The impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of university students / O impacto da pandemia da covid-19 na saúde mental de estudantes universitários / El impacto de la pandemia de covid-19 en la salud mental de los estudiantes universitarios

A pandemia pelo SARS-CoV-2 é um dos maiores desafios sanitários em escala global. Devido estado de emergência, uma série de medidas de controle e prevenção foram adotadas, como distanciamento social e redução das reuniões públicas. Nesse cenário, buscou-se avaliar a saúde mental de estudantes de uma instituição privada de Ensino Superior diante da pandemia. Esta pesquisa trata-se de um estudo transversal descritivo desenvolvido na Faculdade do Vale do Jaguaribe, localizada em Aracati-CE. A coleta de dados ocorreu de dezembro de 2020 a fevereiro de 2021, utilizando formulário eletrônico contendo variáveis sociodemográficas, epidemiológicas e relativas aos diferentes aspectos da saúde mental do estudante frente a pandemia da COVID-19. A análise foi baseada no cálculo de frequências absolutas e relativas das variáveis além de medidas de tendência central e dispersão. Dos 333 discentes que participaram do estudo, a média de idade foi 25, com variação entre 18 e 56 anos, sendo maioria do sexo feminino (72,7%), autodenominação de cor/etnia parda (72,7%) e não estarem trabalhando (53,8%). A taxa de positividade entre os graduandos para COVID-19 foi de 9% (30). Ao serem questionados sobre como a pandemia alterou seus níveis de estresse ou saúde mental, 75,5% responderam que houve piora. Dentre os sintomas mais relatados no período da quarentena, estavam medo e ansiedade (ambos com 74,2%), seguidos por insegurança (69,7%). Baseados nos achados deste estudo, recomenda-se a incorporação de ações multiprofissionais na atenção aos estudantes dentro da academia. Sugere-se a implantação de um serviço qualificado buscando desenvolver um olhar holístico para os discentes.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has presented itself as one of the greatest health challenges on a global scale. Given the state of public health emergency, a series of control and prevention measures have been adopted, such as social distancing and reduction of public meetings, as in universities. Faced with this scenario, we sought to evaluate the mental health of students from a private institution of Higher Education in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this research was a descriptive cross-sectional study developed at the Faculdade do Vale do Jaguaribe, located in the City of Aracati- CE. Data collection occurred from December 2020 to February 2021, using an electronic form containing sociodemographic and epidemiological variables, as well as variables related to the repercussions in different aspects of the student's mental health when facing the pandemic of COVID-19. The analysis was based on the calculation of absolute and relative frequencies of the variables, as well as measures of central tendency and dispersion. Of the 333 students who participated in the study, the mean age was 25 years, with ages ranging from 18 to 56 years, the majority being female (72.7%), self- denominated as Brown (72.7%), not working when answering the form (53.8%). The positivity rate among undergraduates for COVID-19 was 9% (30/333). When asked how the pandemic altered their stress levels or mental health, 75.5% responded that it had worsened. Among the symptoms most reported by students during the quarantine period were fear and anxiety (both 74.2%), followed by insecurity (69.7%). It is suggested the implementation of a qualified approach service seeking to develop a holistic look for the students.

La pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 es uno de los mayores desafíos sanitarios a escala global. Debido al estado de emergencia, se han adoptado una serie de medidas de control y prevención, como el distanciamiento social y la reducción de reuniones públicas. En este escenario, se buscó evaluar la salud mental de los estudiantes de una institución privada de educación superior frente a la pandemia. Esta investigación es un estudio descriptivo transversal desarrollado en la Facultad de Valle de Jaguaribe, ubicada en Aracati-CE. La recopilación de datos se llevó a cabo de diciembre de 2020 a febrero de 2021, utilizando un formulario electrónico que contiene variables sociodemográficas, epidemiológicas y relacionadas con los diferentes aspectos de la salud mental del estudiante frente a la pandemia de COVID-19. El análisis se basó en el cálculo de frecuencias absolutas y relativas de las variables, además de medidas de tendencia central y dispersión. De los 333 estudiantes que participaron en el estudio, la media de edad fue de 25 años, con variación entre 18 y 56 años, siendo la mayoría del sexo femenino (72,7%), autodenominación de la raza / etnia morena (72,7%) y no trabajando (53,8%). La tasa de positividad entre los estudiantes de pregrado para COVID-19 fue del 9% (30). Cuando se les preguntó cómo la pandemia había alterado su nivel de estrés o salud mental, el 75,5% respondió que había empeorado. Entre los síntomas más comunes durante el período de cuarentena, se encontraban el miedo y la ansiedad (ambos con un 74,2%), seguidos de la inseguridad (69,7%). Basados en los resultados de este estudio, se recomienda la incorporación de acciones multiprofesionales en la atención a los estudiantes dentro de la academia. Se sugiere la implementación de un servicio calificado que busque desarrollar una mirada holística hacia los estudiantes.

Corrigendum: Chrononutrition behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and its relationship with body weight among college students.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1079069.].

The role of personal identity as a resource for college students during COVID-19.

Objective: We examined the role of personal identity vis-à-vis COVID-related outcomes among college students from seven U.S. campuses during spring/summer 2021. Participants: The present sample consisted of 1,688 students (74.5% female, age range 18-29). The sample was ethnically diverse, and 57.3% were first-generation students. Procedures: Students completed an online survey assessing personal identity synthesis and confusion, COVID-related worries, general internalizing symptoms, positive adaptation, and general well-being. Results: Personal identity synthesis was negatively related to COVID-related worries and general internalizing symptoms, and positively related to positive adaptation, both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Personal identity confusion evidenced an opposing set of direct and indirect associations with outcome variables. Conclusions: Personal identity may potentially be protective against pandemic-related distress among college students, in part through its association with well-being. Reducing identity confusion and promoting identity synthesis are essential among college students during this and future pandemics.

The impact of employment stress on college students: psychological well-being during COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Employment among final year college students in China has encountered unprecedented difficulties during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the high unemployment rate had led college graduates faced inadvertently mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. This study aims to investigate the impact of employment stress on college students' psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. An online survey consisting of demographic items (i.e., age, gender, subject major, type of university, and perceived severity of the current employment situation), Employment Stress scale, Employment Anxiety Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire was employed for data collection. A total of 2,627 final year college students were recruited, with participants displayed below moderate levels of employment stress and anxiety. Approximately 13.2% of participants were depressed and 53.3% considered the current employment situation as severe. Female students were stressed by individual factors and anxious, whilst male students were more depressed. Arts students were less depressed and students from comprehensive universities were more depressed and anxious compared to other types of universities. Students who perceived the employment situation as very severe displayed the lowest level of employment stress and anxiety. Gender, university type, family stress, college stress, and individual stress are predictors of psychological well-being among college students. The family environment, female identity, and stress from university play a crucial role in college students' psychological well-being. The government should pay more attention to the psychological well-being of graduate students and develop feasible measures to help them secure a job during this unprecedented time.

Romantic attachment security buffers the effect of stress on anxiety in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background and objectives: The stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic spurred alarming levels of stress and anxiety in college students. It is important to identify factors that attenuate the negative effect of stress on anxiety. Framed by the attachment diathesis-stress process perspective, this study examined how the two dimensions of insecurity in romantic attachment-attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance-buffered the effect of stress on anxiety in a population of college students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design and methods: The study employed cross-sectional and correlation designs and used an online survey to gather self-report data from a sample of 453 college students. Data were collected from March 15, 2020, to February 16, 2021. Results: Anxiety, stress, and the two insecurity dimensions were all mutually correlated with one another. Multiple regression analysis revealed that as the level of attachment anxiety increased, the association of stress and anxiety turned stronger. Conclusions: The findings suggest that targeting attachment insecurity may prove to be fruitful when helping college students effectively regulate stress to lessen levels of anxiety.

LGBTQ College student health and wellbeing at the onset of the pandemic: additional evidence and lessons learned from COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has killed more than six million people and disrupted health care systems globally. In the United States alone, more than one million people have died from COVID-19 infections. At the start of the pandemic, nearly all aspects of our lives paused to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Many institutions of higher education transitioned to remote learning and enacted social distancing measures. This study examined the health needs and vulnerabilities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) college students at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. METHODS: We fielded a rapid-response online survey between April and June of 2020. We recruited 578 LGBTQ-identifying college students aged 18 years and older by reaching out to LGBTQ-serving organizations on 254 college campuses and via targeted social media advertising. RESULTS: Approximately 40% of LGBTQ college students surveyed were dissatisfied with life at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and almost all (90%) were concerned that COVID-19 would threaten their mental health. Moreover, about 40% of LGBTQ college students reported unmet mental health needs, and 28% were worried about seeking care during the pandemic because of their LGBTQ identity. One out of four LGBTQ college students had to go back in the closet because of the pandemic, and approximately 40% were concerned about their finances or personal safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these adverse outcomes were prominent among younger students, Hispanic/Latinx students, and students with unsupportive families or colleges. CONCLUSIONS: Our study adds novel findings to the large body of research demonstrating that LGBTQ college students experienced distress and elevated mental health needs early in the pandemic. Future research should examine the long-term consequences of the pandemic among LGBTQ and other minoritized college students. Public health policymakers, health care providers, and college and university officials should provide LGBTQ students affirming emotional supports and services to ensure their success as the COVID-19 pandemic transitions to endemic.

High engagement in nonpharmaceutical interventions and their associations with reduced COVID-19 among US college students.

BACKGROUND: Nonpharmaceutical interventions, including face mask-wearing, physical distancing, and avoidance of crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, have been widely recommended to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2. To date, there is little data available on engagement in nonpharmaceutical interventions and COVID-19 in college students. Using a large sample of college students, we estimate the prevalence of engagement in mask-wearing, physical distancing, and avoidance of crowds/poorly ventilated spaces and their associations with COVID-19. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted (February-March 2021) using a college-wide online survey among students (n = 2,132) in California. Multiple modified poisson regression models assessed associations between mask-wearing indoors, physical distancing (both indoors or public settings/outdoors), avoidance of crowds/poorly ventilated spaces and COVID-19, controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Fourteen percent (14.4%) reported a previous COVID-19 illness. Most students reported wearing masks consistently indoors (58%), and 78% avoided crowds/poorly ventilated spaces. About half (50%) reported consistent physical distancing in public settings/outdoor and 45% indoors. Wearing a mask indoors was associated with 26% lower risk of COVID-19 disease (RR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.60,0.92). Physical distancing indoors and in public settings/outdoors was associated with a 30% (RR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.56,0.88) and 28% (RR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.58,0.90) decrease risk of COVID-19, respectively. No association was observed with avoidance of crowds/poorly ventilated spaces. The risk of COVID-19 declined as the number of preventive behaviors a student engaged in increased. Compared to those who did not engage in any preventive behaviors (consistently), students who consistently engaged in one behavior had a 25% lower risk (RR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.53,1.06), those who engaged in two behaviors had 26% lower risk (RR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.53,1.03), those who engaged in three behaviors had 51% lower risk (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.33,0.74), and those who consistently engaged in all four behaviors had 45% lower risk of COVID-19 (RR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.40,0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Wearing face masks and physical distancing were both associated with a lower risk of COVID-19. Students who engaged in more nonpharmaceutical interventions were less likely to report COVID-19. Our findings support guidelines promoting mask-wearing and physical distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19 on campuses and the surrounding communities.

A longitudinal study of SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence and mitigation behaviors among college students at an Arkansas University.

Objective: Assess university students' SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence and mitigation behaviors over time. Participants: Randomly selected college students (N = 344) in a predominantly rural Southern state. Methods: Participants provided blood samples and completed self-administered questionnaires at three timepoints over the academic year. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated from logistic regression analyses. Results: SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence was 18.2% in September 2020, 13.1% in December, and 45.5% in March 2021 (21% for those with no vaccination history). SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence was associated with large social gatherings, staying local during the summer break, symptoms of fatigue or rhinitis, Greek affiliation, attending Greek events, employment, and using social media as the primary COVID-19 information source. In March 2021, seroprevalence was associated with receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was higher in this population of college students than previous studies. Results can assist leaders in making informed decisions as new variants threaten college campuses.

Effects of media exposure on PTSD symptoms in college students during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the influence of media on college students' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: After the COVID-19 outbreak, we used cross-sectional surveys through online questionnaires to investigate the mental health of college students in lockdown at home. We identified the influencing factors of PTSD symptoms using the Chi-Square test and ordinal logistic regression analysis. Results: In 10,989 valid questionnaires, 9,906 college students with no PTSD symptoms, 947 college students with subclinical PTSD symptoms (1-3 items), and 136 college students with four or more PTSD symptoms were screened out. The results showed that media content impacted the mental health of college students in lockdown at home. Positive media content was negatively correlated with PTSD symptoms among college students. PTSD symptoms were not associated with sources of information. Moreover, College students with PTSD symptoms would reduce their willingness to learn and could not complete online learning efficiently. Conclusion: PTSD symptoms are related to media exposure and excessive information involvement of COVID-19 in college students, which influences the willingness to attend online classes.

The Longitudinal Features of Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Chinese College Students: A Network Perspective.

There is substantial evidence that the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic increased the risk of depressive symptoms among college students, but the long-term features of depressive symptoms on a symptom level have been poorly described. The current study investigated interaction patterns between depressive symptoms via network analysis. In this longitudinal study, participants included 860 Chinese college students (65.8% female; Mage = 20.6, SDage = 1.8, range: 17-27) who completed a questionnaire at three-time points three months apart. Results demonstrated that fatigue was the most influential symptom, and the occurrence of fatigue could give rise to other depressive symptoms. In addition to predicting other symptoms, fatigue could be predicted by other symptoms in the measurement. The network structures were similar across time, suggesting that the overall interaction pattern of depressive symptoms was stable over the longitudinal course. These findings suggest that depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 period are associated with the presence of fatigue.

COVID-19-associated impact and post-traumatic stress symptoms 39 days after pandemic in a sample of home-quarantined Chinese college students: the mediating effecting of past stressful events, psychological resilience, and social support.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 outbreak, most Chinese college students were home-quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. COVID-19-associated impact has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of post-traumatic symptoms disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about the psychological processes that mediate this association. This study investigated the association between COVID-19-associated impact and PTSD and examined whether past stressful events, psychological resilience, and social support have mediating effects on this association. METHODS: The 12,397 valid responses from 31cities in China via an online survey assessed PTSD symptoms, past stressful events, psychological resilience, social support and social-demographic variables. AMOS was used to test the hypotheses of mediating effects. RESULTS: On the 39th day of the declared COVID-19 epidemic in China, 6.75% of the surveyed sample showed PTSD symptoms. A positive mediating effect of past stressful events was found between COVID-19-associated impact and PTSD, whereas psychological resilience and social support had negative mediating effects. The fit indices for the path model were found to be significant (ß = 0.28, p < 0.001), COVID-19-associated impact indirectly affects the risk of PTSD through mediating pathways (past stressful events → psychological resilience → social support) on PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Attention should be paid to the effects of past stressful events of Chinese college students who were home-quarantined during the COVID-19 epidemic, and strategies should also be implemented to improve social support and develop psychological resilience. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Southwest Minzu University.

Mental health literacy and professional psychological help-seeking behavior in college students.

Objective: To reveal the classification characteristics of college students' mental health literacy and compare their differences in professional psychological help-seeking behavior. Methods: Totally 12 850 college students were selected and assessed with the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHLQ), Self-made Questionnaire of Professional Psychological Help-seeking Behavior in Non-epidemic and COVID-19 epidemic and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Latent profile analysis was used to classify the mental health literacy of college students. The Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to explore the differences in professional psychological help-seeking behavior of different classes of college students. Results: College students' mental health literacy could be divided into three classes including low-literacy group (7.4%), medium-literacy group (50.2%) and high-literacy group (42.4%). After controlling for demographic variables and depression level, logistic regression analysis found that there was no significant correlation between mental health literacy and professional psychological help-seeking behavior in non-epidemic situations. In the COVID-19 epidemic, compared with the low-literacy group, the medium-literacy group was more likely to seek professional psychological help (OR=1.32). The medium-literacy group and the high-literacy group were more likely to recommend others for help (OR=1.77, 2.45). Conclusion: The mental health literacy of college students has classification characteristics. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the college students with higher mental health literacy have greater possibility of seeking professional help and recommending others for seeking help. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] 目的: 了解大学生心理健康素养的分类特点, 比较不同分类大学生在专业心理求助行为上的差异。方法: 选取 12 850 名大学生, 采用心理健康素养问卷（MHLQ）、自编非疫情和新冠肺炎疫情中专业心理求助行为自评表、病人健康问卷抑郁量表（PHQ-9）进行调查。采用潜在剖面分析将大学生心理健康素养分类, 采用 χ² 检验和 logistic 回归分析探讨不同类别大学生专业心理求助行为的差异。结果: 大学生心理健康素养可分为低素养组（7.4%）、中等素养组（50.2%）和高素养组（42.4%） 3 类。非疫情中, 心理健康素养与专业心理求助行为无关联;在新冠肺炎疫情中, 相比低素养组, 中等素养更可能寻求专业心理求助（OR=1.32）, 中等素养组、高素养组更可能推荐他人求助（OR=1.77、2.45）。结论: 大学生心理健康素养有类别特征。新冠肺炎疫情中, 心理健康素养较高的大学生的专业求助或推荐求助可能性更大。 (Chinese) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Chinese Mental Health Journal / Zhongguo Xinli Weisheng Zazhi is the property of Chinese Mental Health Journal 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.)

Examination of Variables Affecting the Perceptions of Academic Performance of Higher Education Students during the Distance Education Process

COVID-19 has had serious consequences in all areas of social life, including education. In this period, distance education appeared as an inevitable solution. Even today, when the pandemic process is over and re-normalization has begun, online teaching environments have become such an indispensable part of education systems that it has been decided that a certain proportion of the courses will be conducted online in universities. For this reason, determining student experiences in online courses is important in planning the future of distance education. Since academic performance is the output of the teaching process, students' academic performance is one of the topics of interest in higher education research. There may be different factors affecting the academic performance of students in the distance education process, which imposes more responsibility on students and requires self-control. This study aimed to examine the relationship of academic performance in the distance education with home infrastructure, student interaction, computer skills, academic satisfaction. This research is based on a large-scale study, "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of higher education students", examining the pandemic's impact on higher education student perceptions in 2020. It has been observed that home infrastructure has a significant impact on the student's academic performance. The infrastructure increases the interaction of the student. When home infrastructure is taken as a control variable, students' computer skills are the highest predictor of their perception of academic performance, followed by their online interactions and, finally, perceived satisfaction. Today, pandemic conditions are still ongoing. In addition, even as the pandemic ends, online education has become an indispensable part of our education system. Therefore, the findings of the research would be beneficial for the ongoing planning process.

Research on the Relationship between Teacher Expectations and College Students' Online English Learning Engagement

As a critical influencing factor of learning engagement, teacher expectation plays a vital role in ensuring the quality of online teaching under COVID-19. This paper investigates the relationship between teacher expectations (three dimensions of teacher support, teaching interaction, and academic feedback) on students' online English learning engagement (three dimensions of cognitive engagement, behavioral engagement, and emotional engagement) in e-learning through a questionnaire survey of 513 college students. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were applied as research methods. The results manifest that college students' online English learning engagement was above average, but emotional engagement needs improvement. In addition, teacher expectations of teaching interaction positively and significantly predict English e-learning engagement. Based on this, the article puts forward suggestions on the future of online teaching from the aspects of online teaching design, feedback quality of teachers and students, innovative teaching practice of technology empowerment to effectively play the role of teachers as scaffolding and improve the effectiveness of online English teaching. © 2023 IEEE.

Finding Strength in Times of Crisis? Post-Traumatic Growth During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Saudi Arabian Perspective

This paper contributes to the Covid-19 literature by exploring the concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG) utilizing a mixed methods approach. The study examines to what extent the participants experienced positive growth and renewal arising from the prolonged period of lockdowns and emergency online learning. Exploring the experiences of 552 female undergraduate students in a private Saudi Arabian university, an online survey was utilized to gather the data. All the students had experienced online education as a result of the pandemic. The findings indicate the participants underwent a diversity of personal growth experiences. In addition, they also developed different coping mechanisms. The study provides insights into the responses of the students to the issues they were facing during the pandemic. It identifies ways in which participants experienced personal growth as well as a shift in perspective about their lives. There are implications for educators, counselors and policymakers emerging from this study. AD -, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ;, Netherlands ;, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Internship Alternatives: Solutions for the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

Internships are an integral component of most undergraduate and graduate public administration programs. These learning opportunities allow students to get practical experience in a workplace setting before graduation and provide them with an opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to the "real world." But what are students, departments, and employers to do when circumstances--including major disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic as well as situations unique to specific students--complicate or even prevent on-site internship experiences? This article outlines a variety of approaches to finding a solution to this problem, weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Evaluation on College Students' Anxiety and Social Media Usage during Shanghai Closure

As COVID-19 mutates, the highly infectious omicron mutants (BA. 5.2., BF. 7) tension shrouded China. Given the internet information explosion and youth social media addiction, observing the mental impact on college students during the 2022 Shanghai closure is worthwhile. A pilot survey study was conducted to explore the anxiety levels of college students during the closure. The sample size was limited to 101 second-year college students. In addition to demographics, the survey involved the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, self-perceived COVID-19 anxiety, frequency of COVID-19 information reception, number of social media accounts, and number of electronic devices. Though 68.4% of students equipped with two electronic devices (N = 95) exceeded the students with only one electronic device, a Chi-square test showed that students with only one electronic device had the highest anxiety index (mean = 50). Further, the Kruskal-Wallis test indicated that the number of electronic devices affected the students' anxiety level (p = 0.027) while social media membership did not (p = 0.565). As a result, it was suggested that social media usage and pandemic information inputs among college students were significant concerns that required special attention from the government, schools, teachers, and families.

Learning with Mobile Augmented Reality- and Automatic Speech Recognition-Based Materials for English Listening and Speaking Skills: Effectiveness and Perceptions of Non-English Major English as a Foreign Language Students

Due to the outbreak of COVID 19, an online bilingual curriculum was conducted via "Google Meet." The learning material was developed and implemented by using a smartphone application, STEMUP, based on augmented reality (AR) and automatic speech recognition (ASR) technologies. This study investigated the oral performance and perceptions of learning with STEMUP of ninety non-English major students from several colleges at a technical university in Taiwan. Data were collected from pre- and post-tests and a questionnaire survey. Results indicated that students significantly improved their oral performance and recorded their positive perceptions. Students' oral performance significantly depended on their English proficiency. Their perceptions were not significant related to their English proficiency, gender, or college. Instant feedback and evaluation provided by ASR technology and online "Google" text-to-speech service both embedded in STEMUP helped students notice, modify and improve their listening and speaking skills. They were satisfied with the bilingual curriculum, which helped them increase understanding about content knowledge by the teacher's explanation in Chinese, and improve English listening and speaking skills by learning with STEMUP. This study is a good start in creating an interactive and communicative learning environment where translanguaging is effectively integrated with innovative technologies.

Critical Feminista Dimensions to Informal Writing Groups for Women of Color Pursuing Doctoral Degrees

The anti-colonial struggle against literary assimilation and the claim to our linguistic space in validating our own stories as W°C, first generation college students, first generation college graduates, and caregivers to dependents, elders, and extended family members requires an activist spirit. [...]someone posted that they would be hosting a virtual writing group on Saturday mornings. A few text messages, utilization of social capital to invite non-M°CA members and a few electronic RSVPs later, we had commitments from the four of us. Being genuine and vulnerable through convivencia allowed us to place extreme care and attention on building social relationships while tearing down the conventional power structure often found in groups.

Fostering the funny: A case study of undergraduate women in collegiate comedy troupes

During a global pandemic, another pandemic of loneliness impacted undergraduate college students and influenced the way members of the 18-25-year-old population lived and learned throughout a time of intentional distancing. Additionally, the insurgence of loneliness impacts members of the 18-25 age group in startling rates. This qualitative case study explored how undergraduate women who participate in comedy troupes fostered community while living and learning during a global pandemic known as COVID-19 between the spring of 2020 and the fall of 2021. The research added to the body of knowledge on how comedy and levity can enhance wellness and how humor can be brought into various aspects of life from work to play. This study explored how undergraduate students living in a time of heightened loneliness infused humor in their relationships with one another. The study explored the relationship dynamics built by women-identified comedians and focused on how the participants developed community by using humor, comedy, and levity as the pillars of their interactions. Lastly, this study is rooted in better understanding how higher education student affairs practitioners can better support collegiate comedians invested in their relationships with one another. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)