The Impact of Extended E-Learning on Emotional Well-Being of Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

Educational institutions in Saudi Arabia extended e-learning until the third semester of the academic calendar to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection and to achieve 70% inoculation for the Saudi population. This study assesses the impact of extended e-learning and other associated stressors on the emotional health of university students in Saudi Arabia. An online cross-sectional survey collected data between the months of January-March 2021. The emotional signs of stress were measured by using a subset of items from the COVID-19 Adolescent Symptom and Psychological Experience Questionnaire (CASPE). Data about demographic variables, educational characteristics and academic performance were also collected. A regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of emotional health. A total of 434 university students including females (63%) and males (37%) provided responses. One-third of students (33%) indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting changes including online distance studies greatly influenced their daily lives in a negative way. The regression analysis demonstrated that female students and students with average academic performance had increased vulnerability to experience emotional signs of stress (p < 0.05). The factors 'Not going to university' and 'Not having a routine life' were significant predictors of stress responses (p < 0.01) and (p < 0.001) respectively. E-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic made it possible for students to complete their studies as per academic calendar; simultaneously, it increased the vulnerability to experience stress, particularly for female students and students with average academic performance. These findings imply that academic advising and counseling services should be more readily available during digital studies to support at risk students.

Collaborative group work: university students' perceptions and experiences before and during COVID-19.

The present study examines how the transition from in-person to online instruction following COVID-19 restrictions impacted group work in higher education contexts. Senior undergraduate students were surveyed regarding their perceptions and experiences with collaborative instructional methods in the Fall term preceding shutdown associated with COVID-19 and one year later when learning had shifted to online formats due to health mandates. Although students had fewer courses, they had more group work assignments during the pandemic than before. Group work experiences were rated less favorably in terms of efficiency, satisfaction, motivation, and workload demands during the pandemic versus before. However, forming friendships among group members was a salient feature associated with positive perceptions toward group work both before and during the pandemic. Anxiety was associated with negative perceptions toward group work only during the pandemic. Despite considerable comfort and familiarity with online tools, in-person contexts were rated more favorably than online contexts in terms of quality of work produced and learning. Findings reinforce the need to consider inclusion of interactive and social opportunities as important aspects of instructional design, especially in online contexts.

An exploratory study to understand faculty members' perceptions and challenges in online teaching.

The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) considers technology to be one of the main pillars of its vision for moving towards a knowledge-based society. Due to several factors such as globalisation, demand for information technology infrastructure and COVID-19 lockdowns, e-learning has become a popular method of delivery across higher education institutions in the UAE. In a first step, the authors of this article conducted a systematic review of existing literature (49 items published between 1999 and 2020). They found that the existing literature on online learning predominantly focuses on student-specific challenges, while there is still a dearth of published work covering faculty members' specific challenges in facilitating online learning in the UAE. The second part of this exploratory study drew on stakeholders' reflections of several years of designing and delivering online courses, analysing faculty members' perspectives on online teaching and learning in the UAE. The authors present their qualitative research, which involved open-ended semi-structured interviews with 15 faculty members, followed by a thematic analysis of their responses using NVivo 12 pro software. The most critical themes which emerged were learners' expectations, culture, perception, pedagogy and technology. The article also reveals how these topics contribute to the various strategies for seamless adoption and delivery of online education in the UAE.

Une étude exploratoire pour comprendre les perceptions et les défis des enseignants dans l'enseignement en ligne ­ Le gouvernement des Émirats Arabes Unis (EAU) considère la technologie comme l'un des principaux piliers de son projet d'évolution vers une société axée sur la connaissance. En raison de plusieurs facteurs tels que la mondialisation, la demande d'infrastructures pour les technologies de l'information et les confinements dus au COVID-19, l'apprentissage en ligne est devenu une méthode d'enseignement populaire dans les établissements d'enseignement supérieur aux EAU. Dans un premier temps, les auteurs de cet article ont procédé à une revue systématique de la littérature existante (49 articles publiés entre 1999 et 2020). Ils ont constaté que la littérature existante sur l'apprentissage en ligne se concentre principalement sur les défis propres aux étudiants, alors qu'il y a encore peu de travaux couvrant les défis spécifiques aux membres du corps enseignant pour faciliter l'apprentissage en ligne aux EAU. La deuxième partie de cette étude exploratoire s'est appuyée sur les réflexions de différents acteurs sur plusieurs années de conception et d'enseignement de cours en ligne, analysant les perspectives des membres du corps enseignant sur l'enseignement et l'apprentissage en ligne aux EAU. Les auteurs présentent leur recherche qualitative, qui comprend des entretiens semi-structurés ouverts avec 15 membres du corps enseignant, suivis d'une analyse thématique de leurs réponses à l'aide du logiciel NVivo 12 pro. Les thèmes les plus importants qui ont émergé ont été les attentes des apprenants, la culture, la perception, la pédagogie et la technologie. L'article révèle également comment ces sujets contribuent aux diverses stratégies pour une adoption et une diffusion harmonieuses de l'enseignement en ligne aux EAU.

Factors affecting the self-efficacy of medical teachers during a health crisis - a qualitative study on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The diversity of tasks entrusted to medical teachers with their simultaneous responsibility for the safety of patients and the effective education of future healthcare professionals requires maintaining a skillful balance between their teaching, scientific and clinical activities. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the work of both healthcare facilities and medical universities, forcing already overworked medical teachers to establish a new balance. One's ability to perform effectively in new, ambiguous, or unpredictable situations was described by Albert Bandura as a self-efficacy concept. Consequently, this study aimed to identify factors affecting the self-efficacy of medical teachers and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on them. METHODS: Twenty-five semi-structured interviews with medical teachers were conducted using a flexible thematic guide. They were transcribed and analyzed by two independent researchers (researcher triangulation) with phenomenology as the qualitative approach. RESULTS: Identified themes demonstrate a process of the evolvement of clinical teachers' self-efficacy in response to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the decline of self-efficacy in the first phase of the crisis, followed by building task-specific self-efficacy and the development of general self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows the significance of providing care and support for medical teachers during a health crisis. Crisis management decision-makers at educational and healthcare institutions should consider the different roles of medical teachers and the possibility of overburden associated with the cumulation of the excessive number of patient, didactic, and research duties. Moreover, faculty development initiatives and teamwork should become a vital part of the organizational culture of medical universities. A dedicated tool acknowledging the specificity and context of medical teachers' work seems necessary to quantitatively evaluate their sense of self-efficacy.

Online education action for defeating COVID-19 in China: An analysis of the system, mechanism and mode

This study explores the online education action for defeating COVID-19 in China from the perspectives of the system, mechanism and mode. In particular, the policy development of online education in China during the epidemic includes the education informatization policy, the online education system, and the online education mechanism in China. The online education and teaching mode during the epidemic involve the synchronous live class-based teaching mode, asynchronous recording and broadcasting teaching mode, online flipped classroom teaching mode, and online tutoring-based teaching mode. Both characteristics and trends of online education in China during the epidemic have been explored in this study. In addition, the problems, discussions and remarks are also offered.

Have students' perceptions of online education changed with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions?

This research examines student preference toward online and on-ground (i.e., face-to-face) course delivery methods in higher education as a result of the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Over 130 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Computer and Information Systems courses at a university located in the northeastern United States were surveyed from April 2021 to May 2022. The study found that with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Spring 2022, students significantly preferred on-ground over online courses in comparison to their preferences when COVID-19 restrictions were still high in 2021. None of the potential influencing factors contributing to the changed preference, including students' perceptions of online course effectiveness, self-skills supporting online learning (e.g., work independently without supervision, prioritization and time management), and the usefulness of classroom interaction in learning, were found to have significant differences from the time when COVID-19 restrictions were high to the present easing of them. © 2023 Issues in Information Systems. All rights reserved.

Commentary: Educational Policies in Pandemic Times. A View from Latin America

Most countries in the world closed their educational centers and maintained classes online to prevent the spread of the virus SARSV-Cov-2. Latin America is not an exception. Estimates of the transmission dynamics of the pandemic indicate the application of actions that will affect educational contexts for years. This piece reflects on necessary changes in educational policies to take account of the current setting of COVID-19. We focus this reflection from a Latino American perspective, but it is not exclusive. The discussion can be useful to other countries with similar characteristics. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Latinos & Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

Covid-19 and online classes: Measuring Indian parents' attitude towards online classes at kindergarten and junior school level

The study aims to examine the readiness of Indian parents towards online classes at kindergarten and junior school levels, by identifying the perceived barriers, perceived effectiveness and health impact of online classes on young children. The study is based on data collected across a random sample of 750 parents of students studying at junior and kindergarten levels in urban private schools which offer online classes. The data was analyzed through exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Technological, infrastructural, and personal barriers related to students, and parents, were identified as perceived barriers by parents in availing online classes for their kids. Parents' attitude towards online classes at kindergarten and primary levels gets negatively influenced by the barriers they face, and the perceived negative impact of technology usage on their kids' health, while;perceived effectiveness was found to have a positive impact on the parents' attitude. The study is unique as it includes the interest of such young stakeholders of the education system. The study highlights the barriers faced by parents related to online classes and the health-related concerns which play a major role in the adoption of online mode of education for their kids. Research gives insights to school authorities and the government to work on these barriers and make the online education system effective which is the need of the hour during COVID-19.

School Belonging in Online Instruction: Cross-Sectional and Prospective Relationships with Academic Adjustment in Higher Education Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The study aimed to analyse changes in school belonging in higher education students during online instruction and to verify its cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships with academic adjustment in the first and higher years of study. The research sample consisted of 169 higher education students (90.5% women, M = 21.71;SD = 2.63) in the first measurement (end of the winter term), and 77 respondents (96% women, M = 21.38;SD = 2.03) in the second measurement (end of the summer term). Self-report methods were used. Results showed a decline in school belonging among first-year students. School belonging significantly predicted academic adjustment, and the relationship with internal motivation persisted even four months later. The findings support the key role and need for facilitating school belonging in higher education students in the online environment. © 2023, Adam Marszalek Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Unpacking Privilege in Pandemic Pedagogy: Social Media Debates on Power Dynamics of Online Education

As one of the world's major social media hubs dedicated to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Facebook mega-group Pandemic Pedagogy provides a panoramic perspective of the key concerns educators and students face amid a public health crisis that forces redefinition of what constitutes effective education. After several months of instruction under pandemic conditions, two central themes emerged as the most extensively discussed and the most intensively contested: (1) rigor versus accommodation in calibrating standards for students, and (2) ways to improve engagement during classes conducted through videoconferencing, especially via Zoom. Both themes reveal deeply embedded systems of privilege and marginalization in the structures and methods of online education. The pandemic starkly exposes disparities in access, equity, and inclusivity. Addressing these challenges will require explicit measures to acknowledge these power imbalances by rethinking what counts as effective teaching and learning rather than relying on institutions to revert to business as usual after this pandemic abates.

Digital transformation of educational institutions accelerated by COVID-19: A digital dynamic capabilities approach

During the Coronavirus crisis (COVID-19) that started in 2019 and at the extensive quarantine regulations, educational institutions, companies, and individuals have reacted by shifting their teaching and learning activities to virtual spaces. Yet, although the use of online learning has increased, it has not been able to achieve the long-promised transformative effect. The COVID-19 crisis has the potential to boost online education overall or at least enable better preparation of the system for the next crisis. Ultimately, to make a digital transformation sustainable, appropriate skills are required. In this study, we adapt the dynamic capabilities foundations creating a theoretical approach to explain how educational institutions have responded to the changing environmental conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2023 the authors.

A Review on the analysis of Behavioral pattern of Students during pandemic COVID-19

The widespread of (covid-19) has become the major reason for many physical illnesses in addition to psychological encounters to the whole world. The psychological challenges brought in due to the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in decrease in the learning curve of students to a very large extent risking the academic ability of students due to psychological/mental health. Hence it is a challenge to identify valid cues for disorientation in the learning ability of the student at the right time and to suggest necessary support and guidance. This paper aims to describe about the work done so far and analyzes the future challenges to be addressed based on the learning curve of a student and gives an insight of how a student can be identified to be psychologically disturbed. © 2023 IEEE.

Fuzzy logic approach to assess the effectiveness of online course delivery in management education: a case of B-school from India

PurposeThe future of management studies is invariably steering towards online and hybrid modes of course delivery. Therefore, assessing the effectiveness of online course delivery is exceptionally crucial. This study attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of online course delivery in management education involving the instructor, participant and technological component. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in three ways. First, the study proposes an approach to assess the effectiveness of online courses in management education. The study demonstrates this by taking a case study of a business school (B-school) in southern India. Second, the study identifies the shortcomings and areas that need improvement to enhance the overall effectiveness further. Third, the study outlines suggestive measures to improve the effectiveness of online course delivery by addressing technical, infrastructural, instructor and student behavioral components.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish the objectives, a case study approach has been adopted and fuzzy logic has been used as a methodology to assess the effectiveness of online course delivery in management education.FindingsThe findings suggest that instructors' use of cases and animation during online sessions, use of whiteboards, digital pens and other tools, attempts to draw participant's interest and the users' sense of belongingness in the online cohort, self-discipline and motivation from students' side, easy to use Learning Management System (LMS), audio-visual platforms, active electronic communication and training on the technical aspect of the online platform need to be improved to enhance the effectiveness of online course delivery further. The current effectiveness of online course delivery in the case of B-school was found to be "Fair,” which is average in relation to the effectiveness labels.Research limitations/implicationsThis study doesn't investigate the factors that moderate the effectiveness of online course delivery and how the factors influence each other. Future research endeavors can be extended in this direction to enrich the body of knowledge with new insights. Apart from this, the results outlined in this study are about the status quo of the case B-school and can't be generalized. However, the methodology and approach can be adopted by other B-schools or higher educational institutes to measure the schools' and institutes' current level of effectiveness in online teaching.Originality/valueSo far, only a few studies have paid attention to the empirical assessment of the effectiveness of online course delivery consisting of engagement from the technical, instructor and participants' dimensions. This study proposes a novel approach to measure the level of effectiveness and identifies the shortfalls that impede good effectiveness in online course delivery.

Regarding the question of presence in online education: A performative pedagogical perspective

In response to the interruption of all levels of education following COVID-19, we start by underlining the difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Next, we inquire into the question of presence in physical and virtual classrooms, and offer a discussion of presence as "being-here-now,” a "movement toward becoming,” and as gelassenheit or "releasement toward things.” We highlight the materiality of communication, and the performative production and transformation of the classroom space. Finally, we illustrate how performative writing enhances the sense of being-here-now, and facilitates the co-inhabiting of online learning spaces that lack co-presence of bodies in the same physical environment.

Sentiment analysis of student feedback on flexible learning

The World Health Organization declares COVID-19 as a global pandemic, which disrupts classes around the world. This study aims to reveal the sentiment of the students on flexible learning, specifically about online education. The Public Relations and Publication Office of Pangasinan State University (PRPIO) posted a thread on its Facebook page asking the students how they feel about the flexible learning modality implemented by the institution. All Students are invited to comment on possible problems that they may encounter in synchronous online delivery of instruction. Automated extraction was used to mine comments from the specific post on the official page per quarter. Most of the respondents mentioned that they faced issues during the first quarter, and most of the respondents were worried about internet connectivity during the first quarter. While students provided negative sentiments during the first quarter of the year 2021, the trendline was changed to the last quarter. © 2023 Author(s).

Assessment Practices of U.S. College Instructors in Response to the COVID‐19 Pandemic: Implications for a Post‐Pandemic Era

Assessment Practices of U.S. College Instructors in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for a Post-Pandemic Era Whereas most instructors indicated proctoring exams in person during the Fall 2019 semester (71.4%), not a single instructor in the sample proctored an exam in person during the pandemic-affected Spring 2020 semester. Whereas most exams were administered during class time in both the Fall 2019 (70.4%) and early portion of the Spring 2020 (60.6%) semester, relatively few instructors indicated administering exams during class time amidst the pandemic-affected period in Spring 2020 (27.4%). [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Assessment Update is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 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.)

The Online EFL Learning Challenges in Ukrainian Tertiary Education

COVID-19 has challenged educators not only in Ukrainian universities but throughout the whole world to keep abreast with the rapid emergence of new technologies, adapt the education system to online needs, and use blended learning as a necessity of the transformed education environment. We carried out two case studies aimed at gauging the students' perception, experience, and satisfaction level on the pandemicinduced online EFL learning via a Google Forms questionnaire in 2020-2021 a.y. and 2021-2022 a.y. at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine). The first case conducted a 16-question online survey, and an analysis unit was the responses of 112 first-year students studying English as L2 and majoring in Computer Science and Cybernetics at the University of Kyiv under the Coronavirus lockdown reality. The second case encompassed 80 respondents and was fulfilled through the same 16-question online survey under similar study conditions. The sample groups were undergraduate students of the same age (17-18 y. o.) and the English language level (B1+) enrolled in the university with similar admissions criteria, prerequisites, and curricula. The survey's participation was voluntary and anonymous. The respondents gave feedback on three question categories: EFL online learning effectiveness, technical provision satisfaction, self-organization, and confidence level. The opinions were not fully homogeneous but the majority of Computer Science and Cybernetics undergraduates in both case studies pointed out that the online EFL course was effective. The first survey findings revealed that the first-year university learners had a predominately positive attitude towards online education, describing English lessons as well-structured and engaging. Our second investigation demonstrated that apart from staff readiness, confidence, students' Internet accessibility, and motivation, the undergraduates have indicated tiredness of online meetings, pointing out that they have a lack of live communication. The obtained study results can help in understanding EFL teachers how to continue teaching and learning during such unprecedented times and to ensure a high level of education, responding to the current students' needs and priorities for successful online classes. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Romanian Journal for Multidimensional Education / Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala is the property of Lumen Publishing House 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.)

Distance Learning: Perceived Constraints Towards the New Norms in Learning Anatomy During COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has led to unavoidable new norms, including increasing demands for online learning. In view of the potential constraints to virtually learn anatomy among medical students, this study was conducted to identify the level of exposure towards online anatomy learning as well as the perceived constraints among medical students in a public university in Malaysia. Methods: A cross sectional study utilizing online survey was conducted during the movement control order (MCO) enforcement in Malaysia between March and October 2020 among all consented medical students at a public university in the Klang Valley area. The data was collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire which was distributed using Google Form application. Results: A total of 281 medical students consented and completed the online survey, with 94.3% students had low level of exposure towards online anatomy learning. Year of study and accessibility towards computing facilities and internet connection were significantly associated with online anatomy learning, with the non-clinical students are 19.9 (aOR= 19.888, B=2.990, 95%CI: 2.484-159.220) times more likely to have higher exposure towards online anatomy learning respectively. Conclusion: A very high proportion of medical students having low exposure towards online anatomy learning was observed in this study, which was predicted among the clinical students. Strengthening the utilization of online learning should be seriously considered in parallel with the new norms and the many uncertainties with COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure continuity of effective and quality learning. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences is the property of Universiti Putra Malaysia 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.)

The Management of Educational Centers during the COVID-19 from a Gender Perspective

The situation caused by COVID-19 has led to various transformations in the management of educational centres, where management teams have had to take the lead in this circumstance. The aim of this research is to investigate the opinion of the headmasters and headmistresses of 43 schools in the city of Seville (Spain) on the management of their schools during the period of confinement. Specifically, the aim is to examine this situation from the point of view of school management, taking into account a gender perspective. The research methodology is quantitative, descriptive, ex post facto, cross-sectional and correlational. For the collection of information, a questionnaire comprising four study dimensions was used to investigate the organisation and management of the management team at the educational centre, the academic work carried out in the non-attendance mode and the link established with the families during the period of cessation of face-to-face teaching activities. The results indicate that there is a significant difference in the opinion expressed in the study, depending on the gender of the leaders of these management teams, which encourages reflection on the importance of attending to the management and organisation of educational teams from a gender perspective. © 2023 Hipatia Editorial. All rights reserved.

Converting to online conversations in COVID-19: People with aphasia and Students' experiences of an online Conversation Partner Scheme

A Conversation Partner Scheme (CPS) can provide an opportunity for students to learn about acquired communication disorders, develop skills to support adults in conversations and reflect on their personal attitudes about communication disability. It can also enhance communication, facilitate social inclusion and participation and increase well-being for CPS partners with acquired communication disabilities. The format of a CPS generally includes conversation-training workshops followed by face-to-face supported conversations. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health guidance necessitated the transition of all components of the scheme (training and conversations) to an online format. The aim of this case study was to investigate the feasibility of an online CPS and explore the participants' experience of this format. A case study design was undertaken with feasibility objectives examining Implementation, Practicality, Adaption, Integration and Acceptability of the online CPS. Data was gathered from students using questionnaires. Online semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven persons with aphasia (PwA) who participated as CPS partners. Technical challenges, duration of conversations and topics of conversations were also recorded. Twenty-seven speech and language therapy students and 14 CPS partners took part in the CPS. Eighty-five online conversation sessions were carried out. All seven PwA and many of the students (87.5%) perceived an online format as suitable for CPS conversations. However, many students highlighted the value of in-person contact and reported that the online format constrained the use of some communication ramps. The PwA repeatedly commended their student conversation partners and noted the CPS provided an opportunity for increased social interaction during the public health restrictions. The online CPS provided a timely opportunity for students to practice supported communication skills and was perceived to be important for student training and communication skills development.