Educational Challenges and Motivational Orientations in College Students from the Health Sciences Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Online classes have become one of the main teaching methods in higher education during the pandemic, which has forced students to adapt themselves to keep their motivation in the face of different educational challenges that have not been fully resolved. The objective of the study was to describe the educational challenges and motivational orientations of college nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a descriptive type design, the researchers applied a standardized questionnaire to 300 Mexican university students. As the main discoveries, it was found that students mostly face technological challenges, followed by socio -affective ones. However, the motivational orientation towards learning predominates among students, where the educational context is a determinant of the teaching-learning process. Hence, the authors concluded that motivation (learning orientation) favors learning and acts as an essential intermediary during online learning. Moreover, the transfer from face-to-face education to online teaching has complicated the processes of integration and adaptation for students. The former occurs while educational challenges have become more acute in a pandemic context, and where technological and socio-affective categories represent the elements students must face. Therefore, the researchers recommend a correlational study to provide a better understanding of the possible relationship between the two studied variables. In addition, in the future, different qualitative methods could be used to further explore the meaning of different motivational orientations in online educational environments under different conditions.

Challenges of distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educational experiences in Poland in relation to Belgium, France, Greece from the perspective of the KEEP project

The COVID-19 pandemic and organisational changes in education, such as periodic school closings, the introduction of distance learning, and the introduction of hybrid learning, shook the education systems in many countries around the world. During this crisis, society needed time to introduce changes and adapt to them, along with rebuilding the self-confidence of teachers and students. This article presents 4 challenges faced by the education sector in the pandemic: 1) How to ensure appropriate conditions for distance learning? 2) How to prevent school absenteeism and keep children and teenagers motivated to learn remotely? 3) How to maintain learning levels and monitor educational losses? 4) What remedial programmes to introduce? These challenges are discussed in the context of the experience of the Polish education system from the perspective of data collected in 4 European countries (Belgium, France, Greece, and Poland) while implementing the KEEP project under the Erasmus+ programme, which focuses on methods of keeping secondary school students engaged in the learning process by using digital practices and tools tested during the pandemic. The project is also expected to result in supporting teachers' professional development and developing their digital pedagogical competencies.

Educational Challenges in a Post-pandemic World

The major educational challenges generated by the COVID-19 pandemic are disrupted learning especially for students from low socioeconomic home backgrounds, a widening digital divide, limited effectiveness of emergency remote learning, and a neglect of holistic education. Consequently, the pandemic has contributed to and intensified the physical, mental, social, and emotional stress experienced by students and impaired their overall well-being. In response, schools around the world have, to varying degrees of success, experimented with blended learning and alternative teaching modes, utilised technologies, and collaborated with educational stakeholders to meet the students' needs. A silver lining in the midst of the difficulties is an opportunity for policymakers and educators to review, rethink, and reimagine the existing educational theories, models, and practices to improve student well-being.

University Lecturers' Views on Distance Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Ukrainian-Latvian Comparative Studies

The main purpose of the study was to compare and contrast Ukrainian and Latvian university lecturers' views on distance education (teaching and learning) caused by the sudden interruption of the face-to face instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was also targeted at investigating university lecturers' readiness to respond to the educational challenges during the pandemic. The international team of researchers set up a web-based questionnaire aimed at self-assessing Ukrainian and Latvian university lecturers' digital literacy knowledge and skills and finding out their attitudes towards current educational changes. Having absolutely identical content the web-based questionnaire was presented in the Ukrainian, Latvian and English languages. The research sample which was selected with the use of a voluntary response sampling technique consisted of 60 university lecturers from Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (Kyiv, Ukraine), Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Kyiv, Ukraine), National Aviation University (Kyiv, Ukraine), Rezekne Academy of Technologies (Rezekne, Latvia). Qualitative data analysis covered a conscientious summing-up of the information received, displaying the processed data in the form of tables and pie charts, comparing and generalizing the data received in Ukraine and Latvia, discussing the obtained findings and making logical conclusions how to cope with educational challenges.

Contradições da educação de jovens e adultos em tempos de educação remota

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar as potencialidades e limites das práticas pedagógicas mediadas por tecnologias digitais, no atual contexto em que o mundo convive com a pandemia da Covid-19, que impediu, além de outras atividades cotidianas, que as escolas dessem continuidade ao ano letivo de 2020 e iniciassem o ano letivo de 2021. O presente estudo centra-se na modalidade da Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA), nos níveis Fundamental e Médio, sob a hipótese de que os educandos da modalidade são os que possuem maiores dificuldades de adaptação às novas práticas de ensino e de aprendizagem com interface tecnológica, dada a pouca habilidade da maioria dos estudantes no uso de equipamentos eletrônicos e a ausência do acesso à internet. Trata-se de pesquisa de abordagem quali-quantitativa, que metodologicamente fez uso de questionário, respondido por 79 professores, por meio de formulário digital. As principais conclusões do estudo apontam a baixa adesão dos estudantes da modalidade às plataformas digitais e às atividades remotas e a necessidade de as políticas públicas e a formação docente investirem na educação mediada pela tecnologia como um recurso a mais no processo de ensino e de aprendizagem e na garantia do direito de todos à educação. Sinaliza, ainda, como professores e estudantes estão vivenciando este contexto pandêmico e as expectativas docentes em relação à EJA no período pós-pandemia.Alternate : The aim of this article is to analyze the potentialities and limits of pedagogic practices mediated by digital technologies, in current context in which the world coexists with Covid-19, that prevented, beyond other daily activities, that the schools have continued the school year of 2020 and have begun the school year of 2021. The present study is centered in the Youth and Adult Education (YAE), in Elementary and High levels, under the hypotheses that the students of the YAE are who have higher difficulties of adaptation to the newest teaching and learning practices with technologic interface, due the low ability of the most students in the usage of electronic equipment and absence of access to internet. This research has a qualitative-quantitative approach, which methodologically used questionnaire, answered by 79 teachers, through digital formulary. The main conclusions of the study point to low adhesion of the YAE students to digital platforms and remote activities, and the necessity of the public politics and teacher training to invest in education mediated by technology as an extra resource in teaching and learning process and in the warranty of the right to education for all. It also signals how teachers and students are experiencing this pandemic context and the teachers expectatives about YAE in after-pandemic period.Alternate : El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las potencialidades y los límites de las prácticas pedagógicas mediadas por las tecnologías digitales, en el contexto actual en el que el mundo vive con la pandemia del Covid-19, que impidió, además de otras actividades cotidianas, que las escuelas continuaran el año escolar 2020 e iniciaran el año escolar 2021. Este estudio se centra en la modalidad de Educación de Jóvenes y Adultos (EJA), en los niveles de Primaria y Secundaria, bajo la hipótesis de que los alumnos de esta modalidad son los que tienen mayores dificultades para adaptarse a las nuevas prácticas de enseñanza y aprendizaje con interfaz tecnológica, dada la baja habilidad de la mayoría de los alumnos en el uso de equipos electrónicos y la ausencia de acceso a internet. Se trata de una investigación de enfoque cuali-cuantitativo, que metodológicamente hizo uso de un cuestionario, contestado por 79 profesores, mediante formulario digital. Las principales conclusiones del estudio apuntan a la baja adhesión de los alumnos de la modalidad a las plataformas digitales y a las actividades a distancia y a la necesidad de que las políticas públicas y la formación de los profesores inviertan en la educación ediada por la tecnología como un recurso más en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje y en la garantía del derecho de todos a la educación. También señala cómo viven los profesores y los alumnos este contexto pandémico y las expectativas de los profesores en relación con la EJA en el periodo post-pandémico.

Factors influencing undergraduate education in an expanding virtual world during COVID-19.

Moving to a virtual platform can introduce barriers beyond access and stability of technology, which may influence students' academic performance. The aim of this study was to identify factors, both personal and technology-related, that students and faculty perceived as contributors to academic performance. Enrolled students and teaching faculty in the Bachelor of Science programs at Rush University were surveyed. Analysis of survey results indicated that mental health and finances hindered students' performance, whereas faculty reported that technology accessibility and stability was the greatest contributor to students' performance. Both groups reported that at-home learning environment contributed to students' academic performance. These results provided insight into factors that impact student academic performance, allowing for appropriate changes to courses and overall curriculum to ensure undergraduates' learning and retention of course material.

Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Geopolitics, Health, Economics, Education and Sociocultural Events.

The number of active cases of COVID-19 and deaths is markedly escalating. The pandemic had affected almost every aspect of our lives including geopolitics, health, economics, education, and sociocultural events. However, besides the negative impacts of the pandemic, there are some positive impacts as well, such as improving our awareness of the daily hygienic practices, emphasizing digital inequality, and increasing global collaboration in combating the crisis by intensifying scientific research to establish a promising vaccine. Other positive impacts are the activation and use of online education, also raising awareness about close family relationships and much more. This review addresses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on various important aspects of life.

DENTAL EDUCATION AT UNIANDES, EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES IN THE FACE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The recent crisis as a consequence of the SARS-CoV2 (covid-19) pandemic has had an immediate effect on medical education, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of a system in which technology comes to occupy a predominant position, we would almost say protagonist, in the educational process. We have immediately resorted to technology to maintain the teaching and learning processes. The present work has the objective of arguing the great educational challenges undertaken by the UNIANDES dentistry career in times of COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, use was made of the content documentary analysis method, making a review of the different alternatives, measures and guidelines taken by the institutions of higher education of medical sciences before the COVID-19 pandemic and its contribution to the training of professionals. In the odontology career, after an analysis of the epidemiological situation and the impossibility of returning to face-to-face activities, methodological strategies were immediately adopted for the reorganization of the teaching-educational process. An option was satisfactorily established to give continuity to the teaching-learning process and to favor the acquisition of skills in an independent and creative way in the professionals in training, which requires constant self-preparation of the teacher on how to apply this modality with the highest possible teaching performance.

The Use of Digital Portfolio in Higher Education before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study is focused on the advantages and disadvantages of using a digital portfolio to improve the learning and evaluation processes in the initial teacher training of 4th-year students in the University of Seville (Spain). One of the interests of this research was to compare the learning capacities perceived by the students to improve their learning process before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative, descriptive methodology was applied, identifying the most relevant dimensions, categories and codes for the analysis, management and interpretation of the opinions of the students, with a research triangulation (Cohen's kappa coefficient) and a coding performed using the ATLAS.ti 8.4 software. The results show that the advantages with greater percentage correspond to the following categories: learning, usefulness of OneDrive, autonomy and evaluation. The greatest disadvantages detected were: time, uncertainty, usefulness of OneDrive and autonomy. There are differences in the perceptions of the students, between before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, about the learning capacities developed with the use of digital portfolio, since they consider that they have acquired more significant learning, greater self-regulation of their learning and greater reflection capacity.

School-Family Relations: An Educational Challenge in Times of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has widened the gap regarding access to educational opportunities, which was included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This descriptive, quantitative study aims to examine the communication strategies employed by secondary schools in Spain during the lockdown, as well as to analyse the co-responsibility of the educational process between schools and families. An ad hoc questionnaire (GIESBAFCOV-19) was designed and implemented to gather information. The results show that, in most cases, mothers were responsible for assisting and supervising their children's homework as persons in charge of education-related matters. Additionally, before the lockdown was put in place, about half of the participating families received information from the educative centres regarding the disease and sanitary measures. Once the lockdown took place, families put the focus on their children's schoolwork, not without difficulties in academic and digital literacy. In general, the families were satisfied with the communication established with the educational centres. The present study has raised the necessity to improve communication between centres and families and to reflect on the tools and systems used for its exchange. Consequently, it seems that information and digital competences should be promoted to guarantee an equalitarian education for all.

One Year of Online Education in COVID-19 Age, a Challenge for the Romanian Education System.

The study tried to analyze the implication of one year of online education in the Romanian education system. To achieve this goal, the authors of this study analyzed all the levels of education, primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education, and even the early childhood system, but also one of the smallest Romanian universities, considered representative for grade 1 universities representing 60% of the Romanian universities. The study is based on four online questionnaires for investigation, first with more than 2500 respondents from the primary and secondary Romanian education system, and the other three applied to more than 800 students and professors from the University of Petroșani. The investigation took place during 29 January 2021 and 11 February 2021. The authors had investigated the main feature of a standard online or a classical e-learning solution, such as the meeting solution or the video conference software, the collaborative work, such as homework or projects, and the testing method or the quizzes from both perspectives of the students and of the professors. The study results could influence the expected future hybrid educational system because these results were not covered in the previous literature but proved to be necessary for relevant knowledge strategies to be implemented in the new pandemic and also in the future context.

Emergency Remote Education, Family Support and the Digital Divide in the Context of the COVID-19 Lockdown.

To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, governments all over the world implemented strong lockdown measures to a large part of the population, including the closing of educational centres. Teachers were urged to transform their teaching methodology, moving from a face-to-face model to an emergency remote education (ERE) model, characterised by the use of technologies to continue with lectures and maintain the physical distance with the students. The aim of the present study was to analyse the existence of socio-digital inequalities and the educational challenges posed by the development of an ERE model, hence, contributing to the literature by proposing a systematic and holistic approach on this phenomenon. Based on the characteristics of the research problem and the objectives set, a qualitative methodology was applied. On the one hand, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 136 active teachers as the main data gathering technique. On the other hand, grounded theory was key in interpreting the results, with the aim of generating the theory in a systematic and holistic manner. It can be asserted that ERE was very useful during the lockdown of schools, and its potential to transform education was demonstrated. However, it was also shown that the development of an ERE model can cause socio-digital inequalities among students, due to the lack of access to digital devices and Internet connection, mainly due to factors, such as the socio-educational level of the family and the rural or urban context of the centre.

The Educational Community in the Face of COVID-19. Discursive Analysis on Vulnerability and Education.

This article presents the results of research the objective of which was to know the opinion of directors of different educational centers about the management carried out in their centers and the possible difficulties encountered during the suspension of face-to-face classes caused by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research method is qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and inductive. The study sample is made up of 43 managers of educational centers, who were selected by applying an intentional sampling based on criteria of age, experience, ownership of the center, teachings that are taught, and the socioeconomic context where it is located. A questionnaire was used to collect the information, previously designed and validated through the judgment of experts, to inquire about the organization and management from the management team, the development of the academic task with the students, and the relationship with the families during the course period of cessation of classroom activities. To make an adequate approximation to the reality studied, an exhaustive content analysis of the speeches issued by the participants was carried out. Among the main conclusions of the research are the difficulties they have experienced during the closure of schools in relation to the lack of strategic planning to reconvert face-to-face education to the online format, scarcity of technological resources in centers and homes, training deficit in digital skills, increasing the digital divide, attention to students with special educational needs or communication problems with students and their families.

The Pandemic and Changes in the Self-Perception of Teacher Digital Competences of Infant Grade Students: A Cross Sectional Study.

Without having a reaction time, the pandemic has caused an unprecedented transformation in universities around the world, leading to a revolution from structured models anchored in the conception of transmission of training towards a teaching approach-learning saved thanks to the incorporation of technology. This study aims to verify whether the pandemic situation has influenced the digital competence self-perception of students. Comparing two groups during the academic years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, the instrument used is the questionnaire for digital competence "DigCompEdu Check-In" for future teachers. After the educational intervention, group A (before COVID-19) presented higher self-perceptions of competence than group B (during COVID-19); the pandemic situation caused by COVID-19 has negatively influenced students' self-perception of their digital skills in the pretest in the different dimensions under study. Before receiving the training, the group that did not experience the pandemic enjoyed a higher self-perception of their competencies than the group that experienced the pandemic. The data obtained indicate that the difference exists, and that it is statistically significant, and may be a consequence of the clear relationship between self-perception and the way in which students face reality through their personal and subjective vision.