Decision Support in the Automated Compilation of Individual Training Module Based on the Emotional State of Students.

Distance education has become very relevant in the context of the global coronavirus pandemic. There is an acute issue of increasing the efficiency of this process. Students face problems of self-organization and lack of motivation to learn. Considering their emotional state and individual characteristics let create a system that adapts to each student and make education more individual. In this work, the problem of decision support is described in the automated compilation of an individual training module in distance education based on considering the emotional states of students. The work formulates the existing problems of distance education. An overview of existing research in the field of accounting and recognition of emotions in education is given. The problem of managing the process of distance learning, considering the emotional states of students and their individual characteristics, is given. It is proposed to introduce emotional support in the learning process and select the form of presentation of the material adequate to the student's state. The results of an experiment on 80 students with different personality types are presented. The analysis of the results showed that the emotional state of the students, who used the developed decision support system in teaching, became much better. After training, the level of knowledge of students, who used the developed decision support system, became higher.

Academic performance and psychological well-being of students in distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo.

COVID-19 has heavily influenced the mental health and academic performance of students all around the globe. The purpose of this study was to investigate the academic performance and psychological well-being of students in distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo. The study was conducted through social media channels from October 2020 to December 2021. One thousand five hundred and eighty-eight (N=1588) undergraduate students from Public and Privat Higher Education Institutions in Kosovo were surveyed using a user-designed online questionnaire. Data were analyzed through the Social Science Package (SPSS), version 21.0. Correlation analysis and regression were used to explore the relationship between students' academic performance and psychological well-being during distance learning. From Pearson correlation analysis, it is seen that academic performance and psychological well-being have very high significant positive correlations (r= .836**; p =.000). Results highlight that academic performance is a strong predictor (69.9%) of students' psychological well-being. The current study's findings can provide policymakers and professionals in education with valuable information on academic performance and psychological well-being as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education in times of crisis: Rapid transition to distance learning.

The COVID-19 crisis is having a significant impact on the quality of life and future of young people; it can also lead to disruption in education. A disruption would pose a severe threat to the entire society in the postcrisis period. Therefore, educational institutions must respond quickly and ensure the continuity of the educational processes. Our research goal has been to develop and implement a model enabling a rapid transition from the traditional to the distance learning model in a state of emergency. Our focus has been on conceiving technical, organizational, and pedagogical changes that educational organizations need to implement to enable different interaction methods, ensure continuity, and provide high-quality education. We have defined and implemented a model, which is described in detail in this paper, thus giving guidelines for a rapid transition to distance learning, which is not restricted to the crisis times only. We have evaluated our approach by monitoring the IT solutions and surveying students and teachers at the School of Computing, Union University of Belgrade. The results indicate the high satisfaction of these participants in the educational processes. They imply the acceptability of prolonged distance learning, if needed, and embrace the hybrid education model for the next generation of students.

The challenges of migrating an active learning classroom online in a crisis.

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely crippled our globalized society. Despite the chaos, much of our civilization continued to function, thanks to contemporary information and communication technologies. In education, this situation required instructors and students to abandon the traditional face-to-face lectures and move to a fully online learning environment. Such a transition is challenging, both for the teacher tasked with creating digital educational content, and the student who needs to study in a new and isolated working environment. As educators, we have experienced these challenges when migrating our university courses to an online environment. Through this paper, we look to assist educators with building and running an online course. Before we needed to transition online, we researched and followed the best practices to establish various digital educational elements in our online classroom. We present these elements, along with guidance regarding their development and use. Next, we designed an empirical study consisting of two surveys, focus group discussions, and observations to understand the factors that influenced students' engagement with our online classroom. We used the same study to evaluate students' perceptions regarding our digital educational elements. We report the findings and define a set of recommendations from these results to help educators motivate their students and develop engaging digital educational content. Although our research is motivated by the pandemic, our findings and contributions are useful to all educators looking to establish some form of online learning. This includes developers of massive open online courses and teachers promoting blended learning in their classrooms.

Parents' Approaches to Their Children's Education and Related Issues During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Slovak and the Czech Republic.

In this article, we present the results of the qualitative research and the thematic discourse analysis of discussions of Facebook groups of parents of pupils in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The aim was to identify how the parents perceived the issue of distance learning during the COVID-2 pandemic and how they approached the problems that they encountered. Parents step into the role of a teacher and of a pupil; they are participants and observers of the educational process and advisors and supporters of their children. They evaluate the educational process from the didactics and the instructive point of view but they lack competencies that belong to teachers. Insufficient digital literacy and lacking equipment in households regarding ICT represent a weak point. Problems linked to the loss of social contacts and isolation are growing in number. Families also struggle with economic and logistics problems.

Percepción sobre el proceso de aprendizaje bajo el contexto de virtualidad en estudiantes de odontología / Perception of the learning process under the context of virtuality in dental students

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo conocer la percepción de los estudiantes de odontología sobre su proceso de aprendizaje bajo el contexto de la virtualidad. Para ello se realizó la búsqueda de artículos científicos, artículos de revisión y tesis publicadas desde el año 2020 hasta el 2023. Las bases de datos de donde se recopilaron los estudios fueron: Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus, SciELO, y Google Académico. Las opiniones de los estudiantes fueron positivas en su mayoría. Los aspectos positivos de la virtualidad se relacionaron a la flexibilidad de horarios, ahorro de tiempo y gastos extras; así mismo indicaron que resulta ser una manera didáctica de llevar las asignaturas teóricas. Por otro lado, los aspectos negativos se vincularon a las asignaturas clínicas y de laboratorio, señalaron que su proceso de aprendizaje durante la pandemia fue deficiente en estas materias. Sin embargo, algunos estudios demostraron que la virtualidad es una buena alternativa complementaria para los estudiantes de preclínica, debido a que los prepara para abordar al paciente con mayor confianza y seguridad. Se puede concluir que la virtualidad es un buen aliado en el aprendizaje de educación dental, algunos de los estudiantes alientan a que esta modalidad continúe a través del tiempo, sobre todo en cursos teóricos y preclínicos. La virtualidad puede seguir siendo parte de la educación dental en nuestro país, pero de ello también depende de las estrategias y metodologías de enseñanza que lo acompañen.

The objective of this article is to know the perception of dental students about their learning process under the context of virtuality. For this purpose, a search was carried out for scientific articles, review articles and theses published from 2020 to 2023. The databases from which the studies were compiled were: Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus, SciELO, and Google Scholar. The opinions of the students were mostly positive. The positive aspects of virtuality were related to the flexibility of schedules, time savings and extra expenses; They also indicated that it turns out to be a didactic way of carrying out the theoretical subjects. On the other hand, the negative aspects were linked to clinical and laboratory subjects; they indicated that their learning process during the pandemic was deficient in these subjects. However, some studies have shown that virtuality is a good complementary alternative for preclinical students, because it prepares them to approach the patient with greater confidence and security. It can be concluded that virtuality is a good ally in learning dental education; some of the students encourage this modality to continue over time, especially in theoretical and preclinical courses. Virtuality can continue to be part of dental education in our country, but it also depends on the teaching strategies and methodologies that accompany it.

Post-COVID-19 approach to teaching an undergraduate laboratory class focused on experimental design and data interpretation.

To best prepare students for the real-world research environment, key skills, including experimental design, data analysis, communication of results, and critical thinking, should be key components of undergraduate science courses. Furthermore, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-person teaching has resulted in a need to develop courses that enable flexible learning. This paper details the laboratory component of a senior-level toxicology class that was developed to emphasize all these skills and allow for flexible learning. The aim of the laboratory class was for students to determine how curcumin protected against acetaminophen-induced hepatoxicity. To stimulate critical thinking, students were required to choose a maximum of four experiments from the six on offer. Before conducting an experiment, students stated a hypothesis and selected the appropriate treatment groups. Once an experiment was completed, students were given access to a complete dataset, on which they performed statistical analysis and drew conclusions. Students who were unable to attend the laboratory session in person were able to complete the required pre-lab work and access the dataset. Following each experiment, students could write a lab summary, and receive thorough feedback. The final assessment was a written manuscript of their findings as well as a chance to respond to reviewer comments. This teaching approach prioritized the critical thinking, analysis, and experimental design aspects of scientific research. Overall, this structure was well received by students and it could easily be adapted for use on other life science courses.

Progressive muscle relaxation in pandemic times: bolstering medical student resilience through IPRMP and Gagne's model.

Background: Medical education, already demanding, has been further strained by the COVID-19 pandemic's challenges and the shift to distance learning. This context underscores the need for effective stress reduction techniques in competency-based medical curricula (CBMC). Objective: We assessed the feasibility and benefits of integrating a Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) module-a known effective stress-reducing technique-into a time-restricted CBMC, particularly given such modules often find placement as elective rather than mandatory. Methods: Adapting Gagne's nine events of instruction, a 2-h PMR program was designed and implemented during the pandemic. Twenty participants were engaged on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring adherence to social distancing measures. Feedback was continuously gathered, leading to two post-program focus group sessions. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's approach, with study quality maintained by the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). To gauge adaptability, we aligned the program with various learning outcomes frameworks and explored its fit within CBMC using Bourdieu's Theory of Practice. Results: The pilot PMR program was well-received and effectively incorporated into our CBMC. Our analysis revealed five central themes tied to PMR's impact: Self-control, Self-realization, Liberation, Awareness, and Interpersonal relationships. Feedback indicated the program's capacity to mitigate stress during the pandemic. The SRQR confirmed the study's alignment with qualitative research standards. Further, the PMR program's contents resonated with principal domains of learning outcomes, and its integration into CBMC was supported by Bourdieu's Theory. These observations led us to propose the Integrative Psychological Resilience Model in Medical Practice (IPRMP), a model that captures the intricate interplay between the identified psychological constructs. Conclusion: This research showcases an innovative, theory-guided approach to embed a wellbeing program within CBMC, accentuating PMR's role in fostering resilience among medical students. Our PMR model offers a feasible, cost-effective strategy suitable for global adoption in medical institutions. By instilling resilience and advanced stress-management techniques, PMR ensures that upcoming healthcare professionals are better equipped to manage crises like pandemics efficiently.

The Role of Subjective Socioeconomic Status in Predicting Academic Performance: Exploring the Mediating Influence of Sense of Belonging among Students in a Distance Learning University

Building upon existing research conducted in face-to-face universities, our research explored whether, in the context of a distance learning institution, the positive association between subjective socioeconomic status and academic performance can be explained by students’ sense of belonging. To that end, we conducted a three-wave correlational study with 2,261 students enrolled in Social Psychology in a distance learning university. At the start of the academic year, we measured participants’ subjective socioeconomic status relative to other students alongside their initial expectations in terms of time investment and grades and other relevant covariates. Midway through the course, we assessed their sense of belonging to the university and, at the end, we recorded their grades. Results suggested that sense of belonging potentially serves as a mediating factor in the positive relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and grades even after accounting for variables like initial grade expectations, time commitment, gender, age, and employment situation. These findings emphasize the pivotal role of students’ psychological connection to the university in shaping their academic achievement, even within the expanding landscape of distance education. (AU)

Pharmacy Students' Attitudes Toward Distance Learning After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study From Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Electronic learning refers to the use of assistive tools in offline and distance learning environments. It allows students to access learning tools and materials anytime and anywhere. However, distance learning courses depend on several factors that affect the quality of learning, which consequently affect students' preferences in the settings and tools used to deliver educational materials. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate students' preferences for continuing distance learning after the pandemic and to assess the distance educational environment after the pandemic. It also aimed to identify the factors affecting distance learning and evaluate students' preferences regarding modes of communication with instructors. METHODS: A web-based survey was used to conduct this cross-sectional study. The target participants of this study were students in the doctor of pharmacy program at Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim, Saudi Arabia. All students enrolled from December 2022 to January 2023 received an invitation with a link to the web-based survey. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 141 students (58 female students and 83 male students). The research results showed that most students (102/141, 72.3%) did not wish to continue distance education for laboratory courses, and 60.3% (85/141) did not wish to continue taking distance team-based learning after the pandemic. Additionally, 83.7% (118/141) of the students indicated that distance courses were simple. More than half of the participants (79/141, 56%) stated that having a camera on during class negatively impacted their learning, and only 29.1% (41/141) of the students stated that nonvisual communication with their fellow students impacted their learning. A large proportion of students (83/141, 58.9%) reported impairment of social engagement on campus, 44% (62/141) in-person interactions during classes, and 73.7% (104/141) were relieved that their classes were not disrupted. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to all types of education, distance learning is characterized by advantages and disadvantages, as reported by students. Students felt that the course material was intelligible, and the distance course was uncomplicated. Moreover, they expressed relief that their studies were not disrupted. However, they also reported the loss of face-to-face contact during courses as the most significant drawback of distance learning versus face-to-face learning, followed by a lack of social connection on campus.

The Case for Authentic Student Assessment in Distance Digital Pharmacy Education.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Distance online assessment is facing serious challenges. This opinion piece discusses these challenges and focuses on potential authentic assessment methods that can be used effectively in distance digital pharmacy education. The authentic assessment methods discussed are case studies, role-play, discussion panels and debates, student e-portfolios, computer-based simulation, diagrams and graphical presentations. These methods allow assessment to drive learning by performing tasks that are related to real professional situations and challenges followed by quantitative and qualitative feedback. Authentic assessment will require the development of clear rubrics to maintain transparency, consistency and fair evaluation of student achievement. The implementation of online assessment involves some challenges such as the level of institutional, faculty and student's technological capacity. Financial burden on low-to-medium income families and some institutions, meaningful training on the software and hardware, and students' compliance with the code of ethics and academic honesty are major issues. That said, well-planned authentic assessment tools can overcome many of these challenges. As these methods amass momentum, more creativity and innovation in assessment will be introduced, enriching and facilitating digital pharmacy education. The author calls for utilizing more formative feedback and reflection methods, focusing on demonstrating learning and professional competencies rather than on superficial letter grades.

Twelve tips for online synchronous small group learning in medical education.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Undergraduate medical education relies on a variety of small group learning formats to deliver the curriculum, support collaborative learning, encourage critical thinking, as well as the development of a number of professional, clinical and generic attributes. However, the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic of 2020 reminded us that unanticipated circumstances may necessitate a rapid and abrupt switch to delivering medical education through alternative means, while still upholding teaching standards and meeting learning and graduate outcomes. For many medical schools, the pandemic resulted in small group teaching being moved to an online format. The experience of students and facilitators moving small group learning tutorials to online synchronous delivery forms the basis for a set of recommendations when considering the delivery of small group teaching remotely.

The Role of Subjective Socioeconomic Status in Predicting Academic Performance: Exploring the Mediating Influence of Sense of Belonging among Students in a Distance Learning University.

Building upon existing research conducted in face-to-face universities, our research explored whether, in the context of a distance learning institution, the positive association between subjective socioeconomic status and academic performance can be explained by students' sense of belonging. To that end, we conducted a three-wave correlational study with 2,261 students enrolled in Social Psychology in a distance learning university. At the start of the academic year, we measured participants' subjective socioeconomic status relative to other students alongside their initial expectations in terms of time investment and grades and other relevant covariates. Midway through the course, we assessed their sense of belonging to the university and, at the end, we recorded their grades. Results suggested that sense of belonging potentially serves as a mediating factor in the positive relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and grades even after accounting for variables like initial grade expectations, time commitment, gender, age, and employment situation. These findings emphasize the pivotal role of students' psychological connection to the university in shaping their academic achievement, even within the expanding landscape of distance education.

Improving the quality of medical education throught the introduction of moodle system for the formation of terminological competence of medical students.

OBJECTIVE: Aim is to analyze the possibilities of using the electronic system Moodle for the formation of professional and terminological competence of medical students during the study of terminological competence for improving the quality of medical education. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: The research used a number of scientific methods: general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization), specific research and others which ensured the selection and analysis of the source base, made it possible to determine the general trends in the study of the problem of using the electronic system Moodle for the formation of professional and terminological competence of medical students during the study of terminological competence for improving the quality of medical education. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: At I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University we actively use the e-learning system Moodle (Modular Object Oriented Distance Learning Environment), to which there is free and unrestricted access. Using this program, the student takes on the role of an active subject who independently acquires knowledge, forms his/her own system of skills, of course with the help of certain sources, and the role of the teacher in this scheme is to motivate and suport learners, prepare information sources used in self-study, etc. This is due to a significant increase in the requirements for quality training of future specialists n the medical field and market conditions in Ukraine, which set before the higher school the task of training specialists of the new generation who would be highly qualified, competitive, literate, and have perfect command of their professional terminology. The Moodle system is able to optimize the learning process, promote the formation of terminological competence and master professional vocabulary. When creating educational and methodological complexes for the formation of terminological competence, the means of teaching, as well as the ways of presenting educational material and the principles of organizing the educational activities of students become important. The electronic platform Moodle, which has a wide range of resources for teaching and testing, is able to expand the communicative competencies and skills of students needed to effectively master professional Latin terminology. The Moodle system has the optimal set of resource opportunities for the implementation of blended learning - classroom and extracurricular, which is its main advantage.

Preparing for the next pandemic: predictors and effects of COVID-19 remote learning.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced school closures and rapid transitions to distance learning, which were widely associated with negative effects on educational attainment and mental health among youth. Research is now emerging about the relationship between distance learning and educational outcomes, as well as factors that sped or delayed the return of in-person learning in specific geographic regions. In the state of Massachusetts, in the United States, high schools (9th-12th grade) varied in the length of time that passed before in-person learning was offered. This study investigated (1) what factors were associated with the date at which schools implemented hybrid/in-person learning, and (2) what factors, including time in remote learning, were associated with loss of educational attainment. Methods: The sample included N = 267 regional/local high schools. Analyses investigated whether time to hybrid/in-person learning was associated with the percentage of students from low-income households and from minority ethnic/racial groups, local political affiliations and COVID incidence rate in September 2020, and the size of the district. The second set of analyses examined whether the high schools' observed losses in standardized math test scores between 2019 and 2021 were associated with the amount of time students remained in exclusively remote learning, as well as the percentage of students from low-income households and minority ethnic/racial groups, the COVID cumulative incidence rate in the region by April 2021, and the size of the school district. Results: Multiple linear regression analysis examining variance in the date at which hybrid/in-person learning was implemented was most strongly predicted by the size of the school district. Multiple linear regression analysis examining variance in the loss of educational attainment was most strongly predicted by the percentage of students from low-income households in the high school. Exploratory analyses comparing charter schools with regional public high schools found that charter schools showed significantly greater loss of educational attainment, contrary to hypotheses. Conclusion: Additional protections for students from larger school districts, lower-income families, and charter schools are needed in case of future population-level disruptions in education.

The influence of perceived teacher support on online English learning engagement among Chinese university students: a cross-sectional study on the mediating effects of self-regulation.

Objectives: This study examines the association between perceived teacher support and self-regulation in learning, and their combined relationship with online English learning engagement among university students in China. The objective is to uncover the underlying mechanisms of this relationship, with a particular focus on the role of self-regulation in learning as a mediator. Methods: The study involved 1,361 university students from Southwest China, predominantly female (73.84%) with an average age of 18.94 years (SD = 1.07). Refined measurement tools were employed to assess perceived teacher support, online English learning engagement, and self-regulation in learning. Results: The findings indicate that components of self-regulation, such as goal setting, environmental structuring, and time management, act as full mediators in the relationship between perceived teacher support and online English learning engagement. Conclusion: This research underscores the importance of self-regulation in learning in linking perceived teacher support with online English learning engagement. The insights gained are crucial for enhancing teaching strategies in online English language education.

Teaching strategy adaptations in undergraduate dental education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, dental institutions were challenged to rapidly adapt to the inability of teaching in-person lectures and pre-clinical simulations. Strategies had to be quickly developed to guarantee the safety of faculty and students, while also adhering to national guidelines to ensure that educational standards were met and students' graduations and entrance into residency programs were not delayed. This literature review assesses the novel strategies that dental schools created and implemented to teach in a distance-learning platform and evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of these strategies. In addition, this review talks about the lessons learned during the pandemic and the incorporation of successful strategies after the pandemic ended. METHODS: This review evaluated the literature using PubMed and ScienceDirect with the following keywords: "teaching strategies," "dental education," and "COVID-19." The search strategy yielded 15 articles that assessed relevant teaching strategies that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The literature described the swift response of dental institutions in implementing teaching strategies in response to the inability of continuing in-person teaching. An overwhelming majority of institutions moved their didactic lectures to online platforms. Several institutions implemented online simulations with virtual reality models, videos and discussion boards, standardized patient actors, and case-based discussions. CONCLUSION: Many of the teaching strategies that were implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic were highly effective. Dental schools were able to satisfy Commission on Dental Accreditation standards and meet students' requirements for graduation during the pandemic despite the rapid and unplanned shift away from in-person instruction and simulation secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abrupt introduction of distance learning during the covid­19 pandemic: What psychological impact on teachers?

As soon as the COVID 19 , the Moroccan education ministry decided to adopt distance learning (DL). Our target was to study the psychological impact of DL on Moroccan teachers during the pandemic. This cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Among %, and the average age was 41.1±11.5 years. 79.1% participated in DL, 58.8% were required to acquire DL tools and 71.6% had never received DL training. Between the start and the end of confinement, we noticed a decrease in the motivation of teachers.36.2% had definite depressive symptomatology and 41.3% had certain anxiety symptomatology with a significant predominance in women. The frequencies of depression and anxiety were higher in those who had participated in DL, but the association was not significant. Depression was significantly frequent among teachers who were obliged to acquire tools to practice DL P=0.02, those who had never received training DL P=0.046, and those who were not satisfied with the situation P=0.03. We didn't find a direct association between DL and anxiety and depression, which the small sample size may explain, but we did find an association with the variables related to DL

Asynchronous lecture participation negatively predicts exam scores for females and students of color in an introductory physiology course during COVID-19.

In response to COVID-19, educators rapidly pivoted to new and innovative ways of delivering lecture material. The ability to host synchronous lectures on platforms like Zoom gave students continued access to classroom material in the face of an ongoing pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in exam scores between students attending a physiology class (PHSL3051) synchronously via Zoom or asynchronously by viewing recorded lectures posted after class. Students in PHSL3051 were evaluated with four unit exams and one cumulative final exam. Although pooled analysis of all students showed that synchronous lecture viewing positively predicted exam scores, this positive association was even larger when the data were analyzed by gender and ethnicity. For female-identified students and students of color (SOC), attending lectures synchronously was associated with average scores on every unit exam that were higher by 2.7-7.4 percentage points. Moreover, the greater a student's synchronous participation in the course throughout the semester, the better that student's performance on the cumulative final exam was likely to be. These data highlight the need to better understand how different groups of undergraduate students select and respond to different assessment methods used in the same course, which may have long-term effects on their overall performance at 4-year institutions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study examined the relationship between lecture attendance (synchronous or asynchronous) and exam scores throughout the semester. Although everyone in the course benefited from synchronous lecture attendance, our data indicated that students of color (SOC) and female-identified students benefited most. SOC and female-identified students who participated synchronously had even higher mean scores on all exams within the course compared with SOC and female-identified students who participated asynchronously by watching recordings of the same lectures.