriculum design and delivery of two quantitative skills modules during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on further curriculum planning. The focus of the article is on the intentional flexibility built into curriculum offerings during 2020-2022. The study reviewed flexibility on three levels, namely student, facilitator (staff) and delivery levels, through a multi-method research methodology. Quantitative data related to the academic performance of 2 949 students enrolled for the two quantitative skills modules from 2020 to 2022. Qualitative data related to themes through thematic analysis of student and facilitator surveys, focusgroup discussions and semi-structured interviews. The improved student academic performance reported by the study could be attributed to, amongst other factors, 1) flexibility of the selected delivery option, 2) positive staff and student experiences and engagement, and 3) intentional inclusion of activities promoting student-staff relationships. The good academic results obtained during the pandemic led to important curriculum decisions for a normalised future for these modules, which will be built on flexibility and human-centredness. Among these decisions is to continue presenting the modules in an online environment, even though traditional face-to-face teaching options are available.

Evaluating the Federal Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority: Early Implementation and Progress of State Efforts to Develop New Statewide Academic Assessments. Evaluation Report. NCEE 2023-004

Education officials have long hoped that the statewide academic assessments most students take each year could be used not only for accountability but also to guide instruction. Congress established the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) program in 2015 to help address this goal, offering up to seven states temporary flexibility from federal testing requirements so that they may more easily make progress toward replacing their current assessments with more innovative ones. The key incentive to participate in IADA is that students trying out the innovative assessment are not required to also take the state's current assessment. However, states approved for IADA must still show that their innovative assessments meet most requirements for federal accountability, and they are expected to implement the new assessments statewide within 5 years. This report describes the progress of the first five assessment systems approved under IADA in order to help policymakers consider expanding the program to more states. The report is primarily based on an analysis of states' IADA applications and performance reports to the U.S. Department of Education through the 2020-2021 school year and is part of a broader evaluation of IADA required by Congress. [For the Appendix, see ED627873. For the Study Highlights, see ED627880.]

University–Industry Linkages in Agriculture: The Case of Palestine

The usual crisis mode of economic operations in Palestine intersects with the adverse consequences of COVID-19 and necessitates an innovative response to survive. This research builds on potential synergies between industry and university to expand the Palestinian agriculture sector resilience. We report on an explorative study that sought to understand the reality of the university–industry linkages (UILs) by considering information and experience gathered from 29 interviews in January 2020 and April 2021. Interviewees represent five key actor groups: farmers and agribusinesses, private institutions, universities, the Ministry of Agriculture, and NGOs. Content analysis revealed a nascent collaboration scope and uncovered the lack of a confident attitude among farmers towards agriculture research efforts, the poor communication performance, and misalignment of purpose. University actors need to encompass the UILs in their mission and touch farmers' needs by providing novelty evidence research. Yet, farmers and agribusinesses may take the initiative to communicate their problems and search for renovation. We developed a framework of underpinnings to enhance collaboration and a healthier agriculture sector. We suggest activating the cooperatives and diversifying farmers' income as deemed more resilient to face the pandemic.

Inspiring Academic Confidence in University Students: Perceived Digital Experience as a Source of Self-Efficacy

Purpose: This study aims to introduce a research framework that identifies the potential sources of design self-efficacy that emerge from the digital class by covering the teaching for professional competence model (TPCM) to enhance students' design self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach: The multistage and purposive sampling technique is used, and the respondents considered are Malaysian university students. Further, the students who completed the survey included both local and international students so as to capture responses through primary data. Findings The findings of this research study reveal that design self-efficacy is determined not only by feedback and collaborative learning but also by perceived digital class experience. Research limitations/implications: Moreover, this study is limited in offering a theoretical framework using the TPCM;therefore, future studies may incorporate Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and may also use the theory integration approach. Also, in terms of geographic coverage, the current work is limited to an area in Klang Valley. Future studies may be carried out in other parts or regions of the country. Future researchers may also focus on technological self-efficacy to capture the other related factors that may be related. Practical implications: This study not only contributed to the theoretical extensions but also to practical implications, which would benefit the policymakers of higher education providers in Malaysia. Originality/value: TPCM components, which are students' personal characteristics, teaching practices and student's perceptions of the classroom climate, are mapped into the digital class context as potential sources of design self-efficacy and collectively labelled as digital class experience. To the authors' knowledge, the digital class environment variable is yet to be tested as a component of TPCM.

Adult learners with learning disabilities' motivation to succeed in higher education online learning during Covid-19

Many students had to transition to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic while other students were already enrolled in online education. Online study may hold additional struggles for students with learning disabilities. The problem addressed in this qualitative, phenomenological study was the motivating factors of online higher education students who have a learning disability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical foundation was Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Data were gathered through 10 semistructured interviews and then analyzed through the thematic analysis yielding five themes: (a) lack of professional support, (b) resources, (c) support system, (d) consistent motivation, and (e) low motivation. These findings showed that students needed support within families and educational institutions to continue to be successful in their schooling and motivated. Additionally, it showed that students needed resources to better help them succeed in their assignments. Implications for positive social change include better understanding of how students are motivated when doing online school despite the different challenges they may be experiencing. Additionally, this study may also contribute to social change by informing other students that they are not alone during the process of their education and that there are ways to continue to be motivated. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Analysis and Interpretation of Adolescent Multi Relationship and Privacy during COVID-19 Pandemic

Closures of schools in the advent of COVID-19 all around the world have affected nearly about 87% of students in different aspects of life. The importance of school life and its impact on the social and psychological well-being of an adolescent has left a deep and evident impression. As per the Indian population statistics, we embrace the largest adolescent population in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the lives of millions around the world. The authors through an exhaustive survey specially designed to relate the present mental state and well-being have analyzed the critical phase. 315 participants that consisted of both males and females take up the survey. 'What we analyzed is the fact regarding the association between Stress anxiety and Depression among the Adolescent in Covid - 19 situation.' . © 2023 IEEE.

Meeting the mental health needs of students in a pandemic: A quantitative analysis of the impact of school-based mental health services on student outcomes

Intervention following alternative events is essential for continued cognitive development. Prior research has cognitive growth models and the effect of alternative stimuli on youth when given similar foundations. Following the return to school after a national pandemic and extended school closure following the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, it is vital to determine factors to increase positive post-secondary outcomes for students. This research study examined the potential impact of student mental health on academic achievement in response to school closure following a pandemic. The research study consisted of 92 individual students and was a quasi-experimental quantitative study. Data consisted of two nominal independent variables and one scale dependent variable. The independent variables were participation in school based mental health or non-participation and the dependent variables were STAR 360 benchmark assessments in reading and math. Scaled Score and Normal Curve Equivalent were analyzed utilizing SPSS to calculate statistical significance within the data set. The data from this study indicated statistically significant growth in reading and math post-school closure as well as statistical significance in between all benchmark assessments in relation to time but no statistical significance due to school based mental health. The findings represent students who were presented with alternative stimuli and required intervention to return to commensurate cognitive growth. Following the pandemic closure, schools needed to develop additional levels of support that reconnected students to school and furthered social and emotional learning practices. Analysis of pre- and post-extended school closure data as well as the main effect of time in posttest analysis suggests that universal support over time may correlate to increased academic achievement and growth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Is the Biggest Hindrance to Educational Success "Virtually" Solved?

It started with a simple little filler in "USA Today" 25 years ago. It showed a broken student desk with cobwebs on it and offered data on "average yearly absences" in Japan, Germany, and the United States. Assessing my own data, I verified that they were on point and proceeded to discuss why this was a major hurdle for our kids and what could be done. Now, 25 years later, I am revisiting this topic, but through the virtual lens, including new data.

The teaching strategic effectiveness of problem-based learning assisted (PBL) with objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) on therapeutic nutrition course.

This purpose of this study is to help students developing problem-solving skills by using Problem-based Learning (PBL) as a teaching model, combining with the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as a training tool to evaluate students' clinical competencies. Sixty-five college junior students from a therapeutic nutrition course were participated. The topics of PBL included diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. For each disease, pre- and post-test quiz and after class exam were assessed to evaluate the students' learning effectiveness. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, OSCE was performed online. The focus group interview and learning effectiveness questionnaire were conducted by the end of this course for all participants. Moreover, 37 students who attended the dietitian internship filled in the learning effectiveness questionnaire again after the internship. The results indicated that after the PBL, the post quiz score for each disease was increased, and through the online OSCE training, students' abilities to master nutrition education and counseling had been upgraded. Students indicated that both PBL and OSCE training could contributed to the learning effectiveness. The better academic performance students were, the more willing they are to work in nutrition-related fields in the future. For those who finished the dietitian internship agreed that they could understand the work content better in general regional and regional hospitals than in teaching ones. In conclusion, PBL teaching model combined with OSCE training could effectively improve students' learning motivation, learning effectiveness and practical application in a therapeutic nutrition course.Copyright © 2022 Nutrition Society in Taipei. All rights reserved.

Measuring Usage versus Preferences for Online Study Materials among Business-Majored Undergraduates

As online learning becomes a recurrent component of higher education, there have been growing interests in the interaction between students and educational resources within digital environments so as to understand and facilitate students' initiative in managing those resources. The present study is an explorative inquiry into the relationships between students' self-reported preferences of study materials, their actual usage of those materials and their learning performances in online learning. It focuses on analysing the learning management system's log files, test results and students' responses to an evaluative survey of a bachelor business course at a large Belgian university, which was a blended course turned fully online due to the pandemic circumstance. The first research question concerns how preferences relate to the usage of materials. A cluster analysis was conducted to classify students based on their perceived interest and actual access to learning resources. The results show three clusters of students with different preferences and levels of usage towards the four types of study materials provided in the course. However, the majority showed strong favour for multimedia online learning, with Web lectures being prioritised both in perception and access behaviour, while discussion boards receive mixed opinions and the lowest actual participation. The second question follows these up by linking the preference-usage patterns with academic performances. A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to compare the learning performances of students with different preference-usage patterns. The results show no significant differences, which means the students' preferences and/or usage of study materials has little to no impact on their learning performances in the online course.

Anxiety, self-esteem and studyhabits in relationtotheacademic performance of Peruvian universitystudents: Covid-19 context.

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic radically changed the way of studying, suddenly we went from fa-ce-to-face learning to a virtual one, in many cases without digital media, without properly managing plat-forms, adding anxiety to contagion, fear of death, economic instability, the uncertainty that it will happen, brings with it changes in academic work, thus influencing academic performance. Aim(s): Relate anxiety, self-esteem and study habits with academic performance in Peruvian university students. Methos: Quantitative, longitudinal, correlational and prospective study with a non-probabilistic sample of 260 students from the 1st cycle of the USS period 2020-II, virtual questionnaires were applied to measure anxiety (Beck's Anxiety Inventory), self-esteem (Stanley's Self-esteem Inventory Coopersmith), study habits (CASM-85 Study Habits Inventory) and academic performance (Promotional Proceedings). Result(s): 40% of the students present a minimum level of anxiety, 50.4% present high average self-esteem and 25.8% have very positive study habits. Conclusion(s): There is a relationship between anxiety and academic performance with statistical significan-ce;while self-esteem, study habits and academic performance were not statistically significant.Copyright © 2023, Ediciones Avances S.L.. All rights reserved.

The relationship between first year seminar course modality and community college student success

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of first-year seminar (FYS) course modality on first-semester GPA and second-semester retention of community college students' system-wide. For many student's community colleges serve as an affordable option for higher education. The first-year seminar course connects students to the college to create better academic outcomes. With the increase in technology the FYS course is available in three different course modalities;face-to-face, hybrid, and online. Understanding which course modality has the largest academic outcomes of FYS course will present administrators of the benefits of one modality over others. The study investigated academic outcomes of the FYS course by examining course modality at Lone Star Community College (LSC). Findings revealed no statistical differences between full-time enrolled students in any of the course modalities. Part-time students in the face-to-face FYS had higher first-semester GPA's than those enrolled in the other modalities. Results revealed students in the online FYS course modality were less likely to be retained the second semester. When predicting second-semester retention, enrollment status was a stronger predictor than course modality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Socioemotional functioning as a moderator of the predictive ability of the DIAL-4 on academic achievement

Student performance on kindergarten screening measures and level of kindergarten-entry skills have been shown to be predictive of subsequent academic achievement, thus making kindergarten screening measures a useful tool that guides the monitoring of student progress over time. Though a commonly used tool to assist in kindergarten placement considerations by educators nationwide, the literature is lacking in studies that demonstrate the predictive ability of the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning - Fourth Edition (DIAL-4) on later academic achievement. Related, behavioral and emotional functioning has been demonstrated to significantly impact student achievement. While the literature supports the predictive ability of kindergarten screening measures on academic performance, research is limited on how behavioral functioning moderates this predictive relationship. The present study aimed to examine the predictive ability of the DIAL-4 on later academic achievement and identify whether behavioral and emotional functioning impacts upon, and to what degree, the relationship between academic achievement and the DIAL-4. Additionally, this study examined the impact of the pause of in-person learning, as caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on student achievement and behavioral and emotional functioning through within-samples comparisons of student functioning in 2019 and 2021 to identify change amongst individual students. The results support the predictive ability of the DIAL-4 on subsequent academic achievement with significant correlations between DIAL-4 scores obtained before kindergarten with subsequent measures of academic achievement. The was no evidence found for a moderation effect of behavioral and emotional functioning on the prediction of academic achievement. Lastly, when controlling for scores on the DIAL-4, the data suggest a decrease in rate of student academic achievement and an increase in emotional and behavioral dysregulation following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated by statistically significant differences in BERI scores as well as significant decreases in rates of growth in reading ability within some cohorts. These findings provide educators with empirical evidence for the utility of the DIAL-4 in predicting academic achievement as well as insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted students' functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Analysis of the Relationship between Online Learning Activities and Academic Achievement of Physical Education and Sports School Students

This research, which was performed in order to determine the relationship between some activities in the online learning environment and their academic achievements of Physical Education and Sports School students, was designed in a relational scanning model. The research was conducted on the data of 444 students who attended online classes at a physical education and sports school of a state university in the spring term of the 2020-2021 academic year. Data used in the research were collected through "Aid for Learning Management System (ALMS)" and "Student Information System (SIS)" of the relevant university. The duration of watching the courses live and from the archive, the number of downloading the course documents and the duration of watching the course videos uploaded were obtained within the scope of online learning activities via ALMS;and the academic achievement scores of the students for these courses were obtained via SIS. As a result of the research, a positive and significant relationship was found between course attendance, the duration of watching the archived and uploaded course videos, the number of downloading course documents and students' gender and their academic achievement scores while there was no significant relationship between students' grade level and academic achievement scores. According to the significant correlations, it was seen that the duration of live course attendance and watching from the archive significantly predicted the academic achievement scores of the students while the duration of watching the course videos, the number of downloading the course documents and gender did not significantly predict the academic achievement scores of the students.

The relationship between individual characteristics and practice behaviour within an adaptive arithmetic learning program

Background: Although research on mathematics learning programs has taken off in recent years, little is known about how different person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with such programs. When implementing a mathematics learning program in the classroom, it might be important to know whether students with specific characteristics need more encouragement to make use of this learning opportunity. Objectives: Using a supply‐use model, we analysed the predictive power of students' cognitive characteristics (prior mathematics knowledge), personality traits (conscientiousness), motivational‐affective characteristics (mathematics self‐concept and mathematics anxiety), and family background characteristics (socioeconomic status and migration background) for practising with an adaptive arithmetic learning program. Methods: We used longitudinal data from 203 fifth graders from seven non‐academic‐track schools in Germany. Practice behaviour, measured by completed tasks in the learning program, was recorded weekly for every student over a period of 22 weeks. Results and Conclusions: The results of our multilevel analyses showed that mathematics anxious students practised less with the program. We did not find any relationship with the other characteristics. Takeaways: Our results suggest that mathematics anxious students need more encouragement when practising with a mathematics learning program;otherwise, they do not get the chance to benefit from the use. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The use of mathematics learning programmes in mathematics education has recently intensified.It is important that students practice with such learning programmes regularly over a longer period of time in order for them to achieve learning success.Students differ in their mathematics learning behaviour. What this paper adds: Little is known about how person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with mathematics learning programmes.Students may differ in their use of a mathematics learning programme, which is why cognitive characteristics, personality traits, motivational‐affective characteristics, and family background characteristics may affect students' practice behaviour. Implications for practice: Mathematics anxious students practiced less with a mathematics learning program, and need more encouragement to benefit equally from the implementation in school.Teachers should keep in mind that after the initial enthusiasm, practice with a programme may decrease over time, especially after school holidays.

An examination of the association between learning modality and academic achievement during the Covid-19 pandemic

This causal-comparative ex-post-facto study examined the association between learning modality and academic achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic created an environment in which multiple modalities of learning, including blended and remote classrooms, were occurring simultaneously, challenging the existing practices of the in-person model, around which most K-12 education is organized. This study analyzed a total of 3,182 public and charter K-8 schools in Illinois to determine how school-level teacher assessments of Ambitious Instruction, as measured by the 5Essentials, and student performance on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) math and reading assessments changed from 2019, prior to the pandemic, to 2021 by learning modality. The study also examined the impact of socioeconomic status and building enrollment on these changes. Although Ambitious Instruction ratings and IAR math and reading proficiency decreased across all learning modalities from 2019 to 2021, significantly greater decreases were observed among schools that chose remote learning, while in-person schools experienced the least decline. No statistically significant differences based on the socioeconomic status or size of the schools were observed, although a significant association between socioeconomic status and modality was observed, with poorer schools more likely to opt for remote learning than richer schools, suggesting that challenges to implementation may have negatively impacted the potential effectiveness of this modality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Academic Stress in Online Higher Education

With the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, higher education institutions have faced a number of challenges, one of which is the transition to online education. University students have experienced varying levels of stress as the largest group affected by this transition. The perceived level of academic stress experienced by university students in this new system has become significant for the improvement in online learning at the tertiary level. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the level of academic stress among university students including the components of pressures to perform, perceptions of workload, academic self-perceptions, and time restraints during online learning. In order to measure the level of academic stress among university students, a quantitative research design was adopted through gathering statistical data from 147 undergraduate students studying online in different departments in Turkey utilizing "The Perception of Academic Stress Scale" including the components of pressures to perform, perceptions of workload, academic self-perceptions, and time restraints during online learning. The results of this quantitatively designed study revealed that the perceived level of academic stress among university students was found as neutral in general;regarding the components of "Pressures to Perform" as high, of "Perceptions of Workload", "Academic Self-Perceptions" and "Time Restraints" as neutral. Some statistically significant differences were also detected in the perceived level of academic stress in relation to the variables of gender, age (Gen X vs Gen Y), year of study, satisfaction with the learning and home environments.

Connection, desperation and disillusionment: Exploring student wellbeing at a university in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic

University students' mental health and wellbeing has been a global public health issue of increasing concern in recent years, with a growing body of empirical evidence suggesting university students are a 'very high-risk population' for mental disorders and psychological distress. Pre-existing mental health challenges among university students have consequently been compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 20 students registered in the education faculty at a large urban university in South Africa participated in a Photovoice study. The research required them to capture three photos or images of their experiences of wellbeing during the pandemic. The findings showed that students experienced mental health concerns and disillusionment with higher education. Their wellbeing was associated with a sense of connection with themselves, their peers and the campus space, and the cultivation of resilience.

Cultivating social well-being: (Re)discovering the impact of positive relationships

[...]the social dimension of well-being, which includes our experiences of positive relationships and positive interactions, is the strongest predictor of our overall perception of wellbeing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Virtual collaborations have also added new opportunities for creativity and information sharing in that Zoom allows us to work with colleagues to add ideas to a shared whiteboard or to synchronously annotate a text, for example, during interactive workshops and breakout group sessions at online/hybrid conferences. Another example is one of the author's participation in a new collaborative project with a European research group on the representation of hunting in German literature and art. Other instructional practices we have implemented to foreground social connectedness and students' sense of belonging include frequent check-ins (Stanton et al., 2016;Simon Fraser University, 2023) with students, for example, by using memes such as "Welche Katze bist du heute?," explicit conversations about resources and sense of belonging (a module with local resources added to our Learning Management System [Canvas]), and more intentional focus on integrating students' lived experiences and self-reflections into assignments.