Online Psycho-Educational Intervention in Mathematical Learning Difficulties

The present study shows the results of six case studies referring to an intervention applied to mathematical learning difficulties. Participants were 8 to 12 years old. The intervention considered mathematics as a language and it is theoretically based on Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model, Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and Peircean semiotics. The objective was to work on the development of academic skills associating mathematics with interactional social skills. The analysis was based on qualitative data collected during the intervention process and quantitative data from scales and instruments with pre- and post-intervention measures. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic context, some methodological issues were affected, mainly because the evaluations took place before and in the midst of the pandemic. Social impacts of the pandemic have unevenly affected participants, especially adolescents and children. The pandemic had a worse effect on adolescents than on children, especially regarding procedures that involve memory, and those with attentional problems also had worse results.

Checkpoints for Online Mathematics Students with Learning Challenges

Many mathematics students require support for learning challenges, such as those invoked by mathematics anxiety. Support for these learning challenges is imparted through personal interactions between the student and the instructor, support staff or their peers. The online delivery of mathematics classes and support meetings reduced the quality of the interactions compared to face-to-face interactions. This article presents an alternative approach used to support students with learning challenges in a virtual learning environment. The approach reported was used in a four week online preparatory mathematics subject. Most of the students were mature age, some years out of formal mathematics education, and low in confidence. In preparing the modules the nature of the subject and the cohort was considered and additional content called Checkpoints was added. The Checkpoint pages were designed to alleviate the learning challenges the students faced by including signposting, supporting positive dispositions, providing alternative learning strategies, and sharing assessment strategies. Feedback showed students engaged with the Checkpoints and found them helpful, leading the students to reflect on their learning. The checkpoints also 'chunked' the math content, resulting in a 'nice break', and provided students with reassurance they were on-track.

Analysis of the Use, Knowledge and Problems of E-learning in a Distance Learning Master’s Programme

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has led many more universities to increase the number of online courses they offer. Methodological processes and infrastructure have had to be adapted so as to make the shift from a classroom-based model to distance learning. The context of our research is the Master’s Degree in Research in Teacher Training and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Two research objectives were established: To determine the changes that take place between the beginning and end of the Master’s degree in relation to the students’ engagement with ICT and to ascertain if students’ perception of the problems encountered in the virtual teaching/learning process has changed. Twenty-one master’s students took part. The research was based on the qualitative paradigm, with a content analysis research design. A table of categories was developed and validated, from which the script for the structured interviews was prepared. The main findings highlight the lack of training and involvement of teachers and their failure to adapt to the online methodology, together with a decrease in student motivation, as being particularly problematic in the teaching and learning process. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Online learning system in higher education institutions in Pakistan: Investigating problems faced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Novel COVID-19 caused turmoil in every domain of life around the globe. To halt the further spread of virus, preventive measures such as social and physical distancing have led to the temporal cessation of all education institutions in numerous countries. To minimize disruption of teaching and learning process during the pandemic, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan directed universities to transition to an online learning system. The research paper explores the problems faced by students in the current online education system introduced by various universities. A survey research method was employed, and the data were collected through convenience sampling. The link of the semi-structured questionnaire was shared with 550 students enrolled in public and private universities in Lahore, Pakistan. The study brought to light the diversified problems such as lack of internet facility, load shedding, financial issues, ear pain due to prolonged use of hand free/Bluetooth, and unreliable results in assessments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)