Attend Online Courses Research Articles

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic on educational and professional growth of young Italian epileptologists: a survey of the Young Epilepsy Section-Italian chapter.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus-related disease SARS-CoV-2 infection pandemic. Italy was one of the most affected countries and managed the emergency also by a health care reorganization. The Education and Career Development Task Force of the Young Epilepsy Section-Italy (YES-I) designed a survey to assess the impact of the pandemic on the training and work of young epileptologists (< 40years). Fifty-three responses were collected: 45.3% were resident, 9.4% PhD students and the remainder specialists. Clinical activity changed for most (83%) during the pandemic. Educational activity at epilepsy centers was reduced for 35.8% of the survey participants, while 30.2% of research projects involving patients participation were stopped to switch mainly to COVID-19-related research. For 73.6% of survey participants, attending online courses and congresses was easier in terms of cost and organization, although for 50.9% the level of training was lower in quality. In contrast, 58.5% rated the webinars organized by YES-I very educational. Less than 50% of the clinicians used telemedicine in the pandemic period and continue to use it. Despite several positive aspects of virtual medicine, a small number (32.1%) of our interviewees were satisfied from telemedicine and few of them (30.2%) reported that it led to improvement of clinical practice. Our survey showed that the pandemic has had a negative impact on training, research and clinical activity in the epilepsy field; moreover, it underlined the critical aspects of virtual communication methods in order to improve its use for the future.

The Effect of Social Presence on the Online Learning Experiences of Full-Time Masters Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic evoked significant challenges for universities worldwide. Due to government restrictions during this period (2020-2021), the majority of university programmes were forced to rapidly change from traditional classroom teaching to online teaching. Effective online learning is, however, dependent on social presence; being one of the most important determinants of successful online learning regardless of discipline. This research aimed to identify and explore the role of social presence in both asynchronous and synchronous classes, and how social presence affects students’ online learning experiences. Further, this study aimed to provide recommendations for teachers wanting to improve the social presence in online classes. A qualitative survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted to better understand students’ online learning experiences. Results showed that social presence strengthens students’ experiences of belonging in the online learning community, as well as improves the students’ sense of engagement with their education. In turn, social presence reduced loneliness and promoted satisfaction. Social presence also helped students improve their academic comprehension and motivation when attending online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study presents several suggestions from participants, such as turning on the camera during synchronous classes, and limiting the number of group members. Combined, these suggestions can help instructors design effective online courses. The study concludes by providing suggestions for future research that may enhance social presence in online learning communities.

Factors associated with nursing students' online learning self-efficacy: A descriptive cross-sectional study

BackgroundWhen compared to face-to-face education, nursing students in online education should be highly motivated and self-disciplined. Therefore, revealing the factors associated with the online learning self-efficacy of nursing students is fundamental. AimThis descriptive cross-sectional study examined nursing students' online learning self-efficacy levels and associated factors. MethodsThis study was conducted with a total of 632 undergraduate nursing students and took place between February and April of the 2020–2021 academic year in Turkey. A questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, features of online learning, and the “Online Learning Self-Efficacy Scale” was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, t-tests in independent groups to test for differences between groups, Pearson Correlation, One-Way Variance (ANOVA), Tukey, and multiple linear regression analysis. ResultsThe mean score of nursing students in the Online Learning Self-Efficacy Scale was 74.54 ± 14.42 (min-max: 22–105). Factors associated with the online self-efficacy level of nursing students were: being female, using computers/tablets or more than one technological device in online education, the belief that online education offers the advantage of more study time, the belief that online education prevents time lost by commuting, frequency of attending online courses, satisfaction level with online education, and technology usage skill level. These factors explained 55 % of variance. DiscussionSome factors related to students studying in different disciplines affect students' self-efficacy in online education. ConclusionNursing students' online learning self-efficacy skills can be enhanced by creating positive learning online environments and offering support in the use of online technologies.

Attitudes of Students towards Violations of Academic Integrity in Online English Courses

Online education became widespread during the Covid pandemic and is likely to continue to have an important role in our education into the future. A notable aspect of the shift from traditional classroom to virtual teaching has been the collegiate challenge of extending a learning environment founded on mutual trust and academic endeavor, remotely. This study examines the attitudes of students towards violations of academic integrity in online English courses, as attitude can be a trigger for behavior. Student attitudes concerning cheating were assessed for exams, assignments and online sessions. To this end, a questionnaire was implemented with faculty and vocational school students located in the west of Turkey. The participants were two groups of students who attended online English courses and delivered online assignments. One of the groups was comprised of faculty students who attended traditional exams while the other group was tested online. The attitudes of both groups were compared and the results indicated similarity in the most and the least frequently preferred behaviors in general. The most frequently acknowledged violations were using a dictionary during online exams, getting help from translation websites for online assignments and pretending to attend online courses with the camera or microphone turned off. On the other hand, students didn’t show willingness to use remote connection software or give account details to a friend to get help in online courses. Although, students in both groups had similar attitudes towards academic misconduct, some item-based differences were revealed that may influence the delivery of language courses in the online setting.

High Prevalence of Symptomatic Dry Eye Disease Among University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in University of West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown obligated higher education students to attend online courses, leading to prolonged exposure to digital displays. Excessive time on digital devices could be a risk factor for ocular problems, including symptomatic dry eye. There are limited evidences to show the magnitude of symptomatic dry eye disease and its associated factors during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to fill this gap, among university students in Trinidad and Tobago. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students attending the University of West Indies, Saint Augustine Campus from October 2020 to April 2021. The standardized ocular surface disease index questionnaire, descriptive statics and binary logistic regression were used to assess the prevalence and associated factors of dry eye diseases. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Four hundred (96.3%) participants completed the questionnaire. Among all, 64.8% were female and 50.5% were east Indians. About 48% were using visual display units for average of 10-15 hours/day. The prevalence of symptomatic dry eye disease was 84.3% (95% CI = 80.8-87.5%) with OSDI score ≥13. Lack of education about dry eye 2.69 (95% CI: 1.41-5.13), use of the reading mode of computer 3.92 (95% CI: 1.57-9.80), refractive error 3.20 (95% CI: 1.66-6.20), previous systemic medications 2.80 (95% CI: 1.15-6.81), and average hours of visual display unit use/day (p<0.001) were significantly associated with symptomatic dry eye disease. Symptomatic dry eye disease was a prominent problem among students at the University of West Indies. Average of >4 hours of visual display unit use/day, refractive error, positive history of systemic medication, lack of education about dry eye, and using computers in reading mode were associated factors.

Online learning in higher education: perceptions and dificulties

Abstract The pandemic period brought major changes in terms of the teaching-learning process in the university education system and represented an experience both for teachers and students. This study investigates the views, difficulties faced by students while attending online courses and seminars, but also disadvantages and benefits. In order to carry out the study, a questionnaire with several items aimed at achieving clear objectives was applied. The study was attended by 70 students from the PIPP specialization, bachelor’s cycle, who attended the online courses in a percentage of over 50%. The analysis captured various results regarding the way of teaching-learning in the online system, which indicates that most of the students in the research lean towards learning in a physical format, and only in exceptional cases online, among the causes or difficulties identified being the weak Internet connection, lack of concentration and focus of attention in classes caused by various disturbing factors in the home environment, difficulties in understanding the classes, the impossibility of physical participation in practice activities.

Online learning in higher education: Examining the predictors of students' online engagement.

In this study, the effects of remote learning attitude, extrinsic and intrinsic goal orientation on the dimensions of online engagement were examined. 293 teacher candidates at a state university in Turkey participated in the research. PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data. In all models, relationships related to online collaboration with peers, online communication with instructor, participation in online classes, and completing assignments and tasks were confirmed. The relationships between the attitude towards attending online courses and the skills and emotional dimensions of engagement were confirmed. The relationships between intrinsic goal orientation (IGO) and skills and emotional dimensions of engagement are significant. Extrinsic goal orientation (EGO) is only related to the performance dimension of engagement.

The Effect of Blended Learning on Teaching Applied Biostatistics for Postgraduate Medical Students

Introduction: Unlike the face-to-face courses offered on campus, online courses are predominantly asynchronous, where students basically decide when they can attend online courses. There is also an intermediate method referred to as blended learning (BL) that combines the merits of both methods. This study investigates the effect of blended learning on attitude and learning applied Biostatistics.&#x0D; Methods: The students' comprehension levels and attitudes were measured for both groups. The face-to-face group is so designed as to include 16 weeks of two-hour sessions, one session weekly, in one semester. The blended-learning group is designed to receive in one semester 16 weeks of two-hour sessions, one session weekly, such that initially, the group receives four sessions of electronic educational content and then eight sessions of blended learning. The scores attitudes of students from either group were obtained after the final exam and via the university's course evaluation system. The final exam score of both groups based on the results of the student's Bachelor's degree was compared using ANCOVA in terms of either teaching methods.&#x0D; Results: The numbers (proportions) of the participants attending Environmental Health, Waste Management, and Elderly Health courses were 14 (35%), 13 (32.5%), and 13 (32.5%), respectively. The mean (SD) of the scores for the blended-learning group with 18 participants was 16.69 (2.45), which was significantly higher than the score of 14.49 (2.67) for the face-to-face learning group with 22 participants (P = 0.013). Comparisons were made after adjusting the average on the bachelor's degree of both groups.&#x0D; Conclusion: In addition to the improved score for the BL group, the attitudes differed. Therefore, this method is recommended for teaching Applied Biostatistics.

Measuring Objective Visual Quality of Real-Time Communication Systems in the Wild

During the outbreak of epidemic diseases, the importance of real-time communication (RTC) systems dramatically increases. People use RTC systems for communicating with others, presenting projects, attending online courses, and sharing videos. With different network conditions, applications, and scenarios, how to choose an appropriate system for high-quality RTC is an open question. To the best of our knowledge, there is no general and unified method to comprehensively evaluate the performance of the publicly available RTC systems. In this paper, we systematically evaluate several performances of RTC systems. Our method treats systems as a black-box, which can be easily adapted to other systems. Our method is also available for other video transmission systems, such as streaming and live broadcasting systems. According to our measurement method, we evaluate three web-based and three software-based RTC systems on two video conferencing (VC)-based and two screen sharing (SS)-based scenarios. We measure the received video quality (graphical quality and frame rate) at the receiver, the upload bitrate at the sender, and four usages of local resource. Furthermore, we propose a new metric to measure the ability of the system to handle insufficient bandwidth situations. Our proposed metric is the first one directly measure the ability of the rate adaptation mechanism for RTC systems. We expect the measurement method, the metric, and our findings can help system development in the future. Our detailed analysis reveals that (1) the software-based systems are more efficient than the web-based systems for bitrate usage; (2) the web-based systems are more tolerant to insufficient bandwidth conditions than the software-based systems; (3) the studied RTC systems currently are not designed for the scenario of sharing dynamic videos because of their low-frame-rate strategy, which limits the usage; and (4) decreasing graphical quality is more likely to be recognized than decreasing the frame rate. Frame rate adjustment for rate adaptation can be considered.

Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy of Students' Attending Online Courses Through MBKM Program

This study aims to analyze the students’ self-esteem and self-efficacy attending online courses of an MBKM exchange program. It was organized by three participating universities using SPADA DIKTI. Quantitatively, the study employed an online questionnaire to collect the data from 80 participating students (N=80). The statistical analysis, which included multiple regression analysis, was performed using SPSS 26. The findings indicate that the variables self-esteem and self-efficacy have a significant and beneficial effect on students enrolled in concurrent online courses. Statistically, the study used an F test and a T-test to identify the considerable impact of the measured variables. The results show that both variables have a substantial and beneficial impact on students enrolled in concurrent online courses. The students’ self-esteem excels academically, primarily through the online teaching and learning system. Meanwhile, the students with mastery experience subcomponents accepted new challenges and succeeded in doing them. Based on hypothesis testing, there is a significant effect between self-esteem and self-efficacy on students who attended online courses, which amounted to 48.9%. Yet, self-esteem and self-efficacy regression coefficients also positively affect online lectures.

Logistic model for adherence to ministry of health protocols and guidelines by public transport vehicles in Kenya during covid-19 pandemic

To know whether a given public transport vehicle will observe COVID-19 Ministry of Health Protocols and Guidelines in Kenya, a logistic expression was developed based on gender, type of vehicle, distance covered and the possibility of contracting COVID-19 by passengers while on board a given vehicle. Data collection was done by use 112 questionnaires administered on line. The respondents were first year students attending online courses in Kenyan University. Results showed majority of the respondents (41%) used 8-seater vehicle to travel. As for the distance travelled, majority of the respondents (37.3%) covered less than 25 km to reach their home County Headquarters. Possibility of infection in 8-seater and 32-seater vehicle was concentrated in level 3 while that for 14-seater was concentrated in Level 4. For 45-seater and 63-seater vehicles the possibility of infection was in level 2. A model efficiency of 84.8% was found indicating that the model is good. The results of this study provided information on behaviour of public transport sector in Kenya. © 2022, Paulus Editora. All rights reserved.

LEARNER ACUMENS OF ONLINE EFL CLASSES AT THE PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN BANGLADESH

This study intended to evaluate the English as Foreign Language (EFL) learner responses to online classes during the covid-19 pandemic. It focused on the learner's insights rather than the teachers' views because the purpose is how the large population deals with technology during this pandemic. Though teachers are the real fighters, they are in a vacuum without the students' engagement. Therefore, this study showed EFL learners' readiness of using technology in attending online classes and what barriers they face during assessment and classes. It examined whether students can participate in group discussions, pair work, online assessment, respond to class, build their rapport, and get proper feedback or not. Data were collected randomly using a google form questionnaire having five elementary questions, fifteen Likert-type questions from 92 students of five private universities in Bangladesh. Besides, five questions were finally added to have an overview of multiple response analyses. Some imperative variables of flexibility, reliability, availability, and integrity regarding online classes were brought into light with descriptive analysis. Finally, the data were analysed in a qualitative approach. It shows that learners attending online courses and assessments are diverse regarding the availability of required facilities, and the students are having difficulties participating in online examinations. The result further implicates ensuring an intelligent learning environment in the 'new normal period' with more efficacy. &#x0D; &#x0D; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0796/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The Role of Mobile Devices on Online EFL Skill Courses During Covid-19 Emergency Remote Education

The recent Covid-19 based emergency remote education caught educational practitioners unprepared and caused learners to rely on any technology which offered them the best pedagogical solution. Since mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and notebooks are widely used in daily life, EFL learners also preferred to utilize them for online courses due to their undisputable mobility. However, using mobile devices in long online EFL courses is not without its limitations. This study aimed to examine the mobile experience during EFL skill courses in emergency remote education. 47 EFL preparatory class students who were attending online courses for 4 months with their mobile devices were asked to write a reflection for each skill course based on three main categories: Limitations of mobile devices, effects of mobile devices on in-classroom interaction, and device satisfaction rates. The initial findings addressed that EFL learners commonly used smartphones or notebooks for online courses rather than desktop PCs and tablets. Secondly, our results revealed various limitations for each EFL course such as limited screen size, overheating, microphone problems, and internet connection efficiency. On the other hand, although mobile devices were reported to have worked fine for in-class communication, device satisfaction rates regarding online courses were low, especially for smartphones.

Individual Differences in Self-regulated Learning of College Students Enrolled in Online College Courses

ABSTRACT With online course delivery on the rise, it is essential to understand the preparedness of students attending traditional universities. Prior research has found that some students struggle in online courses, which leads to a quest to better understand the reason why. Studies of self-regulated learning (SRL) in online and blended courses have added to our understanding. However, few studies have used a person-centered approach to study profiles of SRL in fully online courses, and none with a population of students attending a traditional university. This is of importance, especially at a time when traditional universities are increasingly providing online courses. To address the gaps in previous SRL profile research, the current study examined individual differences in SRL profiles of 477 students attending online courses at a traditional university setting, using the Online Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire (OSLQ). Using latent profile analysis, we found four different profiles, with a majority of the students falling in groups representing lower levels of SRL skills. We also explored the possible relationship of experience in online learning, online comfort, age, and gender with the identified self-regulated learning profiles. Relationships were found between the profiles and comfort level as well as with gender.

Online Learning amidst Global Pandemic: EFL Students’ Challenges, Suggestions, and Needed Materials

Covid-19 pandemic brings changes in many aspects of peoples’ lives throughout the world. The spread of Covid-19 in Indonesia affects the education system in this country. Face-to-face instructions are shifted into full online learnings from home. Despite this quite drastic change, the literature on students’ insights of this matter has still been silent. Thus, the present study elucidates 45 EFL students’ challenges, suggestions and needed materials during these online classes. Rely on qualitative data analysis from written responses and semi-structured interviews, the findings disclosed that these EFL students’ main challenges in attending online courses were the unsteady networks and the less direct interactions. These students mainly suggested the use of video conferencing applications such as zoom or Google meet, though some students chose assignments over those applications. The students also mentioned that they basically needed grammar related materials within the online classes. The findings bring forward the picture of full online learning condition during Covid-19 outbreak on EFL setting in Indonesia.

UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF MOOCs OFFERING: A CROSS-COUNTRY STUDY

Massive Open Online Courses, also known as MOOCs, figure as the main trend in the international educational market in recent years, characterized by the offer of free, open access and global courses. Although many current studies address issues like design, quality and acceptance of these courses, little attention has been given regarding cultural aspects that could influence this global open learning movement. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate cultural determinants of MOOCs offering, through a cross-country analysis. To this end, four cultural factors proposed by Hofstede were considered. Through the multivariate regression analysis, we evaluated the relation between these factors and the number of MOOCs offered in each country. The results show that Individualism presents a significant and positive effect on MOOCs offering. Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculinity dimensions of culture do not present significant effect on MOOCs offering. This means that although individuals from countries with higher rates of Masculinity and lower levels of Uncertainty Avoidance and Power Distance are more likely to attend online courses, universities in these countries are not necessarily the ones offering more MOOCs. The results of the study may be useful to support the implementation of strategies for the diffusion and internationalization of MOOCs.

Motivation of classroom attendance students for the use of digital technologies in online courses.

To verify if structural aspects, previous use of digital technologies, and ways of studying by classroom attendance students interfere with motivation in the use of these technologies in online courses. A quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out with 713 university students, from May to September 2015, with the use of an evaluation scale for motivational factors regarding the integration of information and communication technologies in education. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of the data was carried out. Desire to attend online courses interfered with four of the five scale factors. Having a space for studying and the way students reported learning better interfered with intrinsic motivation (p=0.006 and p=0.017, respectively). Predisposition to attend online courses, having an appropriate space to study, and reconciling studies with the use of other websites were positive elements for motivation of students in online courses.

Significance of E-Learning as a Tool in Teaching and Learning

The time and age we are living now is much more different than it was few decades ago. The world is changing with great pace so are the teachings and learning methodologies. Before teaching and learning methods mainly focused within classroom confines and do not include all the factors that could impact teaching and learning outcomes. But now the world is increasingly connected and mobile, therefore, the nature of information resources is changing drastically. The new information is not only unlimited and overwhelming in quantity but also it is networked, multimodal and easily accessible anytime anywhere in the world. Advent in digital technologies, such as computers, laptops, tabs, smart phones, wireless handheld devices, and the Internet have made it possible for learners to access to a wide range of learning and teaching resources and tools, in number of different languages (with the option of availability of translation in native languages) anytime and anywhere in the world. Through the emergence of digital technology tools, have made this possible to increase teaching and learning opportunities inside and outside institutionalized school systems. Through the proper use of modern technologies students and learners have full opportunities to take learning beyond traditional classrooms and the school day. By using digital technology tools, learners have opportunities to attend online courses not only anywhere, anytime but also can record and save the information for future use, if needed. Thus, the aim of this study is to focus on the effectiveness of digital technology as a tool in Teaching and Learning (T&amp;L) approach.

Contributions to a successful e-learning process – a case study

Our study focuses on a post-graduation programme at Autonoma University, Portugal, whose regime has gone from face-toface (f2) to blended- and e-learning. Based on semi-structured interviews, this exploratory study aims to analyse the perceived satisfaction of students attending the programme in the different regimes. Considering the interviews made thus far, we have realised that most prefer f2f, though previous experience attending online courses seems to influence students to a more positive assessment of the e-learning regime. Students consider most relevant for their learning process the methodology used – collaborative learning – and the pedagogical relation fostered by recurring to social networks in addition to the virtual learning systems employed. We aim to introduce improvements to the programme itself, as well as assess the most important aspects and tools students perceive as contributing to a successful learning process. Keywords: e-learning, collaborative learning, virtual learning system, perceived satisfaction.

ONLINE COURSE SUPPORT IN DISTANCE LEARNING: Student Evaluation of English Language Teaching Bachelor of Arts Program

Hereby in this study; the opinions of the senior students, who took course support through web based asynchronous communication methods in the academic year 2007–2008 at the Open Education Faculty, English Language Teaching Bachelor of Arts Program (OEF ELT BA) at Anadolu University, about the general online courses are presented. According to the results of the study favorable and unfavorable aspects of online courses for OEF ELT BA students are defined and amendatory precautions are proposed. ELT BA began accepting student enrollments in 2000–2001 academic years. Aforesaid program is a Bachelor of Arts Program which is identical to the program offered by English Language Teaching Departments of faculties providing formal (face to face) education. In this program web based asynchronous courses have been provided for junior and senior students since the academic year 2003–2004. Online courses are given by instructors from Faculty of Education ELT Department of Anadolu University. Data of the study were acquired from the questionnaires filled by 504 senior students enrolled in the academic year 2007–2008. These students were chosen among 1586 students who lived in Eskisehir during their study. The results show that 58,2% of students have computer and internet connection in their houses. Students generally attend online courses once or twice a week. Attendance to online courses increases during examination terms. Students, who don’t believe in the contribution of online courses don’t attend those courses.