E-learning Experience Research Articles

Exploring the perspectives of medical students on application of e-learning in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The use of e-learning has become mandatory during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are many barriers to applying e-learning in medical education. This study aimed to explore medical students' perspectives on the application of e-learning in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Q-methodology explorative study was conducted in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A sample of 37 medical students was purposively selected to represent different characteristics. The students distributed 37 statements representing different aspects of e-learning in medical education into a nine-point scoring grid from "least agree" to "most agree." Data analysis revealed three distinct viewpoints. The first viewpoint, complete dependence on e-learning, emphasized a preference for e-learning to continue medical education and complete the study year with a minimal return to study halls or practical/clinical sessions. The second viewpoint, opponents of applying e-learning in medical education, included a generally negative view about e-learning and its role in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third viewpoint, e-learning as a supplement to medical education, emphasized a generally positive view about e-learning and considered it a supplement to the theoretical parts of medical education during the pandemic. The three diverse viewpoints are primarily distinguished by the availability of e-learning experience and skills, availability of technology, risk perception of COVID-19, and the need for in-hospital clinical teaching. Provision of necessary facilities and training is required to strengthen the role of e-learning in medical education. A safe environment is needed for on-campus or hospital clinical teaching.

The Relationship Between E-learning During Coronavirus Pandemic and Job Burnout among Faculty Members in Public and Private Universities in Jordan

This study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between the level of e-learning during the Coronavirus pandemic and job burnout among faculty members in public and private universities in Jordan, to improve the e-learning experience and make it reach the best possible levels to avoid the increased feeling of burnout among faculty members. The study population consisted of all faculty members working in Jordanian public and private universities for the year 2021, and their number is approximately (11,400) members. The unit of analysis included all academic ranks operating within the mentioned universities (Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Lecturer). A stratified Random Sample was calculated using the university variable at 6%, which is considered an appropriate proportion to represent the study population. The sample size reached 684 faculty members and a study tool (questionnaire) was distributed electronically among them. (580) questionnaires were retrieved from the sample members and (55) were excluded because they were not suitable for analysis. Therefore, the final number of questionnaires that are suitable for statistical analysis is (525) questionnaires. The study found that the level of e-learning, as well as the level of burnout, were moderate among faculty members in public and private universities in Jordan. Also, the study found that the sample members' perspective of the e-learning level was similar in most of the variables except for the type of university variable (public or private), as well as for the job burnout variable, where it was similar towards most variables except for the variable of academic rank. The study concluded that there is a negative correlation with a statistical significance between the level of e-learning and the level of job burnout among the study sample, in addition to the existence of a negative correlation between all areas of e-learning and all areas of job burnout.

Usage of augmented reality (AR) and development of e-learning outcomes: An empirical evaluation of students’ e-learning experience

This study aims to examine students' experience of augmented reality learning applications (AR.LRP). Uses and gratifications theory was proposed as a theoretical foundation of the current study's conceptual model. Four dimensions of UGT benefits were proposed as key antecedences of the students' experience with AR.LRP: personal interactive benefits, social interactive benefits, affective benefits, and cognitive benefits. The model was also extended by considering the role of telepresence. Further, technostress was proposed on the current study to moderate the relationship between the aspects of UGT and e-learning experience. A sample size of 500 undergraduate students from the four largest Universities in Saudi Arabia was used in the current study survey. The statistical results largely support the significant impact of personal interactive benefits, affective benefits, and cognitive benefits, and telepresence on student experience with AR.LRP. Technostress was also found to significantly moderate the relationship between UGT dimensions and student experience with AR.LRP. Further, results support a significant relationship between student experience with AR.LRP and students' learning performance. This study has contributed to the perspectives of researchers and practitioners by highlighting the most important aspects and characteristics that ensure a distinctive and positive students' experience of the drum with applications with AR.LRP.

Virtual APPE grand rounds: A learning activity to enhance remote rotations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Context: To assess students’ perception of a virtual learning activity developed for a remote Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) during the peak of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak in New York City. Description of course: Due to the pandemic, many clinical APPEs were converted to remote elective experiences during the final 5-week rotation block (from 1 April to 6 May 2020). A small group of faculty developed and piloted a virtual learning activity (APPE grand rounds) to enhance learning in this setting. Students assigned to participating faculty were tasked to develop 60 to 90-minute presentations scheduled two to three times weekly for large synchronous e-learning experiences across various simultaneous rotations. Evaluation: A questionnaire consisting of nine items utilising a 5-point Likert scale was developed and administered to assess student perception of the virtual format, presentation skills, and overall satisfaction with the experience.

I Cannot See You—The Perspectives of Deaf Students to Online Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: Saudi Arabia Case Study

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about many challenges to course delivery methods, which have forced institutions to rapidly change and adopt innovative approaches to provide remote instruction as effectively as possible. Creating and preparing content that ensures the success of all students, including those who are deaf and hard-of-hearing has certainly been an all-around challenge. This study aims to investigate the e-learning experiences of deaf students, focusing on the college of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Particularly, we study the challenges and concerns faced by deaf students during the sudden shift to online learning. We used a mixed-methods approach by conducting a survey as well as interviews to obtain the information we needed. Our study delivers several important findings. Our results report problems with internet access, inadequate support, inaccessibility of content from learning systems, among other issues. Considering our findings, we argue that institutions should consider a procedure to create more accessible technology that is adaptable during the pandemic to serve individuals with diverse needs.

Medical students in Russia evaluate the training during the COVID-19 pandemic: a student survey

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to obtain feedback from medical students in Russia regarding their e-learning experience during COVID-19 Pandemic.MethodsThirteen thousand forty students from 46 Medical Schools in Russia completed an original evaluation form validated by 6 experts. Criterion and construct validity were determined in a pilot study (n = 46). The study design was based on the use of Google Forms. Participants used the Visual Analog Scale from 1 to 10 to assess the level of knowledge acquired.Results95.31% of medical schools in Russia switched to e-learning during the Pandemic. 39.8% of the students stated that the time to prepare for the class has doubled. For 19.9% of them, it increased by one third, while 26.6% did not report any changes. 38,4% of the participants are satisfied with particular elements of e-learning, 27.5% like such a format, 22.9% do not like it, and 11.2% could not answer the question. The average scores for the knowledge assessment were 5.9 for the humanities, 6.1 for fundamental science, and 6.0 for clinical training.ConclusionsThe most important findings are increased self-instruction time, insufficient knowledge gained and territorial and socio-economic inequalities within the country. Meanwhile, most students favor distance learning or its particular elements. Consequently, medical education leaders in Russia should consider the implementation of blended training in medicine taking into account specific regional factors, ensuring its effectiveness at all stages.

Web-based Training Program for Writing Instruction: Preservice Teachers' Beliefs Profiles and Their Satisfaction.

Preservice teachers' satisfaction with online training should be considered to guarantee a successful e-learning experience. This study aims to determine whether preservice teachers' belief profiles influence their satisfaction with web-based training for teaching writing. To achieve this purpose, two main analyses were conducted: (1) validation of a satisfaction's scale through Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and (2) MANOVA with independent inter-subject variables group belief profiles (i.e., Eclectic Profile, Socio-cultural Profile, and Person-environment Profile) and as dependent variables the five dimensions of the satisfaction scale. Results showed high satisfaction ratings with the web-based training in all the groups. Nevertheless, significant differences in satisfaction ratings were found between belief profiles. Finally, educational implications for preservice teachers' development are highlighted in the discussion.

University students’ perceptions on e-Learning: Cross-study in Portugal and Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed dramatic changes on educational practices worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the distance learning experience of students during the COVID-19 pandemic by comparing results obtained in two countries: Italy and Portugal. A cross-sectional survey was used to analyse a survey questionnaire focused on two domains: digital skills and motivation to engage in distance learning. The results from Italian and Portuguese students indicated that majority showed a positive attitude towards online learning and the digital hybrid pedagogy. The recent e-learning experience created complex challenges and a variety of opportunities at the same time. Students and university staffs’ need for training was highly associated with motivation, engagement and connection with colleagues rather than with the infrastructures offered or the development of computer literacy.
 Keywords: COVID-19; digital skills; students' perceptions; students’ motivation.

Individual and community learning of academics during the COVID-19 pandemic

The article presents a reconstruction of crisis coping strategies adopted by academics during the changes in higher education resulting from the SARS-Cov-2 virus pandemic. This analysis is part of a wider research project entitled “Academic Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic.” In our research, we used a focus interview to learn about e-learning experiences of lecturers and students. Due to limitations in face-to-face meetings, the interviews were conducted via the Microsoft Teams application, which significantly improved the process of consolidating the empirical material. Academic teachers from various research centers in Poland participated in the research. An important point in the team data analysis was the clear presence of community in the strategies undertaken by online distance learning at universities.

Capacity building of health professionals in Guinea: a successful e-learning experience (2017-2021)

Abstract Background Strengthening the capacities of health professionals (HPs) in public health is a necessity in the context of recurrent epidemics in Africa. The objective of this study was to describe the process and results of an innovative online training program implemented in the post-Ebola context in Guinea between 2017 and 2021. Methods The courses were developed in French in 2017-2018 by the Maferinyah Training and Research Center in Guinea with technical support from the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) of Antwerp (Belgium). The Moodle platform was used to locally manage and deliver these courses. A cross-sectional study using mixed research methods was carried out. Results Three courses of three months duration each (6 to 8 modules) were developed and delivered between 2018 and 2021 on primary health care (eSSP), management of sexual and reproductive health services (eSSR), and research methodology. The online training on the Moodle platform was followed by a face-to-face capacity-building workshop. Of 479 HPs from 13 nationalities enrolled in the courses, 68.1% (326/479) completed the training and 80.4% of them (262/326) validated it (54.7% among all registrants). The success rate of women (56.7%) was higher than that of men (54%) and remained higher among Guineans (55.3%) compared to foreigners (51.4%) but these differences were not statistically significant. The success rates for the eSSP (47.7%), eSSR (58.5%) and eMR (59.1%) courses were also comparable. The learner satisfaction score ranged from 60 to 100% for different aspects of the courses. Conclusions It is possible to offer online courses in a limited resource setting like Guinea. However, involving women in online training remains a challenge. Key messages It is possible to offer online courses in a limited resource setting like Guinea. Involvement of women in online training remains a challenge.

Sri Lankan dental students’ perspective on the effectiveness of e-learning

Introduction: E-learning resulted in a revolution in dental education with continuous educational experiences. General objective of this study was to assess the perspective of undergraduate dental students on effectiveness of e-learning in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme. Specific objectives were to identify students’ opinion on the factors that promote e-learning, awareness on the effectiveness of using different platforms and social media, barriers imposed and suggestions for the improvement of e-learning in the BDS programme. Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study among undergraduate dental students of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka using a self-administered pre-tested questionnaire administered via a web-based survey form. Frequencies and percentages were obtained for categorical data and Chi-square test was used to determine the association between variables. Results: The majority received the e-learning experience well. Fifty-four percent of the participants felt it was better compared to traditional face-to-face learning and the difference between the semesters (p=0.000) and genders was statistically significant (p=0.000). Difference in overall satisfaction on e-learning material across the different semesters was statistically significant. Students felt that e-learning should be used as a supplementary tool mainly by means of procedural videos during delivery of the skill component. Fifty percent participants felt that conducting assessments online is fair for all the students. Conclusion: A positive learning experience was achieved through the e-learning modalities in comparison to traditional face-to-face learning though in terms of skills training, e-learning modalities should only be considered as a supplementary tool.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the adoption of e-learning among academics in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Saudi universities have suspended the traditional face-to-face classes and moved to online learning to ensure the continuation of the educational process during the COVID-19 pandemic. The speed at which the move to online learning has happened was unprecedented and staggering. Academics, had to improvise and try different e-learning solutions in less-than-ideal circumstances. No matter how powerful and easy-to-use e-learning solutions might be, many academics understandably found the transition to e-learning stressful. This research project looks at the transition experience to online learning from the viewpoint of academics in Saudi universities. It investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the adoption of e-learning solutions and how this forced experience would affect the long-term adoption of e-learning solutions. The study employed an online survey administered to academics from all the 24 public universities. The results were quantitatively analysed by using structural equation modelling (SEM). It was found that attitudes toward e-learning, self-efficacy and perceived reliability have significant positive effects on behavioural intention to adopt e-learning. It was also found that COVID-19 has positively affected the long-term adoption of e-learning. Therefore, it is recommended that universities take immediate actions and capitalise on the e-learning experience that academics have gained during COVID-19 pandemic.

IDENTIFICATION FACTORS INFLUENCING E-LEARNING SATISFACTION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC PERIOD AMONG STUDENTS AT A MALAYSIA PRIVATE INSTITUITION

The rapid occurrences of Corona Virus Disease (Covid-19) have posed various challenges to our society, including the quality of the education system in Malaysia. The current study aims to first measure the impact of demographic variables (gender, age, and education level) and non-demographic variables (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and technological factor) on e-learning satisfaction among students from a higher education institution in Malaysia, and to construct a student satisfaction prediction model subsequently. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to a total of 344 respondents and the statistical analysis of the Chi-Square test and Multiple Regressions was performed. The result of the study reveals that the satisfaction of students on e-learning experience during the pandemic is significantly correlated to gender. The study further shows that three dominant variables, namely perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and technological factors are significant factors that influence the satisfaction level of student's learning in the e-learning environment. The findings of the study will be beneficial to policymakers to identify the level of student satisfaction on e-learning education during the COVID-19 pandemic and may provide evidence-based data to improve the learning performance of students.

Interface Designs with Personality Types: An Effective E-learning Experience

Interface Designs with Personality Types: An Effective E-learning Experience

Cognitive IoT-Based e-Learning System: Enabling Context-Aware Remote Schooling during the Pandemic.

The 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic had far-reaching consequences beyond the spread of the disease and efforts to cure it. Today, it is obvious that the pandemic devastated key sectors ranging from health to economy, culture, and education. As far as education is concerned, one direct result of the spread of the pandemic was the resort to suspending traditional in-person classroom courses and relying on remote learning and homeschooling instead, by exploiting e-learning technologies, but many challenges are faced by these technologies. Most of these challenges are centered around the efficiency of these delivery methods, interactivity, and knowledge testing. These issues raise the need to develop an advanced smart educational system that assists home-schooled students, provides teachers with a range of smart new tools, and enable a dynamic and interactive e-learning experience. Technologies like the Internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), including cognitive models and context-awareness, can be a driving force in the future of e-learning, opening many opportunities to overcome the limitation of the existing remote learning systems and provide an efficient reliable augmented learning experience. Furthermore, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), introduced in education as a way for asynchronous learning, can be a second driving force of future synchronous learning. The teacher and students can see each other in a virtual class even if they are geographically spread in a city, a country, or the globe. The main goal of this work is to design and provide a model supporting intelligent teaching assisting and engaging e-learning activity. This paper presents a new model, ViRICTA, an intelligent system, proposing an end-to-end solution with a stack technology integrating the Internet of things and artificial intelligence. The designed system aims to enable a valuable learning experience, providing an efficient, interactive, and proactive context-aware learning smart services.

E-Learning Implementation Barriers during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Survey Design

Most higher education institutions have embraced emergency remote teaching (ERT) as a response to school and university closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We used a cross-sectional survey design to examine teachers’ views on the implementation of e-learning for ERT due to Covid-19 in Omani higher education. We examined four barrier categories: teacher-related, institutional-related, curriculum-related and student-related. We also assessed the relationship between these barrier levels and measured the differences between e-learning and teachers’ gender, academic qualifications, teaching experience and prior experience in e-learning. Through an investigation of 856 university faculty members, we found that student-level barriers had the strongest impact on the implementation of e-learning for ERT during Covid-19. Furthermore, teachers’ academic qualifications and prior experience influenced the success of e-learning practices. Based on these results, we presented some implications with respect to student preparedness, curriculum modifications and institutional readiness for the successful implementation of ERT during Covid-19 or any similar future pandemics.

E- Learning experience of the medical profession\u2019s college students during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundWorldwide, most of educational institutions have moved to online electronic learning methods because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 8, 2020, the Saudi Ministry of Education announced remote learning for public and private schools and universities as a preventive and precautionary measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The objective of this study was to explore the e-learning experience of the students of the colleges of health sciences with regard to the technical preparedness, academic achievements, e-learning advantages and limitations. A well-structured and validated questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions about their e-learning experience was distributed to a heterogeneous purposive sample of the health sciences students in Saudi Arabian universities.ResultsOf the 1288 respondents, of various demographical features a relatively higher proportion of 58.2 % agreed that they had enough information about the online learning. However, the proportion who reported receiving adequate guidance, technical support, and having satisfactory hardware and internet access to online learning were 48.1 %, 42, and 35.4 %, respectively. Of all participants, 40.8 % agreed that they had gained a good understanding of their courses learning outcomes. Only 30.0 % agreed that the quality of the online teaching was similar to traditional classes and 56.1 % agreed that the online learning is unsuitable for the medical sciences studies.E-learning advantages mentioned were the flexible accessibility of the learning materials, time, effort, and money saving, acquiring and improving technical and self-learning skills, health safety, interaction without shyness, and better academic accomplishment. On the other hand, disadvantages and difficulties included inadequate tools to facilitate online learning, poor internet connection, lack of technological skills by the educators and students. In addition, there was inadequate or lack of practical classes, lack of a unified clear policy for the conduct of online classes and exams and grade distribution, limited online exam time.ConclusionsThe sudden shift to e-learning without prior preparedness has revealed some pitfalls that need to be adjusted. The initial findings were considered satisfactory for such a new experience for both learners and students. However, there is a great chance for improving and expanding the e-learning process.

Faculty readiness for online teaching at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University during the COVID-19 crisis: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the education sector around the world. In order to control the spread of the virus, eLearning practice has been introduced in Saudi higher education. Such online communication has become an important tool to narrow the teaching practice gap. This study assessed the characteristics of eLearning and distance learning and the inclination of Imam Abdulrahman BinFaisal University (IAU) faculty members in terms of skills, and managing classes and tests using online learning tools. Methods: A QuestionPro questionnaire with 22 questions on eLearning experience, training experience, and skills and knowledge in the educational process of IAU teaching faculty was conducted through the online university e-mail domain. The questionnaire was sent to the IAU's teaching faculty. The questionnaire's reliability was studied using Cronbach's a coefficient. The criterion value was statistically studied using the KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) and Bartlett's test. The variables associated with the present survey model were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Results: The study showed positive responses and readiness (skills and abilities) and the effectiveness of IAU's faculty members to perform e-learning activities during COVID-19. IAU faculty received a strong positive response, and the respondents were also impressed with and agreed on trainer knowledge, session management, communication and expertise on training topics. Conclusions: The positive response indicates the readiness of IAU to provide the necessary support (tools, information and updates) required for a successful online educational process.

Nursing students' and educators' experience with e-learning during a pandemic: An online survey.

Nursing students' and educators' experiences with e-learning during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are unknown in most countries. To (1) describe and compare Egyptian nursing students' and educators' experiences with e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) elicit participants' preferences for responding to online versus paper questionnaires. This is a cross-sectional online survey of nursing students (undergraduate and postgraduate; n =580) and nursing educators (n = 95) in one faculty of nursing in Egypt. The survey assessed participants'characteristics, preferences for online versus paper surveys, and 11 dimensionsrelated to the e-learning experience, such as perceived competency, satisfaction, cognitive presence, and the preferred platforms for e-learning. About 91% of students and 80% of educators received either no or inadequate training on e-learning before the pandemic. Students' and educators' experiences significantly differed (p-value < 0.001) in most of the examined dimensions, with educators having better experiences. About 71% of the students and 76% of the educators preferred responding to online surveys. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT analysis) of e-learning were mapped. Students are in more need of training on e-learning than educators, and this training is a must before any attempt to undertake online exams. The online survey is a preferred methodology among Egyptian nursing educators and students. The provided SWOT analysis may help administrators best implement and support e-learning during infection outbreaks.

Exploring the relationship between students' learning satisfaction and self-efficacy during the emergency transition to remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic: A cross-sectional study

The overarching objective of this study was to assess learning satisfaction among students and to determine whether online-learning self-efficacy was associated with online learning satisfaction during the emergency transition to remote learning. This cross-sectional study involved a survey distributed to 22 Saudi Arabian universities. The survey used in this study consisted of an online learning self-efficacy (OLSE) questionnaire and an electronic learning (e-learning) satisfaction questionnaire. A total of 1,226 respondents voluntarily participated in and completed the survey. Students in medical fields made up 289 (23.6%). A Kruskal–Wallis H test and a chi-square test were used to compare the student’s satisfaction based on the educational variables. Spearman’s correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between self-efficacy and satisfaction. The findings revealed degrees of satisfaction ranging between high satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The majority of students (51%) expressed high satisfaction, and 599 students (49%) reported experiencing a low level of satisfaction with e-learning. A comparison of groups with low and high satisfaction scores revealed a significant difference in the OLSE. High satisfaction was positively correlated with the OLSE domains: time management, technology, and learning. The OLSE regression analysis model significantly predicted satisfaction. It showed that the model, corrected for education level and grade point average of the students, significantly predicted e-learning satisfaction (F = 8.04, R2 = 0.59, p = .004). The study concluded that students’ satisfaction with the e-learning experience is influenced by e-learning self-efficacy. The study’s findings lead to the practical implications and identify the need to improve the remote learning, time management and technology self-efficacy to enhance students’ satisfaction.