Engaging university students in online learning: a regional comparative study from the perspective of social presence theory

This study investigates the factors influencing university students' online learning engagement from three distinct aspects, namely, behavioural, cognitive and emotional engagement. A comparison is drawn from university students in Asia who embraced online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted on 495 university students in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Malaysia during the surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, which was considered more infectious but less deadly than previous variants. A consistent positive relationship between Satisfaction and Academic Performance is found in all the regions. Malaysia presents a unique situation as compared to Mainland China and Hong Kong whereby no association was found between Social Context and Online communication towards Student Engagement. The novelty of this study is attributed to the integration of Social Presence Theory in Student Engagement through the nature of online learning as a coping strategy to halt the spread of COVID-19 during the Omicron variant surge. © 2023, Beijing Normal University.

CHANGES IN THE WORKERS' PERCEPTION OF WORKING FROM OFFICE IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19 A survey of office workers and teleworkers

The authors conducted an online survey in Japan in March 2019 (N=2,684) to gather feedback from workers who commute to their offices and work with several people in a corporate environment. However, considering the COVID-19 pandemic changed our workstyle, a second survey (n=490) was conducted in December 2020 for workers whose offices remained mostly unchanged since the last survey to compare data from both surveys for the same respondents and investigate the changes in the value of office spaces. The result suggested that the survey respondents were influenced by the changes in workstyles and attitudes in the telework experience. © 2022 Architectural Institute of Japan. All rights reserved.

Effects of Tourists' Street Food Experience and Food Neophobia on Their Post-Travel Behaviors: The Roles of Destination Image and Corona-Phobia

Food-neophobia is referred to as the reluctance to try unknown foods. This paper aims to demonstrate the relationships between street food experience, food destination image, food-neophobia, corona-phobia, and post-travel behaviors (e.g., intention to revisit and word-of-mouth) of international tourists visiting Istanbul, Türkiye. Based on the 210 valid questionnaires, Smart-PLS was applied to empirically test a structural equation model using PLS-Henseler's multi-group analysis. The results demonstrated relationships between the effects of street food experience and food neophobia on tourists' post-travel behaviors in terms of mediating effect of destination image and the moderating effect of corona-phobia. The result also showcased the moderated mediation role of corona-phobia in mediating role of food destination image between street food experience, revisit intention, and word-of-mouth. Despite existing generic tourists' street food studies and the popularity of COVID-19-related studies in the destination-marketing context, there have been limited attempts to explore the consequences (e.g., tourists' post-travel behavior) of the tourists' street food experience with the possible psychological relationships (i.e., food destination image and food-neophobia) during the pandemic. Therefore, this is one of the first attempts to troubleshoot to fill this omitted gap. Several practical implications with suggestions for further studies were also discussed. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Physical Fitness Association with Mental Health among Higher Education Students: A Multi-Group Analysis Model.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), created a significant problem people's health around the world. The mental and physical health of entire populations has been negatively impacted due to the introduction of several restriction methods. Maintaining a specific physical activity and fitness level is crucial given the pandemic situation. The connection between physical fitness and mental health has recently received growing attention. In contrast to the message from physiological research, which lauds the general benefits of fitness for physical health, the corresponding psychological literature reveals a more complex relationship. This paper outlines the research evidence, focusing on the relationship between physical fitness and depression, anxiety, and stress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained from 390 higher education students (measuring their perception before and during the pandemic). They were analyzed by a structural equation modeling multi-group analysis to detect the variance in the test relationship before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical and empirical implications are also discussed.

The Difference in Learning Activities of Postgraduate Students of Different Qualification Types Under the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Group Latent Class Analysis.

Introduction: There are two types of master's qualifications in China. One is the academic qualification that pays more attention to academic research, aiming to cultivate research-oriented talents; while the other is the application-oriented qualification that focuses more on practical ability, aiming to cultivate applied-oriented talents. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 on the learning activities of postgraduate students, as well as the differences in the extent to which the learning activities of postgraduate students of different qualification types are affected and their mental health status. Methods: A self-constructed scale for the pandemic's impact on master's students, the self-rating anxiety scale and the self-rating depression scale were applied in the study. The single- and multi-group latent class analyses were used to investigate the impact of the pandemic on postgraduate students of different qualification types. Results: A total of 2818 responses were collected. The single-group latent class analysis identified four classes. The multi-group latent class analysis showed that no absolute homogeneity existed between different groups. In general, the number of academic master's students affected was greater than application-oriented master's students. Application-oriented master's students were more affected by course activities, while academic master's students were more affected by academic and social activities. Results show that individuals more affected had higher levels of anxiety and depression. Compared to course activities, impacts on social activities were more likely to cause anxiety and depression. Discussion: Universities can provide a more flexible way of assistance to different qualification types of postgraduate students. Furthermore, social activities play an important role in the mental health of postgraduate students. Therefore, under the background of normalization of pandemic prevention and control, schools should pay more attention to students' interpersonal communication activities to help relieve students' anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions.

Effect of Forest Users' Stress on Perceived Restorativeness, Forest Recreation Motivation, and Mental Well-Being during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has discouraged travel and people's movements, the number of visitors to forests near cities which are easily accessible by private vehicle is increasing in Korea. This study aims to investigate the relationship between stress, perceived restorativeness, forest recreation motivation, and the mental well-being of forest users. A survey of forest users was conducted at three recreational forests near Seoul in the summer of 2020. A total of 1196 forest users (613 males and 583 females) participated in the study. As a result of the data analysis, it was found that stress had a negative correlation with perceived restorativeness, forest recreation motivation, and mental well-being; perceived restorativeness had a positive correlation with mental well-being, and forest recreation motivation had a positive correlation with mental well-being. For the relationship between stress and mental well-being, the fitness index that was mediated by the perceived restorativeness and the forest recreation motivation found that the model was statistically suitable. Through this study, a research model was derived that, if the stress of forest users is reduced, direct or indirect effects on perceived restorativeness, forest recreation motivation, and mental well-being are increased. Further, a multi-group analysis found that the effect of perceived restorativeness and forest recreation motivation on the mental well-being of the male group was higher than the effect on the female group. Using this research model to find ways to promote health in forests can be utilized for forest management or forest healing.

Has COVID-19 changed our loyalty towards public transport? Understanding the moderating role of the pandemic in the relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty.

COVID-19 has been associated with a decline in public transport ridership in many cities. However, the impact of the pandemic on passenger perceptions of public transport, particularly loyalty, has remained largely unexplored. Using a case study of Tehran's bus system, this paper aims to assess the moderating effect of COVID-19 on passenger loyalty. A cross-sectional survey of bus users was conducted in two similar periods, before and during COVID-19. The data was analysed using structural equation modelling, with the effect of observed heterogeneity evaluated using multiple indicators multiple causes models and multi-group analysis. The results indicate that during COVID-19, perceptions of service quality have improved, particularly in relation to comfort (including crowding), safety, reliability and information. While this has led to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty to the system has decreased. An increase in the perceived attractiveness of using private cars was found to be the primary factor for reducing passenger loyalty with the perceived monetary and psychological costs of using cars being less effective in encouraging people to use the bus. Taking into account the significant utility of private vehicles in urban transportation during COVID-19, the present study identifies feasible areas for improving the performance of bus services to increase satisfaction with this form of public transport among car owners.

Adoption of E-Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Age and Gender

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in the complete disruption of the learning ecosystem across the world. The sudden shift from classroom learning to the use of virtual platforms has not only made an unprecedented impact on the learning style of the students, but it has also resulted in the problem of adoption of the same. Thus, with the significant surge in the usage of e-learning mechanism, the researchers even tend to predict the continued usage of the digital learning platforms post pandemic due to its accelerated usage and adoption by the learners and teachers as well across age and gender. Therefore, the present research seeks to study the factors influencing e-learning adoption by the students in the context of the pandemic. Further, it would examine the moderating influence of age and gender for the adoption of e-learning using the UTAUT model with extended constructs like computer anxiety, attitude, and technology anxiety. © 2022 IGI Global. All rights reserved.

A Protection-Motivation Perspective to Explain Intention to Use and Continue to Use Mobile Warning Systems

Mobile emergency warning apps are essential for effective emergency communication – of course, provided the population intends to use them. Drawing on protection motivation theory, the study validated a psychometric model to explain what motivates individuals to install a warning app for the first time and to keep using it over time. Multi-group covariance-based structural equation modeling was used to model the answers to a survey that measured the drivers of intention to begin using or intention to continue using a warning app. The model shows that, for both non-users and users, trust, social influence, and response efficacy positively and maladaptive rewards negatively affect intention to use and intention to continue use warning apps. However, perceived vulnerability influences only intention to use, whereas response cost and self-efficacy affect continued use intention. Hence, this study enhances the theoretical understanding of technology-enabled protection behaviors and provides practitioners with a list of factors to consider for pushing the adoption and continued use of emergency warning applications.

Immersive on-the-job training module development and modeling users’ behavior using parametric multi-group analysis: A modified educational technology acceptance model

An on-the-job-training approach is required for sharing firsthand knowledge or experience with students in various contexts such as medicine, arts, architectural design, archaeology, construction, mining, and civil engineering. Large classes of university students and numerous professionals can learn from best case practices as on-the-job training. However, the job is not often available, the best case practices are not accessible to everyone, and the construction field is hazardous, so it may not be safe for a large group of students to attend operating construction sites. The large size of classes and, currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is also hindering the application of authentic and case-based training. This paper presents the process of developing and implementing innovative virtual tour (VT) modules to support on-the-job training needs where the teaching approach is the case-based storytelling scenario. The paper shows how the VTs were utilized for students’ learning, and their behavior was examined to see if it could support the development of a novel virtual teaching acceptance model (VTAM) as a theoretical framework for measuring educational technology adoption. VTAM comprises an amalgamation of technology attributes and learning factors, including perceived usefulness, engagement, situated learning, immersion, social presence, perceived utility, information-rich sources, and perceived satisfaction. VTAM was validated by conducting a longitudinal three-year survey with the participation of 339 VT users and an interview of 31 users to triangulate the quantitative analysis outcomes. The survey data was analyzed by using structural equation modeling (SEM) and parametric multi-group analysis (PMGA), and the interview transcriptions were analyzed using coding techniques. The outcome shows that VTAM, accompanied by situated learning, immersion, and social presence, has the strongest impact on engagement which positively affects students' satisfaction. VTAM helps to understand the critical factors affecting the usefulness of immersive technologies in education. The outcome is crucial to virtual system developers and online education designers for understanding students’ behavior in implementing virtual technologies successfully.

Who's more vulnerable? A generational investigation of COVID-19 perceptions' effect on Organisational citizenship Behaviours in the MENA region: job insecurity, burnout and job satisfaction as mediators.

BACKGROUND: This paper is an empirical investigation that examines a path model linking COVID-19 perceptions to organisational citizenship behaviour (OCBs) via three mediators: job insecurity, burnout, and job satisfaction. The research examines the path model invariance spanning Generations X, Y, and Z. Three countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were the focus of the study. METHODS: The data was collected from a sample of employees in service companies (n = 578). We used a Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the data. RESULTS: Our findings reveal that COVID-19 perceptions positively predict job insecurity, which positively impacts burnout levels. Burnout negatively predicts job satisfaction. The findings established that job satisfaction positively predicts OCBs. The mediation analysis determined that job insecurity, burnout and job satisfaction convey the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions onto OCBs. Finally, our hypothesised model is non-equivalent across Generations X, Y and Z. In that regard, our multi-group analysis revealed that the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions on OCBs were only valid amongst younger generations, i.e., Generation Y and Generation Z. Specifically, younger generations are substantially more vulnerable to the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions on their engagement in OCBs than Generation X whose job satisfaction blocks the effects of COVID-19 perceptions on OCBs. CONCLUSIONS: The present study extends our knowledge of workplace generational differences in responding to the perceptions of crises or pandemics. It offers evidence that suggests that burnout, job attitudes and organisational outcomes change differently across generations in pandemic times.

A data-driven model of the COVID-19 spread among interconnected populations: epidemiological and mobility aspects following the lockdown in Italy.

An epidemic multi-group model formed by interconnected SEIR-like structures is formulated and used for data fitting to gain insight into the COVID-19 dynamics and into the role of non-pharmaceutical control actions implemented to limit the infection spread since its outbreak in Italy. The single submodels provide a rather accurate description of the COVID-19 evolution in each subpopulation by an extended SEIR model including the class of asymptomatic infectives, which is recognized as a determinant for disease diffusion. The multi-group structure is specifically designed to investigate the effects of the inter-regional mobility restored at the end of the first strong lockdown in Italy (June 3, 2020). In its time-invariant version, the model is shown to enjoy some analytical stability properties which provide significant insights on the efficacy of the implemented control measurements. In order to highlight the impact of human mobility on the disease evolution in Italy between the first and second wave onset, the model is applied to fit real epidemiological data of three geographical macro-areas in the period March-October 2020, including the mass departure for summer holidays. The simulation results are in good agreement with the data, so that the model can represent a useful tool for predicting the effects of the combination of containment measures in triggering future pandemic scenarios. Particularly, the simulation shows that, although the unrestricted mobility alone appears to be insufficient to trigger the second wave, the human transfers were crucial to make uniform the spatial distribution of the infection throughout the country and, combined with the restart of the production, trade, and education activities, determined a time advance of the contagion increase since September 2020.

Comparative analysis of Student's live online learning readiness during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the higher education sector.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, many countries are facing a dramatic situation in terms of the global economy and human social activities, including education. The shutdown of schools is affecting many students around the world, with face-to-face classes suspended. Many countries facing the disastrous situation imposed class suspension at an early stage of the coronavirus outbreak, and Asia was one of the earliest regions to implement live online learning. Despite previous research on online teaching and learning, students' readiness to participate in the real-time online learning implemented during the coronavirus outbreak is not yet well understood. This study explored several key factors in the research framework related to learning motivation, learning readiness and student's self-efficacy in participating in live online learning during the coronavirus outbreak, taking into account gender differences and differences among sub-degree (SD), undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students. Technology readiness was used instead of conventional online/internet self-efficacy to determine students' live online learning readiness. The hypothetical model was validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results revealed no statistically significant differences between males and females. On the other hand, the mean scores for PG students were higher than for UG and SD students based on the post hoc test. We argue that during the coronavirus outbreak, gender differences were reduced because students are forced to learn more initiatively. We also suggest that students studying at a higher education degree level may have higher expectations of their academic achievement and were significantly different in their online learning readiness. This study has important implications for educators in implementing live online learning, particularly for the design of teaching contexts for students from different educational levels. More virtual activities should be considered to enhance the motivation for students undertaking lower-level degrees, and encouragement of student-to-student interactions can be considered.

Factors Affecting Voluntary Self-Isolation Behavior to Cope with a Pandemic: Empirical Evidence from Colombia vs. Spain in Times of COVID-19.

Global pandemics are not a new phenomenon. They have occurred at different points in time and can be of different scales. COVID-19 appeared in 2020 and its spread has reached more than 60 countries worldwide. This research aims to analyze voluntary self-isolation behavior used to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this study, we carried out sampling in Colombia and Spain, which share similar cultural characteristics but which have substantial social and economic differences. A multi-group model was used to test the application of the theory of planned behavior and the theory of reasoned action in order to analyze self-isolation behavior. The results show that there are differences in self-isolation behavior between both countries, especially with regard to attitudes towards self-isolation and volitional behavior.

"What's next?" Individual differences in expected repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future are hardly predictable, and people differ in terms of expected repercussions on their future. This study investigated individual differences in the pandemic's expected repercussions, with particular attention to a Balanced Time Perspective (BTP). BTP reflects an individual profile with optimal temporal orientations, it is positively associated with mental health, and it has proven to promote successful coping with unexpected crises. We analyzed data from 3991 adults from 18 to 85 years old participating in an online survey conducted during the Italian lockdown. Participants provided information on BTP, affective states, financial resources, and expectations for the future. Multi-group path analysis was used to test the hypothesized model and to explore gender differences. Results showed that people with a more BTP had fewer negative beliefs about COVID-19's consequences on their future life. BTP affected expected repercussions also indirectly, via affects and beliefs. Finally, gender emerged as a significant moderator of some of the relationships highlighted. The present study contributes to the understanding of the psychological reactions to the current health emergency by confirming its impact on several life domains besides health, not only in the present but also in the anticipated future.

Exploring How Media Influence Preventive Behavior and Excessive Preventive Intention during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China.

In the context of global fighting against the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, how to promote the public implementation of preventive behavior is the top priority of pandemic prevention and control. This study aimed at probing how the media would affect the public's preventive behavior and excessive preventive intention accordingly. Data were collected from 653 respondents in the Chinese mainland through online questionnaires and further analyzed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Taking risk perception, negative emotions, and subjective norms as mediators, this study explored the impact of mass media exposure and social networking services involvement on preventive behavior and excessive preventive intention. Based on differences in the severity of the pandemic, the samples were divided into the Wuhan group and other regions group for multi-group comparison. The results showed that mass media exposure had a significant positive impact on subjective norms; moreover, mass media exposure could significantly enhance preventive behavior through subjective norms, and social networking services involvement had a significant positive impact on negative emotions; meanwhile, social networking services involvement promoted excessive preventive intention through negative emotions.