Investigating the factors affecting adolescents' test anxiety in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic

The most prevalent mental health challenges in teenagers are generalized anxiety disorder and depression. The (COVID-19) pandemic has added an extra negative effect on children's mental health.(1) This study focuses on the investigation of a specific form of adolescent anxiety, i.e. test anxiety (TA). TA in adolescents is associated with mental and behavioral comorbidities and may have adverse effects on students' academic performance as well as their physiological and psychological well-being. Therefore, this study examines the impact of family communication and body image dissatisfaction on adolescents' test anxiety in Greece. According to the results of the Structural Equation Model that was examined, family communication presented a minimal negative effect on students' TA. However, the main finding of this study was that body image dissatisfaction had an important direct and minimal indirect effect on students' TA. The indirect effect was via the physical activity hours that acted as a mediator between body image dissatisfaction and TA. As a result, examining body image concerns and enhancing family communication may be crucial in assisting adolescents at risk for severe TA symptoms. Implications of the findings are discussed.(1)

Reducing Test Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Educational assessments can affect students' mental health, particularly during a pandemic. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are widely efficacious for reducing test anxiety, as well as general anxiety and rumination. However, the effectiveness of these two therapies for students during COVID-19 is unclear. We measured the effectiveness of ACT and CBT for managing test anxiety, general anxiety, and rumination during COVID-19 for 77 students taking Türkiye's national university entrance exam, assigned to either the ACT or CBT psychoeducation programs. Both programs reduced test anxiety, general anxiety, and rumination, and showed similar levels of effectiveness. This suggests that ACT and CBT are both important for improving students' mental health during COVID-19 and either may be beneficial.

Zooming in or zoning out: examining undergraduate learning experiences with zoom and the role of mind-wandering

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a systematic change in course modalities due to the nationwide suspension of in-person instruction, resulting in the transition to emergency remote distance learning via Zoom. This transition certainly facilitated affordances of flexibility and continuity, but with it brought issues of unfamiliarity, lack of confidence, anxiety, distractions, and validity from both the instructors and the student perspectives. This in situ study aimed to better understand the students' learning experiences with Zoom by assessing the social, cognitive, and behavioral factors influencing learner's mind-wandering and its effect on online engagement. Undergraduate students from 14 classes across two research institutions in California (N = 633) were recruited to participate in an online survey while distance learning through a pandemic. Structural equation modeling was used to conduct a path analysis to explain the factors impacting students' online engagement mediated by students' frequency to mind-wander. Study findings revealed that (1) self-efficacy and trait anxiety had significant direct effects on students' mind-wandering;(2) self-efficacy, trait anxiety, task-value beliefs, and mind-wandering had significant direct effects on students' online engagement;and finally (3) the frequency of students' mind-wandering partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and engagement and between trait anxiety and engagement. Identifying these structural relationships further confirmed our hypotheses on sources contributing to students' mind-wandering while learning remotely, provided insights into potential mechanisms underpinning students' online engagement, and suggests practical pedagogical learning experience design recommendations for instructors to immediately implement while teaching and learning with Zoom..

Reappraising the Relationship Between Interview Anxiety and Performance Outcome in a Computer-Mediated Setting

By adapting methods used to measure anxiety in physical employment interview, this study in the first stage identifies levels of anxiety induced in a computer-mediated interview setting. In the second stage, the study examines the mediating role of practice interview process in reducing interview anxiety and explores the moderating effects of gender and prior work experience on the relationship between remote interview anxiety and performance outcome. It utilizes partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the direct and mediation effect based on 245 responses received from job aspirants. As in a physical interview, anxiety in a remote situation is related to one's level of preparation and perception of interviewing self-efficacy. The results reveal a significant positive effect of preparation satisfaction on self-efficacy perception of interview performance and significant negative effect of self-efficacy perception and preparation satisfaction on remote interview anxiety. Practice-interview process significantly mediated the performance outcome;however, the moderating effect of gender and work experience was found to be insignificant. Practical implications: Findings from this study have far-reaching implications for educators and professionals working toward mitigating anxiety during the employment selection processes in computer-mediated setting.

Student Anxiety and Its Impact: A Recent American History

This article traces the rise of anxiety among American high school and college students since the late 1950s, with particular focus on the decades before 2000. Evidence for rates of change comes from anxiety tests administered during the period, as well as a variety of psychological studies. The article also takes up the issue of causation, highlighting the extension of counseling services and psychological vocabulary that affected evaluations of nervousness;the impact of negative developments like crime rates and growing family instability;and the results both of changes in educational patterns—such as more frequent examinations—and significant shifts in student goals and expectations. Finally, the article touches on efforts to mitigate anxiety, such as expanding student services, and also their limited impact.

Perceived Nexus Between Non-Invigilated Summative Assessment and Mental Health Difficulties: A Cross Sectional Studies.

The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly led to changes in the mode of teaching, learning and assessments in most tertiary institutions worldwide. Notably, non-invigilated summative assessments became predominant. These changes heightened anxiety and depression, especially among individuals with less resilient coping mechanism. We explored the perceptions and experiences of mental health difficulties of students in tertiary education regarding non-invigilated alternative assessments in comparison to invigilated assessments. A pragmatic, mixed method cross sectional design was conducted online via Qualtrics. Thematic analysis of text was carried out using NVivo 12. In the quantitative analysis, univariable and multivariable ordinal logistic models were used to examine the potential factors for preference among students in higher education. A total of 380 Nursing and Social Science students responded to the survey. Approximately 77% of students perceived non-invigilated assessments to be less stressful compared to invigilated exams. Age, course of study, stage of studies, and number of units enrolled per semester were identified as significant drivers for students' perceived preference for non-invigilated assessments. There was an inverse relationship between the perception of stress associated with invigilated exams and the age of students. For instance, students aged between 18-24 were 5 times more likely to prefer non-invigilated exams compared to those aged 55 or more. Comparatively, students in early stages of studies had higher preference for non-invigilated assessments. However, there was a preference reversal for students enrolled in 2 or less units per semester. Social sciences students were two times more likely to prefer non-invigilated examinations to invigilated examinations compared to nursing students. The findings reinforce the use of alternative assessments in higher education as a mitigating agency to lessen the mental health burden of tertiary students in post COVID-19 era. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10805-023-09472-w.

Correction: A self-support approach to satisfy basic psychological needs during difficult situations

Reports an error in "A self-support approach to satisfy basic psychological needs during difficult situations" by Behzad Behzadnia and Saeideh FatahModares (Motivation and Emotion, Advanced Online Publication, Aug 24, 2022, np). The original version of this article contained a mistake in the acknowledgements section. The correct acknowledgements section is given in the erratum. The original article has been corrected. (The following of the original article appeared in record 2022-95204-001). We tested whether a self-support approach to satisfy basic psychological needs to increase students' basic need satisfaction, mindfulness, and subjective vitality, and decrease their need frustration, coronavirus, and test anxiety during the novel coronavirus and university final exams. Three hundred and thirty students (Mage = 21.45, SD = 2.66) participated in this 6-day long experimental study and they were randomly allocated to either experimental (self-support approach, n = 176) or control (no-intervention) condition. Students completed the targeted questionnaires at the beginning (first day of the university final exams, Time 1) middle (3 days after the beginning of the study, Time 2), and the end of study (6 days after the beginning of the study, Time 3). Compared to students in the control condition, students in the experimental condition reported higher need satisfaction, mindfulness, subjective vitality, and lower need frustration, coronavirus, and test anxiety. Through a path analysis, the experimental condition predicted positively students higher need satisfaction, which in turn, predicted their higher subjective vitality, and lower coronavirus and test anxiety at Time 3. Results highlighted the importance of a self-support approach on students' outcomes during difficult situations, that have implications for theory and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The framework of Systematic Assessment for Resilience (SAR): development and validation.

BACKGROUND: Burnout and depression among health professions education (HPE) students continue to rise, leading to unwanted effects that ultimately jeopardise optimal medical care and patient health. Promoting the resilience of medical students is one solution to this issue. Several interventions have been implemented to foster resilience, but they focus on aspects other than the primary cause: the assessment system. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework to promote resilience in assessment planning and practice. METHODS: We followed the guidelines suggested by Whetten for constructing a theoretical model for framework development. There were four phases in the model development. In the first phase, different literature review methods were used, and additional students' perspectives were collected through focus group discussions. Then, using the data, we constructed the theoretical model in the second phase. In the third phase, we validated the newly developed model and its related guidelines. Finally, we performed response process validation of the model with a group of medical teachers. RESULTS: The developed systematic assessment resilience framework (SAR) promotes four constructs: self-control, management, engagement, and growth, through five phases of assessment: assessment experience, assessment direction, assessment preparation, examiner focus, and student reflection. Each phase contains a number of practical guidelines to promote resilience. We rigorously triangulated each approach with its theoretical foundations and evaluated it on the basis of its content and process. The model showed high levels of content and face validity. CONCLUSIONS: The SAR model offers a novel guideline for fostering resilience through assessment planning and practice. It includes a number of attainable and practical guidelines for enhancing resilience. In addition, it opens a new horizon for HPE students' future use of this framework in the new normal condition (post COVID 19).

A Machine Learning Approach to Evaluate Variables of Math Anxiety in STEM Students

The relationships between math anxiety and other variables such as students' motivation and confidence have been extensively studied. The main purpose of the present study was to employ a machine learning approach to provide a deeper understanding of variables associated with math anxiety. Specifically, we applied classification and regression tree models to weekly survey data of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students enrolled in calculus. The tree models accurately identified that the level of confidence is the primary predictor of math anxiety. Students with low levels of confidence expressed high levels of math anxiety. The academic level of students and the number of weekly hours studied were the next two predictors of math anxiety. The junior and senior students had lower math anxiety. Also, those with a higher number of hours studied were generally less anxious. Weekly tree diagrams provided a detailed analysis of the interrelations between math anxiety and variables including academic level, number of hours studied, gender, motivation, and confidence. We noticed that the nature of such interrelations can change during the semester. For instance, in the first week of the semester, confidence was the primary factor, followed by academic level and then motivation. However, in the third week, the order of the interrelation changed to confidence, academic level, and course level, respectively. In summary, decision tree models can be used to predict math anxiety and to provide a more detailed analysis of data associated with math anxiety.

Information Technology (IT) Teacher Candidates' Attitudes towards and Opinions on Online Testing during COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aims to determine the attitudes and opinions of pre-service IT teacher candidates regarding online testing at the first period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research is a descriptive study with explanatory sequential mixed method design. The study sample consisted of 69 teacher candidates enrolled in 3 different courses lectured by the researcher at the Computer Education and Instructional Technologies Department, in the spring semester of 2019-2020 academic year. The data were collected through the Online Examination Assessment Scale and an interview form developed by researcher. In quantitative data analysis, frequency, percentage, and average, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA were applied as well as descriptive statistics. The content analysis method was used to analyze the qualitative data obtained from the survey. The findings suggest that (1) teacher candidates' attitude scores were above average, (2) their attitudes towards online testing differed significantly depending on gender, age, course, and computer self-efficacy levels, and (3) the participants who had taken online tests before had a more positive attitude towards online testing, but this difference was not significant. Besides, according to teacher candidates' opinions towards online testing, the most important advantage of this type of testing was that they felt independent and comfortable due to taking the test in the home environment and without a proctor. On the other hand, possible technical problems during the test were one of the frequently mentioned issues in the student views regarding online testing.

Preoperative anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic: A single-center observational study and comparison with a historical cohort.

Background: Preoperative anxiety is a common sensation experienced by patients undergoing surgical interventions. It can influence intraoperative and postoperative management through the activation of the neuroendocrine system, leading to tachycardia, hypertension, pulmonary complications, higher consumption of anesthetic drugs, and increased postoperative pain. Our aim was to investigate the level of preoperative anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic; we also compared it to the preoperative anxiety of a historical cohort before the outbreak. Methods: This is a single-center observational study. We enrolled 314 patients during the pandemic from May 2021 to November 2021, and our historical cohort consisted of 122 patients enrolled from July 2015 to May 2016 in the university hospital "Federico II" of Naples. The Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to evaluate preoperative anxiety. In particular, APAIS measures preoperative anxiety and the need for information, and STAI assesses state and trait anxiety through STAI-Y1 and STAI-Y2, respectively. We analyzed APAIS and STAI scores in our population stratified on the basis of age, gender, marital status, previous surgical experiences, and type of surgery, and we compared them to our historical cohort. Statistical analysis was performed through a t-test and ANOVA for parametric data, and the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests for non-parametric data. Linear regression was used to investigate the correlation between demographic data and the scores of STAI and APAIS in both groups. Results: Our results showed that state and preoperative anxiety remained stable, whereas trait anxiety increased in all the subgroups analyzed. Discussion: Even if state anxiety is considered a variable characteristic of the emotional sphere and trait anxiety a stable element, our findings suggested that COVID-19 deeply influenced trait anxiety, thus altering the patients' psychological foundations.

The Relationship between Self-Efficacy, State-Trait Anxiety and Cognitive Test Anxiety: A Study among University Students in Argentina

This study aims to explore and analyze the relationship between general self-efficacy, state and trait anxiety and test anxiety in private university students of psychology and psycho-pedagogy careers from Argentina. Results showed positive correlations between trait anxiety and test anxiety, and between state anxiety and test anxiety. Negative correlations emerged between general self-efficacy and state anxiety, trait anxiety and test anxiety. It was possible to verify that high levels of general self-efficacy together with low levels of trait anxiety predicted 27% test anxiety variance. While similar results were found in previous works, these findings amplify the scope of research to specific contexts such as Latin American university students. It is recommended to continue the study of these variables in situations as close as possible to the exam situation and considering changes in educational setting worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus allowing the promotion of student’s welfare throughout programs that promote general self-efficacy as a protective variable. © 2022, South-West University "Neofit Rilski". All rights reserved.

Effects of mode and medium in reading comprehension tests on cognitive load

Monitoring students' competences is vital in order to inform teachers, administrators, and policymakers about students' learning progress and achievement heterogeneity. For educational researchers, it is a matter of accountability to use state of the art designs to make assessments as reliable, valid and efficient as possible. Digital media have recently been described as a "third space " for learning, located between learning at home and at school (McDougall & Potter, 2019;Potter & McDougall, 2017). This view has gained new relevance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced schools across the globe into distance learning and thus further increased reliance on computers for schooling (Helm et al., 2021). Large-scale assessments such as PIRLS and PISA have started to incorporate computers into their test administration (Hu beta mann et al., 2017;Yamamoto, Shin, & Khorramdel, 2019). Administering tests on the computer comes with the option to use testing modes that adapt to each examinee's ability (Davey, 2011;Frey et al., 2017). Reading comprehension assessments in elementary school are of particular interest, because reading comprehension affects students' educa-tional futures and their ability to participate in society and life in general (OECD, 2019;Wigfield et al., 2016). As such, it is one of the most important skills that children are taught in elementary school. There, children move from learning individual letters to decoding the meaning of words, on to understanding the content of a sentence, paragraph, or text (Becker, McElvany, & Kortenbruck, 2010). Between grades two and three, children tend to begin reading fluently (see Chall, 1983). Still, reading ability in fourth grade students is considerably heterogeneous, with only 34% of US students participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reaching reading proficiency (as defined by the NAEP), and 35% not reaching the basic reading level (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). Computer-based tests (CBTs) and computer-adaptive tests (CATs) can potentially improve the assessment of reading comprehension over paper-and-pencil tests (PPTs). CBTs have higher technical demands, but offer more control over the test situation (i.e., exposure control or time limits) and provide additional quality control data (e.g., rapid guessing detection) and process data (e.g., log files) compared to PPTs. In addition, adaptive item selection can make a test design much more efficient (Davey, 2011). However, for beginning readers, the effects of reading on screen versus reading on paper and the potential effects of adaptive item selection that adjusts to individual ability are not well-researched. Existing research has focused on test score equivalence between different formats of test administration regarding test scores. Research into the test experience has been limited. Inspired by basic research on instruc-tional design and cognitive psychology, it has been suggested that taking a CBT, CAT, or PPT can lead to different test experiences (Colwell, 2013;Ortner, Weisskopf, & Koch, 2014). An important aspect of the test experience is an examinee's cognitive load and its relation to working memory. Reading comprehension is closely related to working memory (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980), as comprehension relies on remembering previous words in a sentence or paragraph. This holds true for elementary school children (Seigneuric, Ehrlich, Oakhill, & Yuill, 2000). Cognitive load is the strain that carrying out a task, such as learning or reading, puts on a person's working memory (Sweller, van Merrie & BULL;nboer, & Paas, 2019). Cognitive load theory (CLT) is often applied in instructional

Students' Emotional Well-being and Academic Functioning Before, During, and After Lockdown in Germany: Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 lockdowns have led to social detriments and altered learning environments among university students. Recent research indicates that such ramifications may engender various impairments to students' mental health. However, such research has major limitations, such as the lack of a prepandemic control measure, the focus on singular well-being parameters, or the investigation of only the early phases of the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To address these research gaps, this comprehensive and nationwide study compared 3 student cohorts (aged 17-48 years) in Germany: a prepandemic cohort (January-February 2020), a postlockdown cohort (May 2020-July 2020), and an intralockdown cohort (January-February 2021) regarding students' general emotional well-being and academic functioning. It was hypothesized that, because of rigorous lockdown-related restrictions, students in the intralockdown cohort would report diminished general emotional well-being compared with the other cohorts. Furthermore, because of ongoing remote learning since the beginning of the pandemic, it was expected that students' academic functioning would decrease across all 3 cohorts. METHODS: The data collection was performed over 3 consecutive semesters (fall semester 2019-2020, spring semester 2020, and fall semester 2020-2021). Students were surveyed on the web on various aspects regarding their general emotional well-being (eg, stress and general well-being) and academic functioning (eg, concentration and study-related flow). Data analyses were performed using multivariate ANOVAs. RESULTS: A total of 787 students participated in this study. Results indicated higher general well-being in the postlockdown cohort than in the intralockdown cohort (P=.02). As for students' academic functioning, our results revealed that students in the prepandemic cohort reported higher study-related flow (P=.007) and concentration (P=.001) than those in the intralockdown cohort. In addition, students reported higher flow (P=.04) and concentration (P=.04) in the postlockdown cohort than those in the intralockdown cohort. No cohort effects were revealed for other aspects of general emotional well-being (eg, perceived stress) and academic functioning (eg, procrastination). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that students' general emotional well-being as well as motivational and attentional components of academic functioning can be impaired owing to the COVID-19 lockdowns and ongoing remote learning formats. The necessity and design of interventional programs remedying such effects in light of the ongoing crisis need to be addressed.

Reducing Test Anxiety by Device-Guided Breathing: A Pilot Study.

Test anxiety remains a challenge for students and has considerable physiological and psychological impacts. The routine practice of slow, Device-Guided Breathing (DGB) is a major component of behavioral treatments for anxiety conditions. This paper addresses the effectiveness of using DGB as a self-treatment clinical tool for test anxiety reduction. This pilot study sample included 21 healthy men and women, all college students, between the ages of 20 and 30. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: DGB practice (n = 10) and wait-list control (n = 11). At the beginning and the end of 3-weeks DGB training, participants underwent a stress test, followed by measures of blood pressure and reported anxiety. Anxiety reduction in the DGB group as compared to controls was not statistically significant, but showed a large effect size. Accordingly, the clinical outcomes suggested that daily practice of DGB may lead to reduced anxiety. We assume that such reduction may lead to improved test performance. Our results suggest an alternative treatment for test anxiety that may also be relevant for general anxiety, which is likely to increase due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

READINESS TO TAKE RE-TEST - FIRST YEAR MBBS STUDENT VIEW

Objectives: During COVID-19 pandemic, there were many changes adopted in medical education, most of the syllabus (theory and practical) was taught in online. During this online classes, 1st year MBBS students were the most affected, because they are new to curriculum, difficult to adopt the transition from intermediate to under graduation course, this created lot of pressure in the students. Once the students are back for offline classes, we have conducted internal assessment test after a month of offline classes and the test results were poor. Main objective of this study is to see the relationship between conducting retest and improving the academic performance and to record the student view on retest. Methods: Sample size for the 1st test (n-149) and 2nd test (n-141). We have given Google form with ten questions, out which responses were recorded based on Likert 4 point scale. Results: The repeat exam provided immediate reward for using the initial exam as a study guide. When we compared the results of test and retest, there was great improvement in score. Conclusion: Retest helped to reduce test anxiety and to encourage the learning of course material. It helped the faculty to fill the lacunae to improve the further outcome.

Home-based cardiac rehabilitation can reduce anxiety and depression in heart failure patients

Introduction: The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in physical and mental health and has become a major challenge for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. CR is an essential component in the treatment of heart failure (HF), as it improves cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life, as well as reducing hospitalization rates. COVID-19 pandemic increased social isolation, and the CR centers were closed. Center-based CR requires the patient to travel to the hospital, which increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this high-risk population. In this context, home-based CR can be an excellent strategy to reduce the physical and mental consequences of the social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To test the effectiveness of a home-based CR program on cardiorespiratory fitness and anxiety and depression levels in individuals with HF during covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Forty-two individuals with HF (age: 61.3±12.0;LVEF: 37.5±11.2) were included in this study. The exercise training program consisted in 12 weeks of combined exercise training (2x/week;60min/day, 60-80% VO2peak), with 4 supervised exercise sessions in the hospital context and the remaining at home. Patients were monitored using a heart rate monitor and weekly phone calls. The following parameters were evaluated: cardiorespiratory fitness through the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and anxiety and depression levels through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: After the home-based CR program, there was a significant increase in the 6MWT of 49 meters (95%IC: 38 to 60;p<0.001) and a significant decrease in anxiety levels of -1.12 points (95%CI: - 2.163 to -0.075 p=0.036). No significant changes were found in depression levels (p=0.954). Furthermore, the improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness were significantly associated with the reduction in the levels of anxiety (r= -0.281;p=0.028) and depression (r=: -0.278;p=0.030). Conclusions: The home-based CR program was able to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and this improvement was associated with a decrease in anxiety and depression levels in individuals with HF. The results suggest that home-based CR can be an important strategy to minimize the physical and mental impact induced by social isolation imposed by COVID-19 pandemic in HF patients.

Comparison of the psychological impact between critical care and non-critical care nurses during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: We compared the psychosocial impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic on nurses in our intensive care unit (ICU), emergency department (ED), and non-critical care departments. Methods: Self-report questionnaires were supplied to all nurses in employ during four periods in the first year of this pandemic. General questions were supplemented with standardized tests: anxiety (GAD7);insomnia (ISI);traumatic impact (IESr);and depression (PHQ9). Results: During four periods, 255 questionnaires were completed, including 52 by ICU and 38 by ED nurses. See Table 1 for a summary of the results and relevant p values. IES-r median scores were highest among ICU nurses (16.5). ICU nurses reported more sadness about working with COVID-19 patients as compared to non-critical care nurses (relative risk, RR 3.8). At the same time ICU nurses reported more often feeling sufficiently safe as compared to ED (RR 1.4) and non-critical nurses (RR 1.3). Leisure time for ICU nurses consisted more often of passive indoor activities (RR 2.3) and hobbies (RR 2.2) as opposed to more active leisure activities by non-critical care nurses. Most results for ICU nurses remained consistent regardless of registration period. However their fear decreased over time (RR 0.3, p = 0.012) and they felt more sufficiently trained (RR 1.5, p = 0.046). ED nurses felt less committed towards patient care when compared to non-critical care nurses (RR 0.9). ED nurses felt the hospital was less prepared to deal with continuing outbreaks when compared to non-critical care nurses (RR 0.5). On other subjects ED nurses did not differ significantly. Conclusions: The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be worse on our ICU nurses when compared to ED nurses and non-critical care nurses. The impact of the pandemic seems to be more traumatic causing more sadness among our ICU nurses with less active leisure activities. Our ED nurses on the other hand feel the hospital is less prepared for ongoing outbreaks and feel less motivated to continue care. (Figure Presented).

From Motivation Components to Academic Achievement Prediction

This research aims to determine the relationship among the mental and motivation components include self-efficacy (SE), the self-regulation learning (SRL), the intrinsic motivation and the use of cognitive strategies, and test anxiety, as well as their effects on academic performance in the blended-learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. By studying the academic achievement and motivation components of 392 Accounting major Sophomores and Juniors, reducing test anxiety and improving self-efficacy were revealed to be the important methods toward success. Also, the use of self-regulation and cognitive strategies as the intermediary variables could have impact on the academic performance. Through the empirical study and a review of academic motivation and academic performance literature before and after COVID-19, this research proposed 4E (Effort, Enthusiasm, Expectation, and Easiness) as the predictive framework and key motivation factors for potential intelligent tutoring systems and adaptive learning systems on the early academic warning and intervention of students' academic progress. © 2021 ACM.

Video Surveillance of Online Exam Proctoring: Exam Anxiety and Student Performance

Recent media stories have reported that online webcam-based exam proctoring have wrongly flagged students for cheating, causing tremendous anxiety and frustration, and thus disadvantaging students. This study assesses if online webcam-based exam proctoring in the age of COVID-19 disadvantages students (particularly those who are non-white and with different ethnic and socio-economic status), and whether worry about being wrongly flagged for cheating may affect students' exam performance. This survey-based study was conducted using 237 undergraduate students enrolled in a public land-grant research university in the upper Midwest region of the United States, who took their exams through Proctorio. Our study supports -- as is widely reported by the media -- that students are experiencing anxiety and fear of being wrongly flagged during online proctoring. However, we show that students' anxiety about online proctoring is associated with their general level of anxiety;this correlation to "trait" anxiety supports our previous study. We further find that worry over being wrongly flagged did not directly impede students' exam performance. We discuss how students and faculty alike face challenges, especially those who had not used online webcam exam proctoring prior to COVID-19 stay-at-home directives. For faculty, it is not only having to adapt to an unfamiliar teaching environment that requires new technologies, but also being expected to utilize webcam-based online proctoring for high stakes exams. An in-depth look is needed into the kind of support students and faculty need using online proctoring into the future. Furthermore, the academic world in general, and US colleges and universities in particular, should initiate a conversation on how best to regulate this industry so that students and institutions are well served.