Online Modality Research Articles

Blended online courses: students’ learning experiences and engaging instructional strategies

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital shift in higher education and forced university faculty to transform their courses into a blended or online modality to comply with current public health measures. Many instructors have implemented blended online courses, which combine synchronous and asynchronous online teaching and learning activities. The purpose of this study is to document university students’ learning experiences in blended online courses during the pandemic, and to identify instructional strategies to support student engagement in these courses. It adopts a mixed-methods research strategy in which data were collected through questionnaires from students who took a blended online course in the summer semester of 2020, in a variety of disciplines and academic cycles at four Quebec universities (n = 482). Following the analysis of student responses to open-ended questions, five recurring themes were identified: the enhancement of student-student interactions, the dynamism of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, the structured presentation of the course, the explanations and feedback from instructors, and the accessibility and involvement of instructors. For each theme, suggestions from student feedback are provided to facilitate student engagement in blended online courses.

Exploring the Pre-Service Teachers Experiences in Practice Teaching During Pandemic

The education system had shifted from face-to-face to online modality as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift in the educational paradigm also affected pre-service teachers in the delivery of their practice teaching. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of pre-service teachers in their practice teaching. Data were gathered from four student teachers during the focus group discussion using open-ended semi-structured questions. The gathered data were transcribed and analyzed using active analysis. Three themes were developed in the study; 1) Problems encountered by student teachers during practice teaching, 2) Actions taken to solve problems encountered, and 3) Reflections based on their practice teaching experiences. It is noted that the guidance of their respective cooperating teachers is necessary to bridge the gap between the expectations of the practice teachers and practice teaching as preparation for a real-world teaching career. Moreover, it necessitates support from the administration to amplify the results of pre-service students’ experiences. It is recommended the conduct exit assessments among the pre-service teachers on their experiences to further enhance programs to create more meaningful practice teaching experiences among future pre-service teachers. Keywords: Phenomenology, Practice Teaching, Pre-service Teachers, Philippines

Multimodal teaching methods for students in dentistry: a replacement for traditional teaching or a valuable addition? A three-year prospective cohort study

BackgroundThis student-centred prospective cohort study evaluated the impact of multimodal teaching methods on student performance in the theoretical domain of dental studies.MethodsDental students answered anonymous questionnaires indicating their preferences and opinions three times over three consecutive academic years. Data collected included gender, course, year of study and most frequent and preferred learning modality. Survey responses from Google Forms were analysed with SPSS 20.0 software (IBM Company, Chicago, IL, USA). Scale responses were tested with the Mann-Whitney U test against gender, program and year of study. Grades obtained from structured examinations held in the third academic year were analysed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test according to the teaching method employed. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.ResultsThe response rate was high (> 80%) throughout the study. Acceptance of online modalities increased over time (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.001) and 75% of students requested that online teaching modalities be maintained. Significant differences in gender, program of study, year of study and discipline taught were observed (Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.05). Females differed from males by favouring online modalities and face-to-face lectures, respectively, and clinical year students opted to retain pre-recorded online lectures. Recorded lectures resulted better for teaching core knowledge (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, p = 0.034), while face-to-face lectures were better for teaching applied knowledge (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, p = 0.043). Student responses to open-ended questions identified the need for a blended approach with in-person lecturing as an opportunity to socialise and avoid mental health issues. Although preferences varied, students showed a willingness to influence their learning and changes in curriculum, a predilection for self-directed learning and the need for freedom in engaging with resources and content.ConclusionsIn the context of this study, online teaching modalities resulted in comparable examination performance and improved student satisfaction. This highlights the need for a blended approach to teaching.

Research in a Closed Political Context, COVID, and Across Languages: Methodological Lessons, Messages, and Ideas

This study offers a number of contemporary qualitative and mixed methods research lessons regarding cross-language research and research in closed social and political contexts such as post-Soviet countries, especially how such research may be adapted to disruptions like those posed by the COVID pandemic or other disasters. The lessons draw from a study of policy learning among government officials in Kazakhstan which illustrated several methodological strengths and weaknesses and generated a number of methodological recommendations. In particular, while the literature on best practices for research in closed contexts emphasizes deep interactions to develop trust, the COVID pandemic and other disruptions may force researchers to transition to online modalities and constrain options. We suggest strategies to overcome these limitations, including supplementing findings from interviews with content analysis or other multimethod approaches. Additionally, we argue that researchers in post-Soviet and post-colonial contexts must be particularly attuned to the challenges of cross-language research and the combination of local languages with the language of the colonial power. These lessons hold relevance for researchers working in a variety of contexts as they conduct research during times of disasters and geopolitical instability.

Supportive interventions for carers of men with prostate cancer: systematic review and narrative synthesis

PurposeThe objective of this study was to summarise the literature on current interventions available for carers of men with prostate cancer and analyse the outcomes of these interventions in supporting...

Measuring the performance of higher education among state universities and colleges in SOX Region, Philippines

As state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Philippines are confronted by tough competition for limited resources, and to show to government legislators that subsidy on tertiary education meaningfully produces significant returns; thus, they are pressed to undertake continuous improvement for optimum performance. Practically, measuring the performance of SUCs is essential to identify critical issues, make informed decisions, and enhance higher education policies. In this descriptive-evaluative study, the institutional performance was measured using the Fiscal Year 2016 SUC levelling instrument of department of budget management (DBM) and the commission on higher education (CHED), covering four key result areas (KRA): i) Relevance and quality of teaching; ii) Research productivity, iii) Community engagement; and iv) Resources management. Respondents included 217 faculty members and 24 deans from the four SUCs in SOX Region, Philippines. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics was used in the data analysis. Results indicated that the SUCs fared randomly in the leveling scheme. SUC-Y got excellent performance, while SUC-X tailed at a very satisfactory rating in all areas. Statistical tests showed that SUC-Y was relatively superior to the other SUCs. Moreover, the performance of SUC-W and Z were comparable and found as the lowest in the group. The major issues and challenges affecting institutional performance include multi-tasking or designation of faculty to administrative positions, inadequate laboratory facilities, and limited online modality for laboratory subjects.

Attitudes of Mental Health Professionals towards Telepsychology during the Pandemic: A Pilot Study.

This pilot study investigated mental health professionals' attitudes towards remote psychological consultations and internet-based interventions. An online survey in Italian and English was administered to a sample of 191 psychologists and psychotherapists to collect detailed information about their professional experience providing online psychological interventions a year and a half after the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The results did not reveal a statistically significant association between the participants' theoretical approaches and the number of patients treated via the online modality. Overall, most of the participants found advantages to the online setting but also noted critical issues regarding privacy and the ease of integrating new technology into their clinical practice. According to the participants, despite the challenges that must be addressed, telehealth is a viable psychological therapeutic option that is destined to grow in importance in the near future.

Characteristics of women attending a phase 3 cardiovascular rehabilitation program: is there a need for a more tailored intervention?

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the main reason for mortality in women, however there are well identified discrepancies between men and women attending cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) programs. Men are usually more referred and have higher adherence to CR programs than women. Understanding the characteristics of women attending long-term CR programs might be useful to better adapt and motivate future women with CVD to adhere in a higher scale. Purpose To describe characteristics of women with CVD attending a long-term phase III CR program and to compare with men the attendance rates and chosen exercise modality preferences. Methods Patients with CVD in a phase III long-term CR program were screened for the following assessments: 1) cardiorespiratory fitness through cardiopulmonary exercise testing; 2) body mass index (BMI); 3) physical activity (accelerometery); 4) social, demographic variables (questionnaires); 5) attendance rates (sessions attended/sessions planned) and dropout. When admitted, CVD patients chose to attend either the supervised exercise phase III CR sessions in a face-to-face model or an online model, and if they wanted to attend 2x or 3x/week. Chi-square and independent-samples Mann-Whitney U test was used. Results From the 206 CVD patients assessed, 19.9% were women (n=41, mean age 61 ± 11 years, 70.7% coronary artery disease, 53.7% married, 73.2% higher education, 43.9% retired, 39% working full time). From the 41 women screened, 39 enrolled the CR program and 17.9% dropped out before 12 months of program completion (4 women dropped before 6 month of program completion). The main reason of dropout was due to work/CR sessions conciliation. When asked to select the exercise modality, 56.4% chose the 3x/week face-to-face model, 28.2% the 2x/week face-to-face model and 15.4% the online model. When compared to men, women tend to choose the online modality and the 2x/week face-to-face model more than men (x2= 9.298; df=2; p=0.010). Regarding baseline assessments, 63.4% of women completed the assessment for cardiorespiratory fitness (VO²peak=17.11 ± 3.71 ml/kg/min), 80.5% for BMI (29.17 ± 5.58 kg/m²) and 78% for physical activity (38.55 ± 23.88 min/day of moderate to vigorous physical activity). When comparing attendance at 6 months, women have significantly lower attendance rates than men (56.87 ± 2.86% vs 70.24 ± 1.63%, p=0.001). Conclusion The low sample of women, compared to men, in this CR program, their characteristics, types of session modalities chosen, and lower attendance rates suggests that changes in long-term phase III CR programs are needed to tackle this disparity. Individualized and personalized strategies should be created targeting this population according to their needs, motivations and characteristics. A women-tailored phase III long-term CR program, with different session modalities and schedules, might be the future path to undertake.

Bilingual subtitling in streaming media

Abstract This article explores bilingual subtitling, a relatively under-researched mode of audiovisual translation, and its role in the ever-evolving landscape of global media streaming. Originally used for cinema productions in officially bilingual countries and international film festivals, bilingual subtitling has now resurfaced as a response to the growing affordances of streaming media. This article investigates the proliferation of bilingual subtitling tools and practices in different contexts, from PC-based tools and Chrome extensions that add bilingual subtitle features to streaming platforms (Netflix, YouTube) to amateur (optionally bilingual) subtitling streaming services (Viki Rakuten), video sharing websites (Bilibili), and online channels with open bilingual subtitles embedded in their videos (Easy Languages). Bilingual subtitling is further promoted as a pedagogical tool for foreign-language learning that matches the expectations of contemporary learners, especially ‘digital natives’ who have grown up with new online modalities. The conventional ways in which audiences used to engage with audiovisual content have, arguably, been superseded as streaming platforms that offer an abundance of options in terms of language and content are gradually reshaping viewing patterns. Shifting away from long-established patterns of passive TV consumption, this article also sets out to present online collaborations and initiatives that seek to incorporate bilingual subtitles in language learning while promoting the active participation of the audience within the emerging media streaming landscape.

Bibliometric analysis on neuroscience, artificial intelligence and robotics studies: emphasis on disruptive technologies in education

This study examined the scientific literature related to the impact of disruptive technologies in education, with emphasis on neuroscience, artificial intelligence and robotics applied to student learning. Bibliometric tools were used to identify the most cited publications, top journals and influential authors. The findings evidenced a steady growth in scientific production on the topic since 2010, with an increasing focus on distance education, personalized learning, and teacher training. The most prominent journals included the Journal of Educational Technology, International Journal of Robotics in Education, Frontiers in Psychology, and Computers &amp; Education. Recurring themes covered the impact of artificial intelligence on education, the use of robotics in the classroom, and the incorporation of educational technologies into the curriculum. As for the literature in Spanish, considerable scientific production was observed, with journals such as Educación a Distancia, Investigación en Educación and Revista de Educación standing out. The most reiterated themes in this literature dealt with the use of virtual environments in distance learning, the impact of ICTs in education and the design of MOOCs in higher education. This study highlighted a growing concern for the use of disruptive technologies in education, as well as the need to explore their possibilities and limitations. It confirmed a remarkable increase in the scientific literature on the subject in the last decade, focusing on artificial intelligence, robotics and neuroscience applied to education. In addition, a significant scientific production in Spanish was identified, addressing topics on the impact of ICT in education and emerging techno-pedagogical educational models in the online modality

Knots and Bolts of Online Teaching Internship amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

. The use of an online learning modality during the COVID-19 pandemic has become widespread. This paper aimed to ascertain the “knots and bolts” of teaching internship, utilizing both the quantitative and qualitative methods of research. With the eighteen (18) student interns of the Cebu Normal University academic year 2020-2021, a survey was employed to gather data on the influence of their personal, family, and academic backgrounds on the areas of lesson planning, teaching modality, communication skills and classroom management. In addition, an unstructured interview was conducted to solicit their experiences. Results revealed that among the factors of influence, the school background engendered the “knots” or greatest motivating influence on their online student internship. On the other hand, the online modality with intermittent connectivity issues as well as the young learners’ behaviors has proved to be the greatest challenge, namely the “bolts”. The teaching interns’ sustaining powers were rooted in their belief in the Supreme Being, self-confidence, and the encouragement of significant others. It was therefore concluded that online student internship during the pandemic was both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunities may be enhanced and the challenges may be examined by allowing the teacher education institutions to repackage the teaching internship programs’ teaching and learning modalities.

The Role of Intrinsic Motivation in German Language Learning

The purpose of learning any language derives from the necessities and what is wanted of the language. Self-Determination Theory has been a discussed topic to address the learning purpose. The motivational orientation that German learners can take to direct their learning is vital to identify if intrinsic motivation takes place on it. This project is directed as a case study. The mediation of the case study is through an inquiry tool. A written interview is applied in an online modality to collect and discuss the results. In this study is found that the effects that two German learners had during their language learning process were significant to the main reason why they started studying the language. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the different types of intrinsic motivation with the presence of different motivational orientations lead learners to achieve a similar positive effect in their learning that helped learners to maintain it.

Evaluation of the impact of online education on the health-related quality of life of medical students in Lebanon

IntroductionOne of the adopted measures during the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in education is the online modality, which can impact students' quality of Life (QoL) and their academic performance. MethodsThis cross-sectional study aims to assess the impact of online education on health-related QoL in a sample of 401 medical students. ResultsMost students attended all the online sessions, and around 32% participated in some of them. Only 16.2% reported high satisfaction from the online sessions, and almost 39% reported low satisfaction. Overall, medical students had moderate QoL. Online education affected medical students psychologically more than physically, translated by higher scores for the physical components than the mental ones. Students who preferred online over in-person education had significantly lower scores for the mental domains, namely lower social functioning and emotional role scores. Academic satisfaction did not influence any SF-36 scores, and students’ preferences (online or in-person education) did not affect any of the physical component scores. ConclusionThe pandemic directly impacted the QoL of medical students, namely their mental health. Medical students in Lebanon had a higher preference for in-person education, possibly due to its novelty and to other technological, technical, or personal challenges. Future research exploring the reasons and viable solutions should be performed to maintain a steady level of education during unanticipated situations.

Assessment and Evaluation of Emergency Remote Teaching for a Project-Based Assignment on the Production of Eco-Innovative Food Products – A Case Study

Institutions of Higher Education (HEIs) faced great challenges, due to the COVID- crisis, on swiftly dealing with this unprecedented situation regarding the implementation of practical courses and interactive educational activities such as project-based courses. The aim of this work is to analyze the challenges and difficulties that arose through this process and the benefits that have emerged for both students and educators. For this reason, questionnaires were designed to study the pedagogical practices used for a project-based course, during the pandemic, and were distributed online to all students and supervisors enrolled in the course. The course entailed the design of an innovative food product, from the interactive analysis of different novel ideas to the production of a final product of high nutritional and ecological profile. Despite the concern that the enforcement of distance learning would significantly affect project-based courses, the majority of respondents confirmed that their institution adapted the curriculum successfully. They also declared satisfaction with the general format, and teaching procedures adopted, and agreed that the online modality can properly transmit educational content. Although, both faculty and students needed to adapt to the distance learning modality and become familiar with the use of new digital tools, they agreed that it can be very useful and provide benefits, when properly planned in advance and accompanied by the right technical support, equipment and class materials.

College students’ self-regulation in asynchronous online courses during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, courses in higher education have increasingly been delivered via asynchronous online modalities. Although such modalities may allow instructors and students greater flexibility in how they engage with their courses, they increase the self-regulatory challenges learners experience. Students may feel less capable of regulating their learning in web-based modalities, which may increase procrastination and lower academic performance. Alternatively, students who procrastinate in their asynchronous courses may become convinced that they lack the self-regulatory skills needed to succeed. Little research has examined these relationships. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine these self-regulatory processes, the challenges students experience in asynchronous classes, and possible effects on academic performance. Undergraduate students (N = 1,216) attending a public U.S. university responded to closed – and open-ended survey items in Fall 2020. A cross-lagged panel model revealed the interdependency of self-efficacy for self-regulation and academic procrastination, and their relationship with course performance. Findings suggest that students’ beliefs in their self-regulatory capabilities and their procrastination behaviors are related to each other and jointly contribute to course performance. Students described time management difficulties as the most challenging aspect of asynchronous online learning. Integration of quantitative and qualitative data revealed several unique challenges experienced by students who had relatively higher or lower self-efficacy and procrastination. Overall, this study suggests implications for the timely support of college students’ self-regulation in asynchronous online learning courses during and after COVID-19.

The impact of school-based social media and online technology on oral health education for individuals with disability.

To evaluate the impact of school-based online communication methods on the oral health-related behavirs of individuals with disability. A prospective interventional study was conducted on 154 students (age 3-22 years) with various disabilities attending educational centers. A clinical examination was carried out before and after a school-based online educational program. Online in-person sessions were held for the participants, and educational videos were shared with parents and teachers over social media. The clinical examination included the Special Olympics HAS form, (1) Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) (2) and the Modified Frankl Behavior Index. (3) Dietary and oral hygiene habits were collected via parent-administered questionnaires. Improvements in behavior in a dental setting (p<.001), oral hygiene levels (p<.001) and dietary choices (p<.001) were observed throughout the study. Oral health education online modalities can be used effectively by dental professionals to educate individuals with disabilities and their carers regularly, thus helping improve oral health and rapport with dental professionals.

From Onsite to Online: Perspectives on Preservice Teachers’ Instructional Engagement

The abrupt transition from onsite to online learning modality has presented educational institutions with both challenges and opportunities. As institutions are slowly moving towards the now normal (post-pandemic), it is vital to reflect on effective online teaching and learning experiences, as these add to the new repertoire of practice, especially for teacher education institutions. The study employed a descriptive quantitative research design utilizing a validated survey questionnaire as the main data-gathering tool. The results of the study reveal that preservice teachers have high instructional engagement with technology and with course content, but the online modality has somehow limited their instructional engagement with instructors and classmates. Furthermore, the results reveal relevant insights on how teachers can maximize technological opportunities while maintaining human connections to enable more engaging online classroom experiences between teachers and students. Universities can therefore continue to actively provide relevant technical and educational training. This is important to accommodate in person, online, and hybrid educational modalities.

THE NEEDS OF ACTIVE LEARNING AND HIGH-IMPACT EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES IN ONLINE PROGRAMS

Adult learners take online courses or programs because of the convenience, cost-saving, flexible schedule, and work-life-school balance. In the United States, student enrollment in online education has proliferated in the past few decades. The online modality of providing education has become a crucial part of higher education. Online courses are in high demand. However, due to adult learners' characteristics and work-life situations, the course design and facilitation in online education can only partially replicate directly from the traditional classroom setting. Owing to high attrition rates in online classrooms, institutions and educators must carefully design or redesign courses relevant to the competitive job market demands. The need for contemporary instructional designs focusing on student-centered education is essential. Supported by comprehensive research studies, active learning, and high-impact educational practices have helped learners develop critical competencies and skills required by employers. Moreover, adopting appropriate pedagogical practices is necessary for better student engagement, academic performance, and retention rate.&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-/soc/0028/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Complex motivations of Japanese medical students to an online medical English course during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: In response to globalism, many East-Asian countries now include a Medical English course in their undergraduate medical education syllabus. Traditional didactic educational culture is a potential barrier for teaching and learning medical English in East-Asian countries. Online technology-based learning has been recognized as an effective instructional strategy for teaching medical English in the East. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the related attribute factors of students' motivation to learn medical English through an online modality. Methods: Of 134 eligible fourth-year medical students who participated in an online medical English course at a Japanese medical school, 105 were enrolled in this single cohort study. The participants completed pre- and post-course surveys regarding their motivation during the course, including perceived academic control and task value, and their assignment scores. A structural equation model was used to examine the hypothesized relationship of constructs, based on control-value theory. Results: The model showed a good fit for the data (χ 2[df=7] = 1.821, p=0.969, CFI = 1.000, RMSEA &lt; 0.001, SRMR &lt; 0.05, GFI = 0.993, AGFI = 0.980). The latent variables of the perceived course achievement related to the observed variables of academic control and task value scale scores, and negatively predicted willingness for self-study after course completion. In addition, the preference of English as the course language negatively predicted willingness for self-study of medical English. Conclusion: Choice of English as the language of instruction and perceived high course achievement negatively predicted students’ motivation for further English self-study after the class. The importance of incorporating the perspective of lifelong learning into the teaching of medical English was recognized.

CHALLENGES, TEACHING METHODS AND METHODS OF ASSESSMENT IN ONLINE MODALITY: A CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE AND CORRELATIONAL STUDY

This study aims to determine the cause of the differences on the challenges, teaching methods, and methods of assessment of teachers in online modality, and to establish the relationship among these three variables. It made use of the causal-comparative and correlational research designs. It included as respondents fifty college teachers of Notre Dame of Midsayap College who were variably apportioned among its seven colleges. The respondents were 22-70 years old, composite of males and females; mostly married; and predominantly teaching major courses. All of them were using laptops; mostly were using smartphones, majority were using router/pocket Wi-Fi and camera, several were using desktops; a few of them were using iPad/tablet; and a minority of them were using noise-canceling headsets. The top challenges they experienced in online modality were instruction, assessment and economic related. The primary teaching methods they employed were lecture, demonstration, and discussion. The main methods of assessment they used was the subjective type, and mainly addressed the cognitive domain of learning. There is no significant difference on the challenges, teaching methods, and methods of assessment of respondents when they are grouped according to sex. There is a weak direct relationship between challenges and teaching methods and a very weak positive relationship between challenges and methods of assessment. In both cases, however, the relationships were not significant. There is a moderately strong positive relationship between teaching methods and methods of assessment, and that relationship is highly significant.&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-/soc/0037/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;