Should Physical Education be Taught Online Post Covid-19?

The purpose of this study is to collect students' opinions at a vocational college in Vietnam and find out students' preferences about online learning which was an alternative method as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift in education from traditional classroom learning to online learning at nearly all levels of education in Vietnam can be considered as the biggest teaching method change to date. As online learning has become more popular in Vietnam due to the COVID-19 pandemic, research is needed to understand student experiences and most importantly reveal views on students' online learning preferences. This study is designed to understand the views, challenges and attitudes about online learning being carried out in a vocational college with simple descriptive statistics research method. Data were collected from 140 students via an online survey system. The survey results show that students face many challenges in terms of networking, interaction between lecturers and students as well as limited direct contact with friends and the percentage of students who do not like online learning is rather high. However, according to the students in this survey, online learning provides many advantages in terms of increasing students' autonomy as well as increasing the number of tech-savvy students. © 2022 IEEE.

Improving engagement among full time online learners

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented shift to online learning. For many school systems, online learning came with challenges to student engagement and success. The cohort in this study experienced a failure rate of approximately 30 percent compared to just one percent of their brick-and-mortar peers. This study explores engagement preferences among full- time online learners from the class of 2021 in one suburban high school in Pennsylvania. Participants in this study were selected due to having experienced traditional brick-and-mortar education, synchronous online learning, and asynchronous online learning all within one calendar year. Several best practice models for designing an engaging online learning experience are reviewed and used to develop a mixed-methods study. Participants completed a survey and participated in a focus-group discussion to describe what practices and resources best engage them as full-time online learners. The survey and discussion questions were developed by adapting the domains of the Online Learning Environments Survey and the standards found in the National Quality Standards for Online Teaching. Participant responses revealed a preference for asynchronous access to online lessons and activities. Responses also highlighted the importance of building opportunities for social interaction and online community. The researcher used participant responses and elements from the best practice models reviewed in the literature to make program recommendations that support engagement among full-time online learners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Indonesian children's voices of the school-from-home policy

This study analyzes Indonesian children's happiness feeling and preferences toward school-from-home activities and setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online interviews and drawing-telling activities were used to obtain the data from 334 children aged four to six years. The findings revealed that more than half of the children were happy with the school-from-home policy. They stated that they were allowed to conduct unstructured free play at home besides completing the assignments from the teachers. Older children, 6 years old, preferred the school setting, as they could get themselves engaged in social interaction with their surroundings. In conclusion, adults should consider children's voices, as part of an effort in enhancing their academic well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indonesian children's voices of the school-from-home policy

ABSTRACT This study analyzes Indonesian children's happiness feeling and preferences toward school-from-home activities and setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online interviews and drawing-telling activities were used to obtain the data from 334 children aged four to six years. The findings revealed that more than half of the children were happy with the school-from-home policy. They stated that they were allowed to conduct unstructured free play at home besides completing the assignments from the teachers. Older children, 6 years old, preferred the school setting, as they could get themselves engaged in social interaction with their surroundings. In conclusion, adults should consider children's voices, as part of an effort in enhancing their academic well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Distance learning preferences in university education in the face of the global pandemic unleashed by the COVID-19

Objective: To analyze the learning preferences of university students regarding distance education under the circumstances of the arrival of COVID-19. Method: The research was approached under a quantitative, descriptive and correlational approach, in which through 49 items the technical skills and experience with software tools were known. The population consisted of 900 students from different grades and studying different courses at the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations. Results: A significant relationship was found between learning preferences and technical skills developed by the students. Conclusions: Distance learning preferences by young university students are directed to the use of computers, because through digital media they recognize having a better training and greater help in the use of different software for virtual classrooms. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

VARK preference and perception of online versus offline professional development training of medical laboratory technologists.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the learning preferences and perception of medical laboratory technologists on sudden shift from offline to online training sessions during COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Microsoft form containing twenty-four questions was circulated to the twenty-five laboratory technologists after 1 year of online continuous professional development training. VARK questionnaire was circulated to understand the learning style. RESULTS: Provision of recording lectures, significant reduction of performance anxiety, anxiety associated with criticism, and QA sessions emerged as the major positive aspects of a virtual training platform. Analysis of learning preferences revealed that most technologists had a unimodal aural (45%) or kinesthetics (33%) than visual (11%) and reading (11%) learning preference. In bimodal learning preference, AK (44.44%) emerged as the predominant form. Forty percent of the technologists showed trimodal learning pattern with 50% among them showing an ARK pattern while 25% each showing VAK and VRK patterns of learning preferences. CONCLUSION: Medical laboratory technologists adapted well to the sudden shift from offline to online continuous development programs. However, efficient managerial mechanisms to address the major perceived hurdles and designing a multimodal training module to accommodate the learning preferences of our technologists can ensure enthusiastic participation and effective learning among medical laboratory technologists.

Influences of Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Procrastination and Digital Literacy for Online Learning

Online learning became a norm amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Sudden governmental movement control directives prohibited the gentle easing of students into online learning;and disregarded individual learning preferences. Despite that, it is still vital to understand student preferences to facilitate better adaptation and coping with online or blended learning courses. Therefore, a correlational study was designed to investigate preferences for online learning (POL) based on academic self-efficacy (ASE), academic procrastination (AP), and digital literacy (DL) levels. A total of 272 responses were analysed. Respondents were full-time undergraduates aged between 18 to 26 years (M = 20.8, SD = 1.38). Most were females (n=209, 76.5%) and had prior online learning experience (n = 221, 81.3%). The relationship between variables and group differences such as gender and prior experience were examined. Results showed all three study variables were related to POL in the anticipated direction. However, only DL was a significant predictor of POL. Males perceived higher levels of ASE and DL. Students with prior experience had a significantly higher POL. Findings implied that DL and prior experience were important factors in accepting online learning. Therefore, this study calls for a systematic approach to develop ICT skills and encourage exposure to short online classes before enrolment into tertiary education. © 2022 ACM.

Teaching from Multiple Angles: Aligning the Teaching Materials and Activities with Preferred Learning Styles of the Students

In this case study, student groups in three Civil Engineering courses (i.e., Statics, Dynamics, and Fluid Mechanics) are surveyed to identify the dominant learning preferences of each group. The survey of the student groups in this study shows that visual, sensing, active, and sequential learning are the most dominant learning preferences in each study group. The teaching materials and activities for these courses are revised to align with the identified learning preferences of each group respectively. The impact of these revisions on the final exam (summative assessment) performance of the groups and Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality (SEEQ) scores is measured. The preliminary results show some improvement in the final exam performances and SEEQ scores compared to the previous two years. The COVID effect in Fall 2020 and 2021, as well as relatively small group sizes, undermine the reliability of the results. More data from larger group sizes and without the impact of extraordinary factors such as pandemic is expected to be collected in the following years to supplement the results and achieve a conclusion with higher confidence. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022.

Teachers and Learners’ Perceptions of E-Learning Implementation in Special Times: Evaluating Relevance and Internationalization Prospects at Saudi Universities

The recent abrupt shift to a total e-learning modality has been a fresh yet daunting experience for educational institutions due to the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift has also raised the questions of relevance of educational modalities given the special times we are living in, as well as the happy possibility of universities gearing up for internationalization to prepare students for online learning. Before implementing these changes, however, in-depth study of the opinions and experiences of teachers and students at Saudi universities, among other parameters, is imperative. With this focus, the current study employs a mixed-methods research design from two universities in Saudi Arabia, namely Qassim University (QU) and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU). A purposive sample of 22 teachers and 54 students were the respondents, who were administered a questionnaire and interviewed at a later stage. Results showed that both teachers and students find the online teaching–learning experience challenging due to teacher-related, student-related and technology-related factors. The teachers rate themselves as being moderately competent in the use of technology tools for online learning, while students assess themselves as competent. Initiatives are offered by both students and teachers to improve the transition of universities to online education as well as to promote the quality of universities towards internationalization, particularly with living in the midst of a health crisis. The study has implications for curriculum implementers and designers committed to educational revolution. The outcomes of this proposed research can be the basis for relevance and internationalization initiatives of the selected universities in Saudi Arabia.

Exploring nursing students' need for social presence and its relevance to their learning preferences.

AIM: To explore nursing students' need for social presence in online learning, looking at its relevance to the adopted sensory modality learning styles. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: Two semi-structured online focus groups were held with five second-year and seven third-year undergraduate nursing students, purposively recruited from the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology. Using a structured guide based on the Social Presence Model, participants were asked about their perceived need for social presence (a construct used to understand online interactions), and its relevance to their learning preferences using the VARK (Visual, Aural/Auditory, Read/write and Kinesthetic) learning styles. RESULTS: Despite varying learning preferences, all participants remarked on the need for social presence. Social presence was required for their perceived learning and for actively participating in online lectures. Several participants expressed the need for social presence for a collaborative constructivist learning experience, drawing on their diverse learning styles for a better learning experience.

Personalized E-Learning Based on Ant Colony Optimization

With the advancement in technology, the approach to learning has also been modified. “Standardization” and “One-size-fits-all” has become an outdated concept. To adjust to the changing learning approaches, e-learning came into being, but this was not as per the knowledge and intelligence of users. This created a hurdle in the achievement of better learning and acquisition of skills. This calls for the provision of personalization in e-learning. Successful implementation of personalized e-learning in the present education system will lead to better and faster learning by adapting as per the preferences and knowledge of students. The core idea behind this research is to make an application using Android, which provides a personalized and adaptable route of e-learning using Ant Colony Optimization and recommendations from similar peers. This research will cater to the needs of many students, and it will help in decreasing the time taken to complete any subject or course. It will also help in attaining better and efficient learning as the learning route is determined as per the user. Also, the collection of records of every user will help in improving efficiency and accuracy in the determination of the learning path. The developed app aiming for adaptative e-learning can act as a promising solution during the Covid-19 scenario.

Environments, processes, and outcomes - using the LEPO framework to examine medical student learning preferences with traditional and electronic resources.

Changes in medical student learning preferences help drive innovation in teaching and require schools and commercial resources to quickly adapt. However, few studies have detailed the relationship of learner preferences to the environment and teaching modalities used in the pre-clerkship years, nor do they incorporate third-party resources. Our study attempts to analyze learner preferences by comparing the use of traditional and third-party resources. In 2017-18, a survey was distributed to medical students and residents at two accredited medical schools. Participants noted preferred styles of learning regarding lecture duration, timing, location, format, third-party resources, learner types and USMLE Step 1 scores. The 'Learning Environment, Learning Processes, and Learning Outcomes' (LEPO) framework [5] was used to examine learner preferences, with responses compared using the Mann-Whitney U and two proportion z-tests. A total of 329 respondents completed the survey: 62.7% medical students and 37.3% residents. The majority of participants identified their learning style by Kolb [6] as converging (33.0%) or accommodating (39.2%). Students preferred lectures 30-40 minutes long (43.3%), during morning hours (54.2%), in their own homes (52.0%), via online lectures with simultaneous drawings (56.0%), and classroom/podcast lectures with PowerPoint® presentations (54.3%). Overall, students rated third-party resource characteristics higher than traditional curricula, including effectiveness of teachers, length, quality, time of day, and venue (p < 0.001), but also preferred small group formats. Students reported animated videos (46.6%) and simultaneous drawings (46.5%) as the most effective means of retaining information. Understanding changing learner preferences is important in creating optimal curricula for today's students. Using the LEPO framework, this study identifies critical preferences in successfully teaching medical students, inclusive of commercial and traditional resources. These results can also help guide changes in pedagogy necessary due to the more recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Clinical and translational research workforce education survey identifies needs of faculty and staff.

Developing the translational research workforce is a goal established by the National Center for Advancing Translational Science for its network of Clinical and Translational Science Award Program hubs. We surveyed faculty and research staff at our institution about their needs and preferences, utilization of existing trainings, and barriers and facilitators to research training. A total of 545 (21.9%) faculty and staff responded to the survey and rated grant development, research project development, and professional development among their top areas for further training. Faculty prioritized statistical methods and dissemination and implementation, while staff prioritized research compliance and research administration. Faculty (73.9%; n = 119) and staff (87.3%; n = 165) reported that additional training would give them more confidence in completing their job responsibilities. Time and lack of awareness were the most common barriers to training. Our results indicate the value of training across a range of topics with unique needs for faculty and staff. This pre-COVID survey identified time, awareness, and access to training opportunities as key barriers for faculty and staff. The shift to remote work spurred by the pandemic has further heightened the need for effective and readily accessible online trainings to enable continuous development of the clinical and translational research workforce.

Facilitating Flexibility: The Role of CPD Regulators and Accreditors during a Crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed healthcare systems - including CPD learning environments - around the world. Rarely has there been a time in recent history when almost the entire healthcare profession urgently needed to learn new skills. At the same time, education providers endured new personal and professional stressors. In the US, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education shifted its position from regulator to facilitator to give CPD providers the guidance, resources, and flexibility that would empower them to help healthcare professionals respond to the pandemic. Despite unprecedented challenges, the CPD community rapidly shifted from live to virtual learning environments to offer critical training, significantly increasing engagement with clinicians and teams, and demonstrating that CPD is an important part of the solution. As the healthcare system continues to undergo stress, it is important that institutional and health system leaders appropriately resource CPD programmes, enabling them to address evolving pandemic-related issues. Regulatory bodies in the CPD sphere should continue to take a leadership role on three fronts: facilitating innovation in education design and delivery; evolving data-reporting systems to reduce burdens on clinicians; and standing up for science by countering medical misinformation and ensuring that education provides valid content.