On-campus Education Research Articles

Online Education and its Relevance for Pakistan: A Case Study of Professional Development and Research Institute Pakistan (PDRI)

This article debates the need and importance of alternative education by comparing online and on-campus modes of learning. Focusing on the (PDRI) in Pakistan, which was shifted to online education during the pandemic, this research aims to determine the benefits and drawbacks of both methods. This research will further identify the role of AI in modern online education and the problems posed by the alternative methods. For extended access and flexibility in post-COVID Pakistan, e-learning has emerged as an important solution. It, however, comes with difficulties in technological participation barriers and quality assurance challenges. On-campus education offers face-to-face interaction and campus resources. This paper, therefore, argues for future research directions in the pursuit of hybrid models, addressing socio-cultural barriers by building digital literacy toward more inclusive education systems. These insights seek to enlighten stakeholders on how to establish an adaptable and resilient system of education for their digital future.

Sağlık Bilimleri Öğrencilerinin COVID-19 Pandemisi Sürecinde Uzaktan Eğitim Deneyimleri: Bir Anket Çalışması

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate distance education experience by health science students during COVID-19 pandemic in relation to sociodemographic factors. Methods: A total of 192 health science students having distance education during pandemic via a live lesson system were included in this questionnaire-based survey. The online questionnaire form elicited items on participant characteristics, and personal opinions and experience on distance education, which were evaluated overall and with respect to gender, university (state vs. foundation) and place of residence (urban vs. rural) subgroups. Results: Only 38.0% and 22.4% of students considered distance education to be sufficient for theory-based and practical-based courses, respectively. Distance education was considered less advantageous than on-campus education in terms of focusing the practical-based courses by 55.2% of students, and to be less effective in terms of gaining knowledge by 45.8%. Ability to record and later access to live lectures (61.5%, more commonly by males and for urban location) and pacing options (29.2%, more commonly by females and for rural location) were the most commonly reported advantages of distance education, while the most commonly reported disadvantages were technical problems (33.9%, more commonly for foundation universities and rural location), need for strong self-motivation/discipline (33.3%, more commonly for state universities and rural location) and lesser learning efficiency (29.2%, more commonly by females). Most of the students reported problems in regularly following the practical-based live courses (62.0%) and difficulties with following live courses due to limited personal access to a computer and the internet (82.8%). Distance education was considered less advantageous than on-campus education in terms of focusing the practical-based courses by 55.2% of students, and to be less effective in terms of gaining knowledge by 45.8%. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that distance education experience during the COVID-19 pandemic was considered not satisfactory, particularly for practical-based courses, by most health science students. Technical and infrastructural resources, the compatibility of content and learning materials with the purpose of the course and the teaching skills and compliance of the instructors were considered as the major challenges in distance education, while the ability to record and later access to live lectures and pacing options were the main advantages of distance education.

Unpacking “Double Reduction” Policy in China: Ideas, Values, and Practices

Abstract Reducing students’ homework burden is to improve the quality and efficiency of school education. The proposal of “double reduction” aims to call for education to return to the essence of educating people, respect the law of education and the law of talent growth, so that students can achieve personalized development while developing in an all-round way. The “double reduction” policy combines the dual value orientation of equitable pursuit and high-quality development. Reducing students’ homework burden and off-campus training burden is the path and basic goal of the “double reduction” policy. It will be a long and challenging process to promote the quality and efficiency of school education, standardize the ecology of off-campus education, and form an effective interaction between them, so that off-campus education can become a good supplement to on-campus education rather than a necessity.

Design and evaluation of a sustainable blended study programme in higher education

IntroductionBlended learning, i.e., a mix of online and in-class education, can be deployed for enhancing the educational quality and resilience in higher education (HE). It may also contribute to HE’s sustainability objectives by lowering the carbon emissions of students commuting to campus. In this study, pedagogical design principles for sustainable blended learning and teaching are developed and evaluated taking into account these opportunities.MethodsA prototype for a sustainable blended study program at a University of Applied Sciences was developed and evaluated using a form of Educational Design Research.ResultsThe design stage, carried out by a team of eight lecturers, resulted in a design based on six pedagogical design principles. This design also included an effort to reduce student travel by limiting on-campus education to two days a week. The results show the effects of students’ increased online learning skills and diminished travel movements on their satisfaction with the blended learning design, and their travel behaviour, which can lead towards an attitude change regarding commute and online learning. The lecturers’ observations and experiences, depending on their personal preferences, contradicted (self-regulation skills) as well as confirmed (online learning experiences) the students’ evaluations.DiscussionThe developed design principles are important to support a new balance between virtual and physical spaces, learning activities, moments in time and sustainability.

A comparative study for mental health challenges of students: Online versus on-campus education

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way instructors teach and students learn. Rather than receiving education face-to-face on-campus, remote online education emerged as an alternative solution. If implemented properly though, online education can have its positive impact on the teaching and learning processes. Online education, however, may have its deficiencies, especially in terms of mental health. This paper is a follow-on study comparing students’ perceptions towards remote online education versus their perceptions towards on-campus education as regards mental health specifically. Involving sixty-two engineering students at a private university in Dubai, where this study was implemented, the researchers utilized a questionnaire focusing on both online and on campus education models, which was conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown time and on-campus education following the lockdown period. Based on the study’s findings, most respondents were in favor of on-campus education, particularly in relation to its impact on student mental health.

How Does Online Education Compare to On-Campus with Respect to Skills Attainment Required for Employment in The Sphere of Business and Management of The Private and Public Sectors?

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to emphasize the requirement of online education as compared with on-campus education for employability skills attainment in the sphere of business and management of the private and public sectors. The increase in virtual education has provided the opportunity and impetus for the Guyanese government to invest in online education (Guyana Online Academy of Learning-GOAL) for the development of employability skills.
 Method: The use of secondary qualitative data from different articles and websites relevant to Guyana has been considered in this study in our data collection method. The data was analyzed using the content analysis technique.
 Findings: The study findings suggested that the increasing technological trend globally has provided significant attention to online learning. Many programs have been introduced, specifically to aim at increasing the technical skills of individuals. However, soft skills are of greater significance in today’s world. The focus on virtual learning environment resultantly has also increased with respect to soft skills in Guyana. Therefore, the analysis concluded that online education is also required along with on-campus education to increase the soft skills of the youths to make them more employable in the sphere of business and management of the private and public sectors.
 Recommendations: It is recommended that the Guyanese government increase its focus on soft skills development through both online and on-campus contexts. The universities are also advised to focus on soft skills education more through these settings.

The impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on students’ attainment, analysed by IRT modelling method

Universities around the world were closed for several months to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this crisis, a tremendous amount of effort was made to use online education to support the teaching and learning process. The COVID-19 pandemic gave us a profound insight into how online education can radically affect students and how students adapt to new challenges. The question is how switching to online education affected dropout? This study shows the results of a research project clarifying the impact of the transition to online courses on dropouts. The data analysed are from a large public university in Europe where online education was introduced in March 2020. This study compares the academic progress of students newly enroled in 2018 and 2019 using IRT modelling. The results show that (1) this period did not contribute significantly to the increase in dropout, and we managed to retain our students.(2) Subjects became more achievable during online education, and students with less ability were also able to pass their exams. (3) Students who participated in online education reported lower average grade points than those who participated in on-campus education. Consequently, on-campus students could win better scholarships because of better grades than students who participated in online education. Analysing students’ results could help (1) resolve management issues regarding scholarship problems and (2) administrators develop programmes to increase retention in online education.

Scaling-Up Social Learning in Small Groups with Robot Supported Collaborative Learning (RSCL): Effects of Learners’ Prior Experience in the Case Study of Planning Poker with the Robot NAO

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online learning in higher education, making the need to rethink pedagogical approaches to on-campus education stronger than ever before. While online learning offers a wide range of benefits for both teachers and students, social, face-to-face interaction provides a strong rationale for in-person education. This paper proposes a novel approach to enhancing in-person social learning experiences through robot-supported collaborative learning facilitated by a social robot NAO in the case study “Planning poker with NAO”, which is a collaborative game-based activity facilitated by the robot. The case study was designed to provide a scalable social learning experience in small groups of students. The evaluation results from a study with 46 university students who played Planning poker with NAO explore different quality aspects of the learning experience. The results indicate that students valued both the social learning experience and the robotic facilitator. The analysis revealed some significant differences among students with and without prior experience in interacting with NAO, suggesting directions for future research related to novelty and familiarisation effects as well as to scaling up of social learning in small groups by applying social robots.

Comparison of Physiotherapy Education on Course Basis in terms of Student Satisfaction During the Covid-19 Pandemic Period: Online, Hybrid, and On-Campus Education

In the study, aimed to compare three different education periods, On-Campus Education (2019), Hybrid Education (2020), and Online Education (2021), in terms of students' satisfaction within the scope of the courses offered in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation program. The dataset of study collected as a retrospective study from the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department in Health Sciences Faculty of Yeditepe University, Istanbul. The spring semester students of 2019, 2020, and 2021 (respectively, n=170; n=158; n=229) participated in the study. The assessment of students’ learning outcomes was obtained from questionnaires prepared by the research team. Answers are allowed upon a 6-point Likert scale (0:Strongly Disagree - 5:Strongly Agree). According to the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test results, in the Introduction to Physiotherapy Occupation, Hydrotherapy, Manipulative Therapy-II Functional Anatomy and Kinesiology-II, Neurologic Rehabilitation, Orthosis and Prosthesis Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy in Sport courses, statistically significant difference was found (respectively, p=0.005, p=0.001 p=0.009, p=0.001, p=0.018, p=0.001, p=0.001). According to the satisfaction of the Physiotherapy students at three-grade levels, the courses with high theoretical content may be given online. Therefore, the online system can be integrated into the physiotherapy education system, but it cannot replace campus education in practical courses.

Study-related wellbeing, behavior, and attitudes of university students in the Netherlands during emergency remote teaching in the context of COVID-19: A longitudinal study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency remote teaching was implemented at all conventional Dutch universities; however, the degree of limitations in on-campus teaching and learning varied during the pandemic dependent on the strictness of the measures. In the present study, it will be investigated how study-related experiences of university students changed in the face of varying limitations in on-campus teaching and learning. The study had a longitudinal natural experiment design with three points of measurement during the academic year 2020-2021: November-December 2020 (t1; campuses partially open), March 2021 (t2; campuses fully closed) and June-July 2021 (t3; campuses partially open). In total, 680 Dutch university students (65.9% female; age: M = 21 years, SD = 2.06) filled in online surveys measuring study-related wellbeing (academic burnout and study-engagement), study-related behavior (study effort), and study-related attitudes (education satisfaction, online self-efficacy, and attitudes toward online education). Overall, students reported moderate levels of academic burnout, study engagement, study effort, education satisfaction, and online self-efficacy; their attitudes toward online education were rather negative. Students' study-related wellbeing and education satisfaction decreased in the period when on-campus teaching and learning was impossible (t2) compared to periods in which on-campus teaching and learning was possible at a low level with several restrictions (t1 and t3). Students' attitudes toward online education and online self-efficacy slightly increased at the end of the academic year (t3); however, the attitudes toward online education remained negative. The findings indicate that students' academic burnout, study engagement, and education satisfaction varied over the course of the academic year in the context of changing limitations in on-campus teaching and learning. To facilitate positive study-related experiences, universities are advised to offer as much on-campus education as possible in times of pandemics.

IMPACT OF TEACHERS’ INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES ON STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ONLINE VS ON-CAMPUS LEARNING PROCESS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of teachers’ instructional practices on students’ engagement and academic self-efficacy in online versus on-campus classes at the university level. This study used a quantitative survey design. The target population for this study was students of higher education enrolled in universities in the year 2020-2022, meaning that these students have experienced both online and on-campus learning. Convenience sampling was adopted in this study. 285 higher education students took part in this study. The research instruments in this study included three scales: a self-developed questionnaire titled the Teachers’ Instructional Practices Scale, Student Engagement Scale, and the National Survey of Student Engagement and Academic Self-efficacy Scale. Validity was established through expert opinion, while pilot testing was conducted to establish the reliability of the instruments, which was found to be (.92). The results indicate a significant relationship between teachers’ instructional practices and student engagement and academic self-efficacy. The study also concluded that there was a significant difference between teachers’ instructional practices during online and on-campus learning. The study recommends that future research be conducted on a large scale to highlight the importance of blended learning in Pakistan. Keywords: Instructional Practices, Student Engagement, Academic Self-efficacy, Higher Education, Online Education, On-campus Education.

Enriching Traditional Higher STEM Education with Online Teaching and Learning Practices: Students’ Perspective

In this paper, we aim to identify online teaching and learning practices that would be beneficial for blended and traditional on-campus education within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses. Our university, as well as the majority of higher education institutions worldwide, has had few to no experience in delivering full online courses before 2020. The teaching process was, however, severely affected and modified by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing an abrupt and unprepared shift towards online education. In this work, we look at the pandemic as causing a very favorable side effect that forced the university to study, test, apply, and evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of online education and assessment methods. The study is a result of joint efforts from different departments at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, connected to STEM undergraduate and graduate programs and is based on a questionnaire targeted towards students. In total, 167 valid STEM students’ answers have been collected and analyzed, both quantitatively and qualitatively. As the result, the best teaching and learning practices are identified and the main difficulties and obstacles experienced by students are detected. Some of the problems are common to many higher education institutions, such as the lack of teacher preparation in delivering quality online synchronous and asynchronous classes, technical limitations (network bandwidth/weak equipment), ineffective communication during synchronous classes, gaps in student skills, and low activity of some students and even teachers. We believe that the presented results would allow for improving future on-campus, distance, and blended learning courses, particularly through avoiding less effective teaching and assessment methods and favoring those techniques that students consider more efficient. This ultimately would lead to a more rewarding teaching/learning experience.

Training Model for Professional Language Service Competence: A Case Study with Sports English Service Talents

Language service competence is central to language service and is the basis of professional language service talents training. Although the demand for professional language service talents increases dramatically in various fields in China, studies on professional language service competence have been quite limited, thus affecting the training and supply of professional language service talents. In view of this, this study first discusses the definition and componential contents of professional language service competence, and on that basis, takes Sports English service talents as an example to design a training model for professional language service competence. This training model, combining on-campus education and off-campus practice, can promote the development of professional language service competence in an efficient and holistic way. The training effect shows that the training model works well and the students who have received training can meet the demands of various language services in sports field. It is hoped that this study can provide some enlightenment for further research and training of professional language service competence.

Adoption of On-Campus Learning in Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: An Empirical Study on Private University Students of Bangladesh

Due to the rapid extension and adoption of technology, online education has become popular to continue studying during the COVID-19 pandemic period in the absence of physical classes. Educational institutions have started on-campus academic activities after recovering from the pandemic. Students are required to make them adapt again to the conventional on-campus layout having a long time gap. This study mainly attempted to detect the factors affecting the adoption of on-campus learning in the post-COVID-19 pandemic. The study considered 235 students as a sample from six private universities in Dhaka and Chittagong cities. Five points Likert scale type questionnaire was used to collect the opinion of the respondents. The study used a sophisticated method of statistics – Factor Analysis (Principal Component Analysis) using varimax rotation to analyze the collected data. The study revealed four components- physical fitness and awareness, physical learning environment, active participation, and solvency and commitment. The study recommends that proper vaccination, regularity and active participation, support from the university and teachers, cooperation from classmates, and safety measures can assist students in adjusting to on-campus education.

Social tie formation of COVID-19 students: evidence from a two-cohort longitudinal study.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent move of higher education to online courses has disrupted the learning paths of many students. Social network data were collected from two cohorts of students, those starting their higher education in normal conditions in 2017 and those starting in 2020 during the pandemic. The findings showed that students in the 2020 cohort reported making fewer connections at the beginning of the first semester and developed significantly fewer connections during the first semester. Female students lost the relative advantage they had compared with male students in developing new connections. Based on our findings, and because of the importance of social connections made during the first year of study, the 2020 cohort will need considerable support in catching up with previous cohorts. The findings provide strong support for the assumption that online studies offer limited possibilities in building social connections compared with on-campus education.

Using Critical Race Theory to Analyse Community Engagement Practice in a Graduate Social Work Course

Post-secondary institutions are increasingly encouraging partnership engagement with the community; however, community engagement from an academic perspective does not necessarily benefit the community. This is partially due to the power differential in this relationship and the emphasis on students’ learning at the community’s expense. The content of this article is drawn from experiences gleaned from 11 students of the “Perspectives with Diverse Communities” (institute component) course at Memorial University, Canada. Of the group, eight identified as cisgender, heterosexual, white females. The professor—a Black woman—and two students deviated from this in terms of gender identity, sexual orientation, and race. During a week of on-campus education, the students participated in community engagement activities prompted by the 2017 United States ban on immigration and refugees. Through a Critical Race Theory (CRT) lens, the students acknowledged their own identities as mostly white cisgender women, given the institutional racism surrounding them. As graduate students, they are taught self-reflexive practice, but question whether this is enough to effectively work with Black, Indigenous, and racialised groups. During the course institute, they steered towards a course of action that was familiar to them instead of developing deeper levels of understanding in working with Black, Indigenous, and racialised populations. This article details one aspect and the process of community engagement undertaken by the class and provides a critical reflection on how the students could have better engaged the community and challenged power dynamics and epistemology while using CRT.

Адаптация студентов-первокурсников с разной межполушарной организацией мозга к дистанционному обучению в вузе

The spread of the COVID-19 infection has posed new challenges to first-year students in terms of their adaptation to the learning conditions at universities, including those associated with distance education. The aim of this article was to analyse the adaptation of first-year students to distance learning at the university, depending on their individual typological organization of hemispheric asymmetry. Materials and methods. The research was performed in 2019–2020 and involved first-year students of Samara State Medical University. Their individual typological indicator of the psycho-emotional state was compared with various indicators of the psycho-emotional state in the activity-stereotypical and activitysituational conditions. The AC-5 Aktivatsiometr hardware and software complex was used. Results. Completely new data on the psycho-emotional sphere of students were revealed. In 2019, when firstyear students attended classes on campus during their adaptation period, the differences (upward or downward) of activity-stereotypical and activity-situational indicators from the individual typological indicator, albeit they pointed to non-optimal situational working state of the nervous system, were not critical. In 2020, all educational institutions, including medical universities, turned to distance learning. As a result, a significant number of subjects showed excessive deviations in the abovementioned indicators and strain on the adaptive potential, which indicates predominance of mental overexcitation in the course of repeated switching between distance and on-campus education during the semester. Adaptation against the background of such a psycho-emotional state significantly increases the likelihood of inadequate reactions in first-year students and causes nervousness in their relationships with peers and teachers, which, in turn, can pose serious obstacles to fulfilling their life potential during senior years. The physiological mechanisms outlined in the article will form the scientific basis for developing measures to reduce maladaptation among first-year students and choosing the optimal learning style, as well as for effective emotional regulation and self-regulation of medical students.

Transforming On-Campus Education: Promise and Peril Information Technology in Traditional Universities

The governing bodies of all European universities have identified opportunities that, in the mind of the friends of technology, take the form of Napster universities where students would download from a huge reservoir of courses created by a multitude of universities what suits them and be able to send questions to professors from anywhere in the world. In 1998, in the framework of a plan to support innovation in teaching, the Rector decided to promote the Campus Global project conceived, initially, as an intranet designed exclusively for teaching purposes, and which aimed at complementing and supporting on-campus teaching. In effect, the loss of identity of university teaching as opposed to that at the secondary level is the result of political, economic, social, and demographic factors that led to the 'schoolfication' of university teaching. Unlike the post-graduate level where individualized service to the student is characteristic and essential, the criterion for teaching at the undergraduate level is spreading a scarce resource - the teacher - over the maximum number of students, while setting limits on the effort the teacher must expend to protect the time devoted to research by expressing this in formal terms of number of hours lectured - or credits.

Research on Inheritance of Campus Education to Local Students Based on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Inner Mongolia Yurts

The study focuses on creative behaviour as a determinant in the social acceptance of students, cultural identity on students' learning performance, and the mediating effect of students' happiness with on-campus education. The constructivism idea was the foundation for the current study. To gather the data for the analysis, 380 students from different Chinese universities participated in an online and in-person survey. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) show that social acknowledgement improves student learning outcomes. The study's findings also revealed a link between cultural identification, social acceptance, student satisfaction, and academic achievement. Additional research can be carried out to keep the understanding of our model accurate. There was yet another drawback to using a quantitative, closed-ended questionnaire. The cross-sectional form of the study makes it challenging to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship. During class discussions and interactions with peers or teachers, students who collaborate to learn to create solid ideas and opinions. There are significant policy recommendations, requests for further research, and recommended theoretical and practical implications.

Academic Staff’s Perspective on Blended Learning Practices in Higher Education Post COVID-19: A Case Study of a Singaporean University

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 saw the rapid adoption of fully online higher education (HE) academic programmes across the world. With the likely post-pandemic return to on-campus education, online learning in some form is expected to continue. It is apparent also that globally, students’ mindsets about online learning have changed during the pandemic period. It is thus timely to investigate the potential of blended learning (BL), a hybrid form of online and faceto-face education, as a pedagogical approach for HE in the future worldwide. As academic staff are instrumental in implementing effective HE pedagogical approaches, this study explored the academic staff’s views and practices with BL. The study implemented the qualitative case study approach, and the in-depth interview method was applied with eight academic staff representing different departments in a Singaporean higher education institution. Thematic analysis on the qualitative data gathered in accordance with the study’s foci elicited inputs about the academic staff’s BL understandings, usage and impacts, as well as challenges and suggestions for enhancing BL in HE. The findings revealed the academic staff’s positive BL perceptions, sound understandings, and strong experience with various digital tools. From this sound foundation, the staff interviewees made suggestions for developing effective BL practices which apply for HE in the future. The study’s important implication is that the findings are relevant and valuable in the situation where, post the pandemic, HE adjusts for students return to campuses where BL is likely to replace the face-to-face education. Importantly, these suggestions form the elements of a BL ecosystem that includes policy, infrastructure, training and evaluation and demonstrates flexibility for the ecosystem’s application to both the Singaporean context and to effective HE BL design globally post the pandemic.