Online Teaching Skills Research Articles

K-12 Special Education Accessibility and Instructional Quality Related to the COVID-19 Shift to Online Instruction

ABSTRACT The shift to online teaching dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic was disruptive to all levels of education. Research has shown that access to online instruction was particularly challenging for K-12 students with disabilities and that their teachers were not well-prepared to provide instruction online. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the relationships between special education teacher characteristics and the switch to online instruction related to the COVID-19 pandemic as predictors of quality of instruction, and also to explore how the switch to online instruction was related to teacher and student access to the content and other relevant resources. Using a mixed methods online survey that incorporated a retrospective pretest approach for quantitative data collection, data from 293 special education teachers were used to examine these relationships. Regarding quality of instruction, paired samples t-tests yielded a large and significant drop in Engagement, a smaller drop in Action and Expression, and a small but significant increase in Representation. Teacher experience was significantly and positively correlated with student access to technology. Teachers described poor institutional support for the transition to online instruction and also reported problems with accessibility for their students. Only 22 of the 293 participants reported any prior experience with online teaching. Future research should include development of teacher preparation that includes training in improving Engagement as well as practice with online teaching skills and resources.

Navigating the Online Classroom: Developing Online Teaching Skills in Graduate Public Health & Health Professions Education

The absence of targeted online teaching development opportunities in graduate education may hamper faculty readiness to ensure engagement, learning, and student success in the online learning environment. Faculty are often hired for their subject matter expertise rather than their proficiency in teaching online. Student and faculty success in the online environment requires foundational teaching knowledge and an understanding of the differences between traditional and online teaching. A 4-week asynchronous course was designed to mirror a real-world online course aimed at educating educators. The course consisted of foundational learning theories and practices, curriculum and course design, engagement and presence, and course delivery methods. The course was offered 10 times over 3 years and completed by 258 public health and health profession faculty, teaching and postdoctoral staff, and doctoral students. End-of-course evaluations indicated that participants found it valuable to be in an online course in the student role and felt more prepared to teach online. The teaching online professional development course has highlighted the importance of new or continuing faculty development in asynchronous learning.

Framework for Implementing e-Portfolio Assessment to Improve Student Habits of Mind and Mastery of Chemistry Studies Concepts

The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the need for improving teachers’ online teaching skills. One skill was using electronic portfolio assessment. Electronic portfolio assessment as an alternative assessment does not only focus on cognitive aspects but also is in line with the regulations of the Ministry of Education regarding the assessment of learning outcomes that focus not only on cognitive aspects but also on aspects of skills and attitudes. This study aimed to develop a framework for electronic portfolio assessment to improve students’ habits of mind and mastery of chemical studies concepts. We conducted a literature review to identify, categorize, synthesize and develop a framwork. This offers chemistry teachers a model for systematically designing and implementing an electronic portfolio of assessments and provides them with the instruments to conduct further research on assessment techniques. This framework guides chemistry teachers through important technical decisions, such as setting goals, identifying clear goals and establishing meaningful criteria for electronic portfolio assessment. Other issues discussed include defining the content of the electronic portfolio, managing the electronic portfolio, and monitoring and evaluating processes.
 Keywords: electronic portfolio assessment, habits, chemical concepts

An Examination of Chinese Physical Education Teachers’ Teaching Efficacy and Technology Self-Efficacy at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The aim of this study was to examine teaching and technology status of physical education (PE) teachers under the ongoing influence of COVID-19. A total of 1,005 in-service PE teachers completed the Physical Education Teaching Efficacy Scale (PETES) and Educator Technology Self-Efficacy Survey (ETS-ES) electronically to measure current teaching efficacy and perceived technology self-efficacy. The findings revealed that the teachers’ overall PE teaching efficacy level was high (8.08 ± 1.27) whereas, technological self-efficacy was at a moderate level (3.45 ± 0.44). Meanwhile, Efficacy for Using Technology significantly and positively predicted Technology Self-Efficacy ( p < .001). In conclusion, Chinese in-service PE teachers in primary and secondary schools exhibited a high level of competence in PE teaching. However, their proficiency in utilizing technology for educational purposes needed improvement. While these educators possessed fundamental online teaching skills, they often encountered challenges in adapting to technology-enhanced teaching methods. Education and training institutions should improve their existing curriculum, and schools need to continue to develop and train in-service teachers.

ПРОФІЛІ ФІЛІППІНСЬКИХ УЧИТЕЛІВ ТА ЇХ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ ПІД ЧАС ВИКЛАДАННЯ ОНЛАЙН В УМОВАХ ПАНДЕМІЇ

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to online teaching, revealing gaps in educators' essential online skills. In response to this global shift, Filipino educators encountered challenges adapting to the demands of online instruction. This study delves into the profiles of 259 teachers in the Philippines, spanning both basic and higher education, to assess their online teaching competencies during the pandemic. Specifically, this paper examines the respondent's internet usage, social media ownership, and social technographic profiles. Secondly, the paper assesses and measures teachers' competencies in online teaching. Lastly, the study explores significant relationships and differences between the profiles and the competencies. Results show that 47.49% of respondents reported moderate ease in internet connectivity. While all respondents had Facebook accounts, only 11.97% actively used Twitter. A significant portion, constituting 60% of teachers, identified as "social media joiners," indicating active engagement on various platforms. The study reveals a moderate level of proficiency in online teaching skills among surveyed teachers. The result reveals that teachers' sex, civil status, internet satisfaction, and the social technographic profile demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with their online teaching competencies. Sex, civil status, teaching category, and highest educational attainment displayed substantial differences in online teaching competencies. The presence or absence of Facebook (FB) and Twitter accounts, internet satisfaction, and social and technological engagement showed notable differences in online teaching competencies. In conclusion, this research provides insights into the current landscape of online teaching proficiency among Filipino educators, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. The novelty of this paper lies in its comprehensive analysis of the correlation between educators' demographic profiles, social-technologic ladder, and online teaching competencies in the Philippine context. The results underscore the significance of sustained efforts in professional development to augment teachers' abilities, ultimately enriching the online learning experience for students.

Factors affecting medical students’ satisfaction with online learning: a regression analysis of a survey

BackgroundMedical education requires the implementation of different teaching methods and strategies for future doctors to achieve broad learning objectives. This wide range of methods and strategies includes the use of Information Technologies. For a long time, there was a call for a change in medical education for blending new teaching approaches to lessen medical students’ class time. The COVID-19 pandemic then sped up the transition to the new way of medical education and classroom lectures were quickly moved to a virtual environment. We expect that these changes will continue, and online learning will be one of the main teaching strategies in medical education. Therefore, educational experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic will improve our understanding of online learning and will help to develop blended medical school curricula in the future. For this reason, we aimed to determine students’ overall satisfaction with their online learning experience and to define the main factors affecting students’ satisfaction with their online learning program at Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty.MethodsA cross-sectional survey study was conducted to determine medical students’ overall satisfaction with online learning methods and to identify factors associated with positive and negative satisfaction levels. A questionnaire, consisting of 24 questions to collect demographic characteristics, factors associated with online education experience and overall satisfaction levels was developed and distributed to 1600 medical students. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with positive and negative satisfaction levels.ResultsRegression analysis showed that being familiar with online teaching techniques (β = 0.19, 95% CI [0.07, 0.30], faculty members’ higher online teaching skill levels (β = 0.42, 95% CI [0.32, 0.51], interactive online teaching approaches (β = 0.54, 95% CI [0.41, 0.67], having a personal workspace (β = 0.43, 95% CI [0.19, 0.67], and a self-reported longer attention span (β = 0.75, 95% CI [0.57, 0.92] were associated with higher overall satisfaction with online learning. The occurrence of technical problems (β = -0.19, 95% CI [-0.26, -0.12] was associated with lower overall satisfaction.ConclusionsHigher online teaching skills of faculty members, use of interactive approaches, students’ familiarity with online teaching techniques, provision of a personal workspace, and self-reported longer attention spans positively contributed to higher levels of student satisfaction with online learning. Considering the increasing significance of online educational methods, our study identified key components that affect students’ level of satisfaction. This information might contribute to the development of online educational programs in the future.

Faculty Need Assessment For Online Teaching Skill in Local Medical And Dental Institutes

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the expertise of educators at Rashid Latif Medical and Dental College in an effort to maximize the potential of online learning and aimed to identify the gaps, highlighting areas that needed improvement and open the door for specialized training and support with an emphasis on teaching, learning, and evaluation apps. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Rashid Latif Medical and Dental College faculty members were gathered using a cross-sectional quantitative approach and circulating e questionnaire to gather information on demographics, proficiency with educational apps, and satisfaction with IT department services. The gathered data was examined using descriptive statistics, such as, frequency, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Results: The response rate from faculty members was 63%, with a total of 79 participants included in the study. The results indicated variations in techsavviness among participants, with some apps being less familiar to faculty members. Google Forms emerged as the most widely app. Gender and age-related differences were observed in techsavviness levels, with women generally exhibiting better levels of tech expertise. Faculty felt the need to improve IT related services and organizing tech workshops relevant to teaching. Conclusion: This study unlocks valuable insights into faculty members' proficiency in using online teaching, learning, and assessment apps in education. The results emphasize the need for targeted training to enhance faculty members' online teaching skills. Institutions can utilize these findings to allocate resources for faculty development to improve medical education

Digital Teacher Education for a Better Future: Recommendations for Teacher Preparation for an Online Environment

In light of current or future pandemics, natural disasters, war, or personal preferences, remote or online learning is becoming increasingly common. This reality means that teachers need to be equipped with the skills necessary to effectively teach online. In this paper the authors highlight the importance of preparing teachers with effective online teaching skills and knowledge, and suggest two areas for improvement: (1) research support for scholars to build a knowledge base to better understand effective online teaching, and (2) changes to teacher preparation programs to better equip teachers for this changing reality. Before presenting these recommendations, a brief discussion of the state of K-12 online learning globally, as well as the limitations of existing teacher education, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic is provided.

Perceptions of K-12 English Language Teachers on an Online In-Service Training Program

This research was conducted in collaboration with the US Embassy Education Department located in Ankara and the Local Directorate of National Education (DoNE). The study aimed at designing an online in-service training program based on the needs and expectations of K-12 English language teachers; and to identify their perceptions regarding the online in-service-training program to make implications for the design of future online in-service programs. A needs analysis survey was conducted, resulting in an online program which included topic areas, such as use of technology, engagement of students in online classes, effective teaching and assessment of speaking and writing skills, use of drama techniques, professional development, the profile of next generation learners, as well as pedagogical approaches. The focus group meetings with the participant teachers at the end of the program revealed that the teachers in the study benefited from the online program in terms of improving their overall online teaching and assessment skills, contributing to their professional development, and improving their own language proficiency levels.

Evaluating the Proficiency of Science Educators in Developing and Executing Online Instruction: A Case Study of Secondary Schools in Uganda

This research delved into the assessment of the proficiency of science educators in formulating and executing online lessons within secondary schools in Uganda. Employing a quantitative methodology with a cross-sectional survey design, the study developed a questionnaire to evaluate the online teaching competencies of secondary school science teachers. The questionnaire was disseminated electronically, resulting in 50 respondents within a one-month timeframe. Data analysis encompassed the use of descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The research findings disclosed that while science teachers exhibited competence in online teaching, course design, digital communication, and basic computer skills, they displayed some limitations in advanced computer skills and the utilization of Learning Management Systems. Furthermore, the study identified factors such as school location and the academic qualifications of teachers as overarching influences on the competency of science teachers in designing and implementing online lessons. In light of these findings, the study recommends the organization of professional development courses to enhance teachers' readiness for conducting online classes. Additionally, it underscores the importance of electrifying and equipping schools, especially those in rural areas, with the requisite infrastructure and resources. Keywords: science, teachers, competency, designing, implementing, online lessons

Effects of E-Learning on Colleges of Education Tutors: A Case Study on Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education and Mccoy College of Education

E-Learning is an electronic technology to access any educational format curriculum in Ghana or any part of the world outside of a physical or traditional classroom. Official Public Service Announcement on Coronavirus from the World Health Organization (WHO) has led to the improvement of our educational system in the whole wide world and Ghana as a country. In an attempt to contain and control the spread of the virus, the President instituted social distancing protocols and directed the closure of schools on the 16th of March 2020. To ensure the continuity of teaching and learning, the president of the Republic of Ghana directed the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Communication to ensure that they roll out distance and remote learning programmes for all students. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of e-learning on the Colleges of Education Tutors using the Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya and Mccoy College of Education as case studies. A total of 100 tutors were recruited for the study. The study found that the time allocated for eLearning is not enough, the nature of accessible programming for students’ learning is not effective and there is no enough demonstration during e-lessons. Also, the study revealed that the course contents are based on the outline provided. The study also revealed that, to solve the challenges, ensuring a friendly user interface will help solve the challenges in e-learning, and tutors may start using e-learning with the assistance of their associates. Also, ICT courses should be made compulsory for tutors to undertake them. The study concludes among others that the time allocated for eLearning is not enough due to the demand of the course outline. The study therefore recommends among others that there is the need for innovative teaching strategies, course design specific to online education, and the development of good online teaching skills by tutors and these are significant components of quality and effective online education.

Virtual teaching abroad during initial teacher education: pre-service teachers’ professional learning

ABSTRACT In-person teaching abroad experiences, where pre-service teachers spend a defined period teaching in schools in a foreign country, have received considerable research attention in recent years. However, virtual alternatives have yet to be explored. This exploratory study sought to understand the effects a virtual teaching abroad experience had on pre-service teachers’ professional learning. Data included teaching logs and reflective writings of two groups of pre-service teachers from Hong Kong who participated in a virtual teaching abroad experience hosted by a university in the United Kingdom and interviews with their course coordinators. The findings suggest that the PSTs found the virtual teaching abroad experience novel and unique, contributing to professional learning. Specifically, the experience (a) increased the PSTs’ confidence and flexibility; (b) improved their synchronous online teaching skills; (c) gave them greater awareness of learner differences and needs; and (d) exposed them to innovative pedagogical approaches. The study suggests that virtual teaching abroad experiences could have a place within initial teacher education, especially as the financial costs associated with them are lower than in-person experiences. However, they do not seem adequate to replace a sustained period immersed in an overseas school context.

Resilient Pedagogy: Experiences of Kinesiology Faculty during COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic required a rapid shift to emergency remote teaching. Despite the limited previous experience of kinesiology faculty with online or hybrid teaching, our sample (N = 112) had high confidence in their ability to deliver quality educational experiences for their students during the pandemic. Confidence was not linked to having taught online previously or years teaching in higher education. With support from their institutions, technology departments, and teaching and learning centers, faculty developed new skills and organizational strategies. To achieve this, 81% of faculty reported needing extra course preparation time to deliver high-quality remote teaching, with only 19% reporting no extra time and 51% needing up to 5 extra hours per week per course. About one-third of faculty are excited about the prospect of teaching online in the future. These newfound online teaching skills can be leveraged to modernize course offerings in kinesiology departments, supporting student recruitment, retention, and success.

The gap between teachers' English proficiency, necessity and online learning skills in the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between teachers’ perceived necessity and their online learning skills during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. It focuses on four key elements of online course design: course communication, resource authenticity, time management and technical skills.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative survey was used to collect data from 39 teachers using the Survey Monkey application and manual returns. The data was collected through five Likert- scale questionnaires.
 Finding: The findings showed a significant discrepancy between teachers' perceived necessity and their actual online learning skills. The mean score for teachers' perceived necessity for online learning was at the highest level while their actual skills were at the lowest. A positive correlation between English proficiency and teachers' online learning skills was found. Further analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between English proficiency and teachers' online learning skills.
 Conclusion: Teachers perceived the necessity for online learning skills as crucial as their actual skills were found to be limited or low during the pandemic. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that English proficiency skills positively impact teachers’ online learning skills.
 Research Limitations: It is recommended to carry out a more extensive investigation involving a larger population to obtain generalizable results.
 Practical Implication: The result indicates that teacher training in online learning skills is crucial in preparation for the future. The study informs the policymaker to consider further emergency situations related to the full online learning policy.
 Contribution to Literature: This study highlights the importance of English proficiency in the development of online teaching skills.

Experiences of Preservice Teachers on Online-Based Microteachings: New Insights for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Programs

Practicing online teaching activities has been favored quite some time, and it continues to gain popularity with the evolving technology as well as global dynamics (as COVID). Online-Based Microteachings (OBM), in this sense, can enforce preservice teachers to practice digitally-saturated new, possibly an ongoing, set of skills that will contribute to their teaching behaviors in future. Leaning on this idea this paper outlines the experiences of preservice teachers on online teaching activities that are inspired by microteaching strategy, which may initiate a discussion point for teacher trainers and trainees to practice more online-saturated teaching activities that can be developed as online-based microteachings in initial teacher education (ITE) programs. Doing so, the study was built upon case study design including 50 (32 females, 18 males) participants of preservice teachers from different fields. Findings indicate that preservice teachers had many new experiences that may reinforce their existing and future teaching skills as well as many challenges that resulted from digital-based drawbacks. The documented experiences can be used as evidences for international researchers and teacher educators to empower preservice teachers’ online teaching skills because apparently, they had real challenges to design and practice online teaching activities in this local-context. Implications of the study suggest that ITE programs may need additional contents in which necessary online pedagogy and skills are harmonized to enable preservice teachers to be much more-ready for future circumstances and to be familiar with online teaching qualifications.

Opinion of Engineering Students on the Use of Live Online Lectures after the Pandemic

The first outbreak of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019 and the disease took the shape of a pandemic in the next few months. Universities around the world imported lessons to their student mostly in online mode in 2020 and 2021. Thirty-five undergraduate computer science students were interviewed about their experience of attending online lectures during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative analysis of their responses revealed that 43% of them felt that they can learn equally well from online and offline lectures, 49% felt that online lectures provide them flexibility which in turn helps them to perform better in academics and 54% felt that professors have improved their online teaching skills since the beginning of the pandemic. Further, a qualitative analysis revealed that students appreciate online lectures for allowing them to access ebooks and digital resources while attending lectures, and making it easier to study topics that require a lot of visualization and ask queries to professors. Consequently, 77% students said that a combination of online and offline lectures may be used in the future with students being allowed to choose how they learn. Alternatively, only online lectures may be scheduled on some days of the week so that students need not travel to the campus on those days. Keywords—COVID-19 pandemic, online lecture, flexible learning, professor-student interaction, content delivery.

The readiness of prospective teachers based on online teaching competencies and learning activities in COVID-19 pandemic: A cluster analysis-based approach

Many things should be done to prepare prospective teachers for providing qualified teachers. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing teachers, including prospective teachers, to improve competency and online teaching activities. This quantitative research aims to map the readiness of prospective-teacher students of Office Administration (OA) Department related to online learning by measuring their teaching competencies and learning activities. These two variables are considered capable of measuring online teaching readiness. The research sample is 72 students. The data were collected using a questionnaire distributed via a Google Form and analyzed using K-Means with SPSS 24.0 software. The results showed that the number of clusters at low readiness level was 11 students (10 female and one male) or 15%, the number of clusters at moderate readiness level was 38 students (32 female and six male) or 53%, and the number of clusters at moderate level high readiness was 23 students (18 female and five male) or 32%. These findings show that the OA Department’s prospective teachers still need to be provided with online teaching materials or skills, considering that only 32% of respondents have a high level of readiness for online learning. The community is the indicator that needs improvement for OA Department prospective teachers’ readiness. It can be pursued by forming the latest and most trusted community.

온라인 기초조형 교육 서비스의 가능성에 관한 기초 연구

Due to the unprecedented pandemic, contactless service has become common in society, and preference is also generally increasing. As the point of digital transformation is taking place in earnest, it is necessary to develop an appropriate direction that meets the demand of the times in Art and Design education services. Especially, establishing online teaching skills for practical subjects such as drawing, 2D, and 3D is necessary. This is because practical training is significant, but an online learning environment is not stable these days. Many kinds of research are ongoing to find effective ways for online art and design learning systems beyond distance constraints but have not been settled yet. Accordingly, this study researched the current environment of art and design education services with online and state guidelines on the basis of online practice.

Similar Impact, Different Readiness: A Comparative Study of the Impact of COVID-19 on ECTE Practice

COVID-19 lockdowns forced universities to deliver classes wholly online, resulting in various impacts on higher teacher education institutions (TEIs) that were differently prepared for such a change. However, few studies have explored the impact of the pandemic on the shift of early childhood teacher education programs to online delivery, especially from a cross-national comparative perspective. To address this gap, this study compared how early childhood teacher educators (ECTEs) in one Australian and one Chinese TEI viewed and coped with the challenges caused by online teaching during the lockdowns. A total of 14 ECTEs participated in this triangulated qualitative study: six from the Australian TEI and eight from the Chinese TEI. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the research data. The results indicated that the Australian ECTEs were better prepared for online education than their Chinese counterparts regarding proficiency and advance in using online teaching platforms, trying different kinds of teaching styles, and their online teaching skills, literacy, and competence. However, the coded data showed that the participant Australian and Chinese ECTEs shared similar views on the negative impact of the change, such as producing ineffective interaction, broken social-emotional connections, heavier workloads, and drained staff. The findings suggest that TEIs from Australia and China need to develop contextually appropriate strategies and innovative solutions to cope with the lockdown challenges.

The Process of Developing a Digital Repository for Online Teaching Using Design-Based Research.

The Purdue Repository for Online Teaching and Learning (PoRTAL) was developed as an Open Educational Resource (OER) for graduate students and faculty in higher education settings to enhance their online teaching skills and strategies. The PoRTAL team used a design-based research approach (DBR; Wang & Hannafin, Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 5–23, 2005). In this study context, we used Van Tiem et al.’s (2012) model to identify problems faced by instructors who struggled with or were new to online teaching from a Human Performance Technology (HPT) standpoint. To address the identified needs, we created resources for online teaching and embedded our research within practical activities to further study our design process. Our efforts resulted in an HPT-OER Model for Designing Digital Repositories. The purpose of this paper is to share the DBR process that we used to develop an OER repository within an HPT model.