Research on online inclusive education in Taiwan in the era of COVID-19

Since 2019, many studies explored the effectiveness of online courses, but few investigated how to create an inclusive education context in the online course environment. In June 2021, this study conducted an online questionnaire survey of 208 ordinary class teachers and special education teachers from kindergartens, elementary schools, and middle schools in northern, central, and southern Taiwan via random sampling. The questionnaire consisted of six open-ended questions to examine the views of the participants. We used grounded theory to code and classify the qualitative data, and performed chi-square tests to quantitatively analyze the data obtained. The results indicated that most teachers recommended the use of interactive and cooperative online teaching strategies;the management of online inclusive education courses in the form of synchronous and asynchronous online courses to help students with special needs adapt to online courses;the building of a good cooperative relationship with parents and reducing the digital divide;full cooperation between ordinary class teachers and special education teachers;and sharing of textbooks and teaching strategies with each other. In addition, the majority of teachers considered their digital abilities below average, which was especially obvious among kindergarten and special education teachers.

Learning Mathematics with Plickers as an Assessment Tool in Rural Secondary School

Most Indonesian schools have to close immediately because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there will be a quick transition to distance learning, requiring the usage of digital interventions. But the country's digital education infrastructure, particularly in rural schools, is not sufficiently developed to maintain and enhance students' learning outcomes. To address these problems Plickers (students response system) offers students an opportunity for a high-quality education while potentially reducing the cost of technology resources. This study enhanced integrated Plickers for learning mathematics in rural secondary schools. A quantitative and qualitative approach was used to examine how students participated in the learning and their perception, preferences, and motivation for using Plickers. The study involved 50 seventh graders, and 15 of them volunteered to participate in interviews. A paired samples t-Test revealed a significant difference between learning engagement on paper-based tests and learning engagement on Plickers-based tests. The majority of students also had positive opinions of Plickers, noting its usability, capacity to make learning more enjoyable, increase engagement in problem-solving, promote comprehension of the subject, and help students maintain their interest during class. While some students struggled to focus and thought Plickers was just a quiz tool that couldn't motivate them to learn. © 2023 IEEE.

Sustainable Information Technology Governance for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) - A Systematic Literature Review

During COVID-19 pandemic Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) faced challenges that hinders the business continuity as well as the delivery of teaching programmes. Information Technology has become more important than ever and enabled HEIs to remain functional and operating. However;HEIs used IT as a solution to overcome the risk situation and actions were taken on day-to-day rather than based on effective IT governance that is established. IT governance is one of the key challenges in HEIs that it involves policies and procedures, leadership and infrastructure. Some efficient practices adapted by HEIs during the pandemic. A question still arise whether these practices are sustainable post COVID-19. This chapter will demonstrate a proposed model for Sustainable Information Technology Governance that is developed based on best practices and extensive literature. The proposed model will be useful for HEIs leading to digital transformation and sustainable HEIs performance. The outcome of this chapter will provide insights for leaders in HEIs and IT practitioners to identify a full-fledged model to improve efficiency and HEI performance towards sustainable education. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

A Comprehensive Study on E-learning Environments for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Learners

Quality education is the fundamental right of every individual regardless of the disabilities they have. For the Deaf or Hard of Hearing (d/DHH) people, e-learning is the most promising way to access the educational materials referred to as digital learning objects (LO) at any time and space which increase their autonomous learning skills. This form of instruction delivery was widely accepted during the outbreak of Covid-19. Hence a background study has been conducted to investigate the challenges in teaching the d/DHH learners during the pandemic. This research work aims at providing a personalized e-learning environment to the d/DHH student community belonging to St. Clare Oral Higher Secondary School for The Deaf, situated in Kerala. To build personalized systems, the primary step is to review the existing e-learning solutions available in the literature and the adaptation techniques implemented by them to offer personalization in line with the components of traditional adaptive e-learning systems. The study carried out in this paper illuminates the need of personalized e-learning platforms that adapt the basic needs, abilities and disabilities of deaf learners which will find the 'best learning solutions' in the form of learning objects. © 2023 IEEE.

The Contributions of MOOCs to Lifelong Learning

The quest for lifelong learning has been enacted in many forms over the years through online distance education and Open University programmes. These have subsequently led to newer innovations such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) run by a number of universities worldwide. MOOCs offer free or low-cost educational opportunities to millions worldwide. MOOCs are considered by many as having the potential to provide quality education, enhance social inclusion by including individuals who were traditionally excluded from higher education and provide equal access to learning. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, has further altered the nature of lifelong learning by facilitating greater use of MOOCs across the globe. Millions have used MOOCs for professional development, career transitioning and corporate training amongst several others. This chapter reviews the contributions of MOOCs to lifelong learning. It highlights the social, economic and pedagogical objectives of MOOCs and their role in transforming education through quality, scale and access. It expands the literature on the effectiveness of MOOCs in enhancing lifelong learning and contributes to the literature on adult education, training and lifelong learning. © 2023 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Education, equality and international development

This chapter explores the relationship between education and development and how this has been considered in research and policy. The chapter discusses key issues regarding how this relationship has been understood, conceptualized and monitored. It pays particular attention to debates around gender equality and girls' education and how these have been positioned in relation to a wider development agenda within global policy frameworks, including the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, and in the work of international development organizations. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lessons Learned from the Educational Experience during COVID-19 from the Perspective of Latin American University Students

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the educational context. University students were exposed to an educational transition from a face-to-face context to emergency remote teaching (ERT). This change affected the educational experience of students and teachers in general, and impacted their educational performance, as well as their emotional and mental health, among other aspects. However, learning from the successes during the ERT and reflecting on good and bad practices will allow us to configure effective learning scenarios that respond to the new normal. The objective of this paper is to describe and present the lessons learned during ERT from the experience of university students in Latin America who have already returned to face-to-face instruction. The study used a qualitative inductive approach and a phenomenographic design. The sample consisted of 640 undergraduate students (63% women) of higher education who experienced online education during the year 2021 and a face-to-face modality during the first semester of 2022, belonging to universities in Chile, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The results suggest that new learning scenarios should consider specific pedagogical practices, including active, collaborative, meaningful, and problem-based strategies, together with a diversity of feedback practices. It is concluded that the ERT brought good practices that should guide university educational policies. © 2023 by the authors.

Simulation modelling in a BIM environment: The case of school re-opening during Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic influenced the way that buildings are used and experienced. In particular, educational facilities were among the most affected by the pandemic in terms of use processes. This paper presents a methodology developed to reorganise spaces in a school building, a real case study, to allow safe reopening. Social distancing and availability of learning spaces were taken into account to simulate the use of the educational facility according to the emergency protocols. Based on a digital survey of the existing building, a building information model was generated and used as a basis for spatial analysis and crowd and agent-based simulations. Additionally, interactive games and training videos were developed as communication tools to inform end users about the new rules to be respected inside the building. The digital approach adopted for the analysis of use processes as well as for communicating the results to the end users allowed them to experience the school fruition processes within a virtual environment before the school reopening. Future works could deal with the application of the same methodology in other schools, as well as in different contexts, going beyond the specificity of the pandemic emergency, and for other types of buildings. © 2023 ICE Publishing: All rights reserved.

Online learning attributes on overall tourism and hospitality education learning satisfaction: Tourism Agenda 2030

PurposePromoting "Quality Education” as part of Sustainable Development Goal 4 requires educational stakeholders to understand the nature of online learning from the learners' perspective. This study aims to explore the asymmetric effects of online learning attributes on overall learning satisfaction in tourism and hospitality education.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt the three-factor satisfaction theory and the three analytical steps penalty–reward contrast analysis, impact range performance analysis (IRPA) and impact asymmetry analysis. The authors then juxtapose the results of such analytical approaches to the traditional importance–performance analysis (IPA) for further insights.FindingsTraditional IPA suggests nine high importance and performance online attributes. However, the IRPA reveals that only four attributes fall within high performance and high range of impact on satisfaction. The attribute "secure” had a low performance despite a significant impact on satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsBy exploring asymmetric effects, scholars, service providers and participants of online education can have a deeper insight into the nature and dynamic effect of attributes on overall satisfaction.Originality/valueBy exploring the asymmetric impacts of online learning attributes on overall learning satisfaction, the findings provide a novel insight into the multidimensionality of online learning attributes.

A Long-Serving Provost Calls Out Long-Simmering Higher Education Issues

Changing student demographics, COVID-19 ramifications, and political pressures all underscore the need for organizational change sooner rather than later. While higher education has successfully resolved a number of challenges, we continue to be stymied by areas where needed change has not materialized. Even after repeated efforts, these changes still have not occurred, and there are ongoing consequences. To facilitate change, this article both identifies areas of needed change as well as incremental next steps to be taken. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Change is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The development of a behavioural competency framework for school principals

Orientation: More than two and a half decades into South Africa's democracy, the majority of the country's learners receive low-quality school education, adversely affecting upward social mobility. Ensuring quality education for all South Africans requires a combined approach of equitable resource allocation and effective school leadership that transforms resources into educational outcomes. Research purpose: The objective of the study was to develop a behavioural competency framework for school principals. Motivation for the study: While past studies highlight school leadership and management to be pivotal in the establishment and maintenance of well-performing schools, less is known about the behavioural competencies required by school principals. Research approach and method: Guided by a synthesis of literature on school management, critical incident interviews were conducted with a sample of 10 school principals with good track records. The salience of the literature-derived competencies was established, and the content supplemented by contextualising the competencies with specific behavioural denotations from the interviews. Main findings: Eleven key competencies emerged from the data: creating a school vision and setting strategic direction, setting goals and expectations, developing school staff, influencing and communicating, resourcing strategically, leading with compassion, maintaining a student-centred learning environment, making decisions, managing self, managing teaching and learning, and leading across school boundaries. Managerial implications: The competencies identified provide a blueprint to guide human resource management interventions aimed at establishing effective school leadership. Contribution: The study provides a rich source of information about critical school principal behaviours, explored from an integrated perspective that acknowledges the school context.

Emerging technologies for digitalized learning in higher education

Purpose: Academic institutions, for the most part, discontinued face-to-face classes in favor of adopting and deploying online learning modalities that allowed for immediate participation. The pandemic has hastened the pace of implementation as well as the utilization of and reliance on technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) is important for higher education business continuity. Currently, some institutions are utilizing these resources to strengthen their student recruitment and retention efforts. Others use them to make the classroom more accessible or to construct tailored learning programs. Design/methodology/approach: The rapid spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 has compelled many countries to enact stringent measures to halt the virus's spread. The pandemic has hastened the adoption of online teaching and remote work technology. While a combination of online and face-to-face learning is the way of the future, it will necessitate additional resources to support program development and delivery, as well as increased collaboration between IT and subject matter experts. Findings: This successful technological integration, which includes a smooth transition from face-to-face training to digital e-courses, provides a variety of benefits, including money saved on travel expenses. Top technological developments will continue to enhance company innovation and efficiency while also improving service efficiency. The top strategic technology trends for this year fall into three categories: human centricity, location independence, and resilient delivery, and are expected to be significant for the next five to ten years. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will need to establish a technological ecosystem that is dependable, cloud-based, data-integrated, and learning-focused to compete successfully in this "new normal.” After the epidemic, when classes resume on campus, a hybrid approach to virtual learning is likely to become the new normal. While it is unlikely that campuses would be totally virtual, they will also be unlikely to be entirely physical. Originality/value: A blend of actual and virtual classrooms, as well as online learning, is the long-term solution, and strategic decisions made now will be critical in preparing for a post-pandemic world. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

An Optimized Adaptive Learning Approach Based on Cuckoo Search Algorithm

The rapid expansion of MOOCs (massive open online courses) allows learners to benefit from these courses by removing the barriers that obstruct the right to an open high-quality education. The courses offered on MOOC platforms are often free which has revolutionized this mode of distance learning, especially with the restrictions imposed by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even though the number of registrants to MOOCs is quite considerable, only 10% of the learners complete the MOOC and obtain a certification. This phenomenon leads us to dig deeper to wonder about the means to avoid the high dropout rate of learners in such platforms. For this purpose, we suggest in this paper two complementary systems: a preventive system coupled with a proactive system to personalize the learners' pathways according to their specific needs and prior knowledge. The optimization of the pathways will be handled using a metaheuristic optimization algorithm called: Cuckoo Search Algorithm. © 2022 IEEE.

Online learning attributes on overall tourism and hospitality education learning satisfaction: Tourism Agenda 2030

PurposePromoting "Quality Education" as part of Sustainable Development Goal 4 requires educational stakeholders to understand the nature of online learning from the learners' perspective. This study aims to explore the asymmetric effects of online learning attributes on overall learning satisfaction in tourism and hospitality education. Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt the three-factor satisfaction theory and the three analytical steps penalty-reward contrast analysis, impact range performance analysis (IRPA) and impact asymmetry analysis. The authors then juxtapose the results of such analytical approaches to the traditional importance-performance analysis (IPA) for further insights. FindingsTraditional IPA suggests nine high importance and performance online attributes. However, the IRPA reveals that only four attributes fall within high performance and high range of impact on satisfaction. The attribute "secure" had a low performance despite a significant impact on satisfaction. Research limitations/implicationsBy exploring asymmetric effects, scholars, service providers and participants of online education can have a deeper insight into the nature and dynamic effect of attributes on overall satisfaction. Originality/valueBy exploring the asymmetric impacts of online learning attributes on overall learning satisfaction, the findings provide a novel insight into the multidimensionality of online learning attributes.

Personalized Formative Feedbacks and Recommendations Based on Learning Analytics to Enhance the Learning of Java Programming

Learning analytics is becoming increasingly popular in higher education. During this COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, e-learning has grown increasingly popular. Students will have additional options for learning based on their interests and requirements as a result of this. To be effective in online and hybrid learning environments, students must develop self-regulation skills and self-directed learning. In online learning, learning analytics appear to have the ability to deliver tailored feedback, personalized recommendations, and support. It is possible to assist students in managing their learning process and self-evaluating their performance through external support and supervision in online learning environments, as well as the usage of learning analytics tools. Sixty-nine undergraduate students participated in the study. Students were challenged on a variety of programming topics. The goal of this research is to use the KNN algorithm to provide automated personalized feedback to novices by conducting continuous assessments and generating recommendations for further improvement using the decision tree algorithm in order to improve their overall skill development in the Java programming language. As a finding of the research, the benefits of individualized recommendations and guided feedback related to learning analytics in increasing students’ overall performance were determined. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

What Determines Student Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted more than 4,500 higher education institutions in Indonesia to the new era of digitalization. Higher students must adapt to the new life where learning and social interaction abruptly move to the virtual world. This sudden change could initiate unpleasant or counterproductive circumstances for students to perform well in their studies. This study analyzes the determinants of student resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also analyzed any self-leadership behaviours determining student resilience. Methods: We cross-sectionally surveyed sophomores of the Public Health Bachelor Program in Airlangga University about their experiences during this unprecedented time. Two hundred sixty-three students responded to the survey. We used the student's characteristics and how this pandemic affected their life to predict their resilience. Brief Resilience Scale and Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire were applied to measure our two main variables in this study. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify the determinants of students' resilience. Results: Residing in disadvantaged regions and experiencing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic did not determine the students' resilience. Students' age was the single determinant of resilience when self-leadership was not included in the analysis (p<0.1;β= -0.0714). Constructive thought pattern strategies were likely to determine their resilience (p<0.01;β= 0.225). Conclusion: Constructive thought pattern strategies determined students' resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic must be seen as a beneficial developmental experience for students. Student support centres in higher education institutions are needed to assist students in reaching adulthood. © 2022 UPM Press. All rights reserved.

Quality Education in the Educational Law Program of the Autonomous Indigenous University of Mexico in the Face

The Indigenous Autonomous University of Mexico, located in Sinaloa, receives indigenous students from all the states of the republic, it has a student dormitory and a dining room free for them. At UAIM students have access to library services and computer centers, in addition to wireless internet, so they do not have connectivity problems. However, when confinement began and they retired to their homes, the complete lack of connectivity for some was evident, because there is no internet service nearby or poor service.The objective of this article is to identify the main difficulties faced by students according to the teachers to maintain quality education in the virtual classrooms and propose possible strategies to replace content for the return. face-to-face.This essay was done through the biographical narrative methodology with a report on the experiences of 8 professors of the Law degree at the Autonomous Indigenous University of Mexico who for two years worked in the Classroom at Home with their students, their strategies and frustrations to complete course after course. Monthly reports issued by the Coordination of the school were consulted.It is concluded that a great effort was made by all the actors involved for the preparation of the students, however, the distance, the times and the deficiencies, but above all the lack of formal preparation of the teachers in the use of the educational platforms, but above all due to the extreme flexibility during the pandemic, the quality decreased a lot and did not allow more than 80% of the expected learning to be achieved among students and that as teachers they must be aware of it, but above all do it know the students.

Online Learning for High Quality Education: Perspective of Indonesian Educators

Entering post-pandemic era, some countries consider combining online learning with onsite learning. Given that educators play an important role in the success of such combination, it is important to summarise their perspective about online learning and consider that in designing such combination. This quantitative study summarises perspective of 210 educators about that matter in Indonesia. In general, educators see benefits of online learning except in promoting educators' teaching presence, supporting vulnerable students, and maintaining student integrity. These issues should be addressed first before combining online learning with onsite learning. © 2022 IEEE.

Virtual Learning during COVID-19: Exploring Challenges and Identifying Highly Vulnerable Groups Based on Location.

Amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020, educational platforms have been forced to change and adapt from conventional physical learning to virtual learning. Nearly all higher learning institutions worldwide are forced to follow the new educational setting through virtual platforms. Sabah is one of the poorest states in Malaysia with the poorest infrastructure, with the technology and communication facilities in the state remaining inept. With the changes in virtual platforms in all higher education institutions in Malaysia, higher learning institutions in Sabah are expected to follow the lead, despite the state lagging in its development. This has certainly impacted the overall productivity and performance of students in Sabah. Therefore, this study aims to explore the challenges of the implementation of virtual learning among students in Sabah. More specifically, this study seeks to identify vulnerable groups among students based on their geographical location. To achieve the objective of this study, a survey has been conducted on a total of 1,371 students in both private and public higher learning institutions in Sabah. The sample selection for this study was determined using a purposive sampling technique. Based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), it was found that there are five challenges in virtual learning faced by students in higher learning institutions in Sabah. These are the unconducive learning environment (var(X) = 20.12%), the deterioration of physical health (var(X) = 13.40%), the decline of mental health (var(X) = 12.10%), the limited educational facilities (var(X) = 10.14%) and social isolation (var(X) = 7.47%). The K-Means Clustering analysis found that there are six student clusters in Sabah (Cluster A, B, C, D, E & F), each of which faces different challenges in participating in virtual learning. Based on the assessment of location, almost half of the total number of districts in Sabah are dominated by students from Cluster A (9 districts) and Cluster B (4 districts). More worryingly, both Cluster A and Cluster B are classified as highly vulnerable groups in relation to the implementation of virtual learning. The results of this study can be used by the local authorities and policymakers in Malaysia to improve the implementation of virtual learning in Sabah so that the education system can be more effective and systematic. Additionally, the improvement and empowerment of the learning environment are crucial to ensuring education is accessible and inclusive for all societies, in line with the fourth of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-4).

The Deaf Experience in Remote Learning during COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many children with hearing loss face many challenges in receiving a quality education. The lack of trained teachers, adequate technological devices, accessible materials and lessons, and home support are all barriers to learning for these children who must learn at distance without appropriate assistance. The main purpose of this paper is to identify these challenges and explore possible recommendations to make online distance learning more accessible to these children. © 2021 IEEE.