A Multicentre Analysis of Approaches to Learning and Student Experiences of Learning Anatomy Online.

Introduction: The approaches to learning students adopt when learning anatomy online could yield important lessons for educators. Dissection room teaching can encourage students to adopt a deep approach to learning anatomy. It was therefore hypothesized that the proportion of students adopting a deep approach to learning would be lower in a population learning anatomy online. This research aims to investigate the experiences of students learning anatomy online during the COVID-19 pandemic and the approaches to learning they adopted. Methods: A survey was distributed to medical students at 7 universities across the UK and Ireland. The survey included two previously validated questionnaires: Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students and Anatomy Learning Experience Questionnaire. Results: The analysis included 224 unique student responses. Students' approach to learning mirrored reports from previous studies conducted during face-to-face tuition with 44.3% adopting deep, 40.7% strategic, 11.4% surface, and 3.6% combined learning approaches. The university (p = 0.019) and changes to formative (p = 0.016) and summative (p = 0.009) assessments significantly impacted approach to learning. Students reported that online resources were effective but highlighted the need for clearer guidance on how to find and use them successfully. Conclusion: It is important to highlight that students value in-person opportunities to learn from human cadaveric material and hence dissection room sessions should remain at the forefront of anatomical education. It is recommended that future online and/or blended provisions of anatomy teaching include varied resources that maximize engagement with media featuring cadaveric specimens. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01633-7.

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Physical Education-Study Process Questionnaire : Insights for Physical Education University Students.

Background: The Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) is used to examine students' study approaches in higher education. The questionnaire is designed to measure two factors: deep and surface approaches. In order to measure these approaches for students in physical education and sport, a new measurement instrument should take into consideration the practical context of this field of education that makes it specific to other fields. Objective: The present study aims (a) to develop and empirical test of a new instrument for measuring the study process in physical education and sports students, and (b) to test psychometric properties of the tool. Methods: Two exploratory and confirmatory samples of physical education students enrolled in a bachelor's degree program in physical education at the High Institute of Physical Education and Sports of Kef-Tunisia, aged 19-26 years, were recruited online among female students (n = 414) and male students (n = 393). The participants filled in Google Form survey including Physical Education-Study Process Questionnaire (PE-SPQ) and the Arabic version of the Revised Study Process Questionnaire-2 Factors (R-SPQ-2F). Results: Exploratory factor analysis showed a suitable four factors solution, which is approved by confirmatory factor analysis indices [χ2 = 466.47, TLI = 0.94, CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.56 IC 90% (0.050-0.062)]. Internal consistency of the PE-SPQ simultaneously checked by McDonald's ω, Cronbach's α and Gutmann's λ6 showed good reliability of the PE-SPQ. Convergent validity examined by Average variance extracted (AVE) was good. The comparison between the AVE root mean square and Pearson correlation coefficients of each factor with his indicators reveals the discriminant validity of the PE-SPQ. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation between the PE-SPQ factors and the R-SPQ-2F establishes the concurrent validity of the new scale. Conclusion: The PE-SPQ scale is valid and reliable and can be used to assess study process factors in physical education students.

Re-imagining Blended Learning. An Experience-Led Approach to Accelerate Student Future Skills Development

This paper argues that the changes to education and the workplace, brought about by the use of blended learning and working during the Pandemic, can accelerate the development of students digital skills. Adopting the EU definition of blended learning, the paper shows that a tripartite understanding of blended learning between schools, industry and policymakers is needed to secure sustainability and transferability of digital skills from school to the workplace. The challenges and opportunities of a European digital literacy programme, the Digital Schools Awards, are offered as a way to consolidate the development of digital literacy across Europe so that the experiences of blended learning and teaching during the Pandemic can be harnessed and advanced. To be sustainable, blended learning must appeal to students and their teachers’ pedagogical and curricular needs. The paper, therefore, promotes a continuum approach to blended learning where a range of developmental and progressive strategies are suggested. Then, a rationale for future work and skills is presented that draws on this continuum to support blended learning and working as a lifelong practice. A multistakeholder, peer to peer approach to the future of learning and skills development will, we argue, positively impact the way 21st-century citizens can educate, learn and work at a cross-cultural, multi-societal and institution level. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: With the new pandemic reality that has beset us, teaching and learning activities have been thrust online. While much research has explored student perceptions of online and distance learning, none has had a social laboratory to study the effects of an enforced transition on student perceptions of online learning. PURPOSE: We surveyed students about their perceptions of online learning before and after the transition to online learning. As student perceptions are influenced by a range of contextual and institutional factors beyond the classroom, we expected that students would be overall sanguine to the project given that access, technology integration, and family and government support during the pandemic shutdown would mitigate the negative consequences. RESULTS: Students overall reported positive academic outcomes. However, students reported increased stress and anxiety and difficulties concentrating, suggesting that the obstacles to fully online learning were not only technological and instructional challenges but also social and affective challenges of isolation and social distancing. CONCLUSION: Our analysis shows that the specific context of the pandemic disrupted more than normal teaching and learning activities. Whereas students generally responded positively to the transition, their reluctance to continue learning online and the added stress and workload show the limits of this large scale social experiment. In addition to the technical and pedagogical dimensions, successfully supporting students in online learning environments will require that teachers and educational technologists attend to the social and affective dimensions of online learning as well.