Self-Directed Learning Predicts Online Learning Engagement in Higher Education Mediated by Perceived Value of Knowing Learning Goals

Online education has made it possible to implement the "classes suspended but learning continues" policy during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the intangible sense of the online educational setting requires self-directed learning (SDL) and may force students to know the goals of learning that may impact their engagement. To understand the effect, based on situated expectancy-value theory, this study considered SDL as attitude and approach and constructed a research model to explore the mediating power of perceived value of knowing learning goals (PVKLG) related to participants' online learning engagement during the COVID-19 lockdown. Data were collected from 497 higher education students in China. After the confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling, the results reported that SDL attitude and approach positively predicted learning engagement mediated by PVKLG. The results suggest that only when students have a high level of PVKLG will they be able to regulate their learning process through the two types of SDL and enhance their engagement in online learning contexts during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Renewing the Object of Work as a Trigger for Inter-Organizational Learning

Purpose: The study refers to a health-care organization engaged in adopting "home health care" as a new object of activity. This study aims to explore how the reconfiguration of the object influences the transformative perspective, affecting not just a service but a broader approach and meaning behind patient care. It also investigates the main contradictions at play and the levers to support inter-organizational learning while facing the new challenges and change processes. Design/methodology/approach: The work is based on a qualitative and ethnographic methodology directed to examine cultural, practical and socio-material aspects. The activity theory is assumed as a powerful approach to understand collective learning and distributed agency processes. Findings: The renewal of the new object of work is analyzed as a trigger for shifts in representations, cultural processes and collective support implemented by the organization. Three agentic trajectories -- technical, dialogical and collaborative agency -- were cultivated by the management to deliver home health care through joint exercises of coordination and control, dialogical spaces and collaborative process. Research limitations/implications: The data collection was disrupted by the pandemic. A follow-up study would be beneficial to inquire how the learning processes shifted or were influenced by the contextual changes. Practical implications: This contribution provides a practical framework for health-care organizations aiming to navigate and explore the physiological tensions and contradictions emerging when the object of work is changed. Originality/value: The paper develops the field of intra- and inter-organizational learning by presenting an intertwined and structural connection between these processes and the renewing of the object of work. It advises that processes of transformation must be handled with attention to the critical and collective dynamics that accompany sustainable and situated changes.

The Impact of Post-Pandemic Learning Loss on Education Development: A Systematic Review

The Covid-19 pandemic constituted a critical issue for education, impacting the teaching-learning processes. Educational institutions, families and teachers faced unique challenges to ensure quality education supported by the Internet and technology. This study aims to review the latest literature on learning loss in different contexts to understand how this phenomenon could potentially impact the educational development due to the lack of technological and digital possibilities for learning. We found that even though the learning loss occurred during periods of physical disconnection between teachers and students, the pandemic resulted in an unexpected shock in which the gap between them was digital. This study underlines the factors contributing to this digital learning loss, on which educational and governmental agencies should focus on media literacy to prevent the absence of technological resources, the limited involvement of the family, and the lack of digital competences of the citizenship.

An Ethos of Wander Time: Staying with the Trouble to Make Sense during Crises

Amidst a steady clamor about "learning loss" during the pandemic, a minority of educators have cautioned we must, in the words of Donna Haraway, "stay with the trouble," giving children space to grieve, explore, and make sense of a new reality. In this paper I interrogate what it means to stay with trouble and specifically call for what I refer to as "wander time" to stay with trouble in schools. With the phrase wander time, I reference the 40 years the Ancient Israelites spent wandering the desert after they left Egypt as slaves and before they founded a nation in Israel. Taking a phenomenological approach, I then illustrate the practical implications and the potential of wander time through a study of my then preschool-age son's yearlong self-directed and adult supported multimedia exploration of Transformers (vehicles in popular culture that transform into robots with human-like personalities). I document how through this exploration, my son articulated fears, stayed with, and made sense of troubles. I close by analyzing the pedagogy of wander time to suggest practical implications for schools.

Rethinking the Purposes of Schooling in a Global Pandemic: From Learning Loss to a Renewed Appreciation for Mourning and Human Excellence

A main goal of this paper is to complicate "learning loss" as the only, or even the main, thing schools should be concerned about as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. While schools have a responsibility to make sure students who are enrolled in school are learning, this cannot come at the cost of ignoring the other substantial losses students are also contending with. Following the work of Jonathan Lear, I make the case that schools should engage students in a process of learning how to mourn for their individual and our collective losses, while also considering ways that school can move beyond narrow conceptions of the purposes of school and to a deeper appreciation for the ways that an education can promote human excellence. As this pandemic wears on, it becomes harder and harder to do anything but endure. One goal of this paper is to serve as a reminder that schools can do more than endure: they can envision new possibilities for schooling that promote conceptions of wellbeing that go beyond fear of learning loss.

Teachers' digital competence to assist students with functional diversity: Identification of factors through logistic regression methods

We are experiencing a serious health crisis due to COVID-19 that has a major impact on the field of education. The educational system therefore needs to be updated and innovated, with the addition of digital resources, to adapt the teaching and learning processes to students with disabilities. To meet the goal of high-quality education, teachers must have adequate digital competence to face the educational demands that are placed on them. Therefore, the purposes of this study are: to know the teachers' knowledge about digital resources to support students with disabilities (O1);at each educational stage (O2), identify the variables that have a significant impact on the acquisition of teacher competence (O3);propose a selection of useful ICT resources for each type of disability (O4). An ex post facto design was used with 1194 teachers from Andalusia (Spain). The results showed the medium-low level of the teaching staff, especially in the higher education stage. In addition, gender, motivation, attitude and having students with special needs are determining factors in the development of teacher knowledge. The results highlight the urgent need for teachers to be trained in digital resources. We hope that the range of resources proposed in this study will help teachers enhance their teaching practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Impact and success factors of online education methods at university level in times of COVID-19: a case study of Paraguay

The drastic changes that COVID-19 has brought along include the necessity to introduce new forms of online university education. This article compares the impact of the change from face-to-face to online classes on student performance and satisfaction and identifies key success factors for effective online teaching. The study is based on the comparison of 34 face-to-face and online courses in 2019 and 2020 among 416 students of the 1e to 4e-year from the degree programs of the Faculty of Business Sciences of the German Paraguayan University in Paraguay. The study provides a methodology to identify and measure the success factors for an effective change to online education and provides practical lessons learned on the effective integration of digital tools in the teaching and learning process, relevant for other universities in developing and developed countries alike. Copyright © 2023 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis on virtual reality and education.

The objective of this study is to identify and analyze the scientific literature with a bibliometric analysis to find the main topics, authors, sources, most cited articles, and countries in the literature on virtual reality in education. Another aim is to understand the conceptual, intellectual, and social structure of the literature on the subject and identify the knowledge base of the use of VR in education and whether it is commonly used and integrated into teaching-learning processes. To do this, articles indexed in the Main Collections of the Web of Science, Scopus and Lens were analyzed for the period 2010 to 2021. The research results are presented in two parts: the first is a quantitative analysis that provides an overview of virtual reality (VR) technology used in the educational field, with tables, graphs, and maps, highlighting the main performance indicators for the production of articles and their citation. The results obtained found a total of 718 articles of which the following were analyzed 273 published articles. The second stage consisted of an inductive type of analysis that found six major groups in the cited articles, which are instruction and learning using VR, VR learning environments, use of VR in different fields of knowledge, learning processes using VR applications or games, learning processes employing simulation, and topics published during the Covid-19 pandemic. Another important aspect to mention is that VR is used in many different areas of education, but until the beginning of the pandemic the use of this so-called "disruptive process" came mainly from students, Institutions were reluctant and slow to accept and include VR in the teaching-learning processes.

Child Resilience in a Global Pandemic

Psychologists caution that the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate already existing mental health challenges -- warning that we may see more depression and anxiety in children due to fears about their health and that of their families, exposure to negative messages from the media, social isolation, and family financial issues due to economic recession. In light of the challenges, this article seeks to answer the following question: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted young children within social resilience frameworks, and what developmentally appropriate strategies can educators undertake to support the whole child as school systems continue to adapt?

Exploration and Exploitation of Mobile Apps for English Language Teaching: A Critical Review

With the progression of various mobile technologies, mobile applications have tremendously increased, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, and such applications have been exploited much in teaching and learning. This study explores the educational potential of using mobile applications in English language teaching (ELT) or Mobile Assisted Language Teaching (MALT). A critical review of the research in mobile applications in English language teaching is explored in this study, specifically from the published papers since 2015. Initially 131 articles were selected from ScienceDirect, SAGE, IEEEXplore, and Google Scholar. However, only 13 articles matched the inclusion criteria. These articles were analyzed and reviewed using the following categories: the role of mobile technology, pedagogical practices, research methodologies, the context of usage, and outcomes. The research found that mobile technologies in teaching language are increasing, and it is expected to rise in the future. In addition, teachers use different technologies to enhance English language teaching in the settings of inside and outside classrooms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have closed indefinitely. This unexpected situation has forced students to stay at home, and online learning seems to grow exponentially. Thus, through this research review, significant educational outcomes are identified for future investigation practices.

Exploring the Pandemic through Language Learning and Multicultural Studies

This piece offers a reflection on how language learning and multicultural studies during the pandemic have highlighted the potential to help communities draw parallels with, and face wider issues concerning, minorities within a challenged society. Through storytelling, a novel approach to teaching and learning helps students find their voice and become active agents of change. A review of teaching and learning methods may bring about improvements both in academia and individual circumstances to help bridge the gap between loneliness and the need to be part of a wider social community. This article reiterates the importance of language learning, cultural understanding, and identity as useful employability skills for the new global graduates to support, rebuild, and unite communities especially in challenging times. [For the complete volume, "Languages at Work, Competent Multilinguals and the Pedagogical Challenges of COVID-19," see ED612070.]

Engineering Lab in Immersive VR--An Embodied Approach to Training Wafer Preparation

This paper reports an immersive virtual reality lab (iVRLab) training environment that offers college students an immersive and embodied experience in engineering lab work. The iVRLab provides a simple and safe environment for students to learn the complex lab operations to process and prepare silicon wafers. It features highly embodied interactions congruent to the actual body movements to manipulate the lab devices and materials in the physical world. Fourteen college students participate the lab training and the study results reveal positive learning effects, confidence levels of accomplishment, and embodied experiences. Students' cognitive load is also measured, and its relationship with the embodied experiences is examined and discussed. The study offers a reference for peer researchers and practitioners for the design and implementation of immersive VR systems for engineering lab training. It also sketches a complementary approach during the time like the pandemic to practicing authentic lab work without having to be in a real classroom or laboratory.

Reimagining and Redesigning Teaching and Learning in the Post-Pandemic World

The pandemic has provided a unique window of opportunity for higher education institutions to change because of the disruptions in normal ways of operating. The pandemic crisis has created opportunities to revise our strategies, internal and external partnerships, teaching methods, student pathways and recruitment approaches, incentive systems, faculty expertise, assessment approaches, and overarching goals of higher education. This article discusses a proactive stance suggesting that higher education must respond not only to the past, not even to the present, but to future needs.

Investigation of Teacher Support and Teacher Training during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Tools and Skills Moving the Classroom Forward

Teaching remotely from home is now compulsory for lecturers as schools across the globe have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A marriage of technology and teacher training is required to help educators deliver lessons effectively online. This research aimed to 1) investigate the type of technological support teachers need to teach online during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) identify the type of teacher training needed during and after the pandemic, and 3) assess teachers' satisfaction towards their training in relation to their needs. This study utilized a mixed methods research design and included a sample of 59 teachers studying for a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction, majoring in English language at an open university in Thailand. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to compute means and standard deviations. In addition, qualitative data derived from a questionnaire were analyzed using typological analysis. The research findings showed: 1) the "fundamental technologies" teachers need for online teaching include computers or other computing devices, a reliable and stable-as-possible internet connection, a microphone, and a headset and camera, and 2) the task of implementing engaging lessons online and supporting students to use ICTs for projects or class work placed particular training demands on teachers. Specifically, they required: (1) training to build knowledge of the basic functions for undertaking virtual teaching and learning, (2) access to meaningful and relevant content to create lessons for students, and (3) online worksheets and projects for students.

Challenges of Distance Didactics (Data and Recommendations)

This article aims at analyzing the problems of distance learning in terms of didactic emergencies. It focuses on bringing ideas on the remodelling of didactic programming, by making use of technological tools, on identifying the novelties of didactic strategies and on evaluating the internal and external cooperation between the system and the extra system. Online studying is gaining more and more space in teaching and learning, favouring opportunities and abilities to adapt the studying to digitized spaces. It has now become an indispensable tool, given that to combat pandemics such as COVID-19, physical distancing has become a necessity. Meanwhile, after a year of learning on digital platforms, the problems have crystallized and education systems are looking for ways and means to avoid them. Our study can be considered as an effort for information and orientation on distance learning, creating opportunities for implementation in schools and emphasizing its importance in teaching and learning. It uses a qualitative method approach. We have used an extensive literature review relevant for the topic. The authors also observed 1503 online teaching hours, including the Zoom and Moodle platforms. Surveys and interviews with 205 students from two private high schools in two cities in Albania, were conducted. Based on their data we identified the advantages and disadvantages of the new teaching process (on line). From the observations made, we have reached some data and suggestions regarding the instrumentalization of the new didactics that is already a reality.

Teaching-Learning Process of Architecture Workshops in Virtual Environments Based on Research-Action Methodology

In the School of Architecture at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, we are continuously reflecting on the teaching-learning process in order to offer the best education. The COVID-19 pandemic brings different changes in social, health, work and educative practices, which people have had to adapt to. These new conditions have shifted the perception of life and society, so it has demanded a new perspective to solve problems and meet the challenges that have arisen. It has happened with education, in which all stakeholders have been working to face and manage the educational practice in a virtual modality. Based on teaching experience, the present research is focused on the teaching-learning process in Architecture, considering design workshops during the first years of the major. The purpose of this paper, which uses an action research methodology, is to explore those changes that come about from this process in virtual environments. In this way, understanding architecture's teaching and practice through virtual environments can generate an important impact that can transform the perspective on education in this field in the present and in the future.

Studies on Social and Education Sciences 2021

Studies in the fields of education and social sciences have always been important in terms of their impacts on society. These studies have gained even more importance during the COVID-19 pandemic process. The impact of the pandemic period on children, schools and society has been demonstrated through such studies. This book also includes studies conducted during the pandemic period. The studies in this book contribute to the fields of education and social sciences by different research methods, participants, and contexts and add a global perspective to these fields. The book is divided into two sections related to studies on social sciences and education sciences. Each section includes four chapters. The chapter's contributors are from the following countries: the United States, Turkey, China, Indonesia, Russia, Rwanda, and Malaysia.

Educational Poverty, Digital and Cultural Divide: Some Reflections from a Case Study

The pandemic has highlighted and accentuated some potential risks and critical issues already present in several educational contexts: the widening of educational poverty, the increase in the digital and cultural divide and the expansion of learning loss and of the implicit and explicit early school leaving. In this regard, the case study developed in a period just prior to the pandemic, on the one hand, has highlighted some critical issues of the teaching-learning relationship, while, on the other hand, it has deepened the strengths concerning the teaching-learning relationship in order to improve learning to learn and learning to teach for students and teachers in contemporary complexity. The results show that facing the current complexity means understanding the cultural aspects that guide today's ways of learning and teaching based on technologies. The relevance of these aspects concerning meanings and practices of teaching and learning is understandable, taking into account the rapid and profound changes in the current world in which we live. In summary, the results of this educational research on the analysed teaching and learning practices can be useful both to treasure today's lessons learned and to copy the unexpected changes that each crisis proposes like the current one.

An Integrative Multi-Dimensional Model of Culturally Relevant Academic Evaluation for the 21st Century

Due to COVID-19, the world has encountered new challenges regarding pedagogy, learning, assessment, and evaluation. In meeting these challenges, there have been rapid changes in learning, and the gap between pedagogy and evaluation has grown. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new evaluative model suitable for the technologically enhanced, multicultural environment of the 21st century. In this article, we develop a unique multidimensional model of Culturally Relevant Academic Evaluation (CRAE) that fills a gap in the scientific literature on evaluation in higher education. The model depicts evaluation as an integrated process of four dimensions: two of them based on the well-established dimensions of learning and curriculum, and two based on the novel dimensions of inclusive multiculturalism and technology. We consider evaluation in its broad context in higher education, and we analyze the interrelations between the four dimensions of the evaluation process, discussing their contribution to the enhancement of evaluation in higher education.

Opinions of Music Teacher Candidates on Determining the Suitability of the Distance Education Model for the Voice Education Course

The human voice, which is a natural and unique instrument, has a fundamental importance in expressing ourselves in life, both in communication, in the arts of oral and the art of singing. Therefore, using a person's vocal potential in its best, using the voice in its natural state and preserving vocal health are extremely sensitive and important issues. Therefore, the best realization of the objectives determined in voice training depends on the quality of the trainer and the training process. In the Voice Education course under the Music Teaching Undergraduate Program, one of the goals is to teach the music teacher candidate to use their voice, which is their most basic and natural instrument, in the best ways of speaking and singing, while also teaching about the protection of vocal health and preserving and improving the voice in its natural state. A music teacher candidate who receives such qualified voice education is able to apply what their learning in their practical life as knowledge and behavior, while using their own voice correctly and setting a good example for their students, they will also train their students well to protect their vocal health. Therefore, adequate and qualified education should be given to music teacher candidates at the level of knowledge and practice in the field of voice education. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, voice education lessons in the Music Teaching Undergraduate Program have been taught with the distance education model for a while. Unfortunately, it is concluded that voice training lessons based on practice are not suitable for online lessons with distance education. In the light of this view, the purpose of this research is to determine the suitability of the distance education model for the voice education course in the context of the opinions of the music teacher candidates. The results of this research, in which the scanning model and qualitative research method were used, indicate that the distance education model is not suitable for the voice education course, being an applied course.