On-site Courses Research Articles

Online courses for adults: do they replace or supplement on-site courses?

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic led to a marked increase in the number of online courses in adult education. However, such courses are viewed ambivalently because, on one hand, they are associated with digitalisation processes and an increased accessibility, reach, and flexibility of learning opportunities, whereas, on the other hand, there are concerns about acceptance issues and participation barriers. Given this context, the present study examines whether new online courses for adults have supplemented or replaced existing on-site courses by conducting a program analysis of online courses at public adult education centres (Volkshochschulen, VHS) in Germany. VHS are the largest providers of adult education in the country. A comparison of programs from the years 2018, 2019 (pre-pandemic), and 2024 (post-pandemic) shows that most online courses supplement the existing program, and that the content of approximately every second online course can also be learned on-site at the educational centre. In contrast, 29 per cent of online courses have replaced an earlier on-site course. Hybrid courses, which enable both online and offline learning, are rare. Results are discussed along with their implications for adult education centres and adult learners.

The reality of online education at Tlemcen university during the Covid-19 Pandemic from the teachers' perspective

COVID-19 has impacted the educational field in so many ways and created many challenges for both learners and teachers. Consequently, Algerian universities have been compelled to switch to online education to cope with the current situation. Teachers started using a variety of strategies and also several platforms and tools like ICTs, tablets, smartphones, Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and Moodle, among others. This study aimed to shed light on the experience of some teachers at Tlemcen University the study will deal with the most significant changes in education triggered by the pandemic that will affect education even after COVID-19. An online questionnaire was distributed to 36 teachers at Tlemcen University. Most teachers complained that they had to combine online and onsite courses (hybrid teaching) as it was tiring, time, and energy-consuming Keywords: online education, Covid 19, platforms, strategies, internet

Mental health in the COVID-19 period: experiences of higher education students and teachers

Objective: to map the experience of the pandemic in relation to the mental health of teachers and students at UEMG- Divinópolis. Methods: It is a descriptive, quantitative and transversal study, carried out with professors and students linked to on-site courses offered by the State University of Minas Gerais – Divinópolis Unit. Conclusion: It is noted that the pandemic provided abundant changes within society, where individuals live in uncertainty about the future. Students and teachers demonstrate mental fatigue in the face of the new scenario, however, they managed to fit in with the online modality, having mostly positive the lived experience and without loss of academic performance.

Designing for digital transformation of residency education – a post-pandemic pedagogical response

BackgroundThe forced transition to emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted health professions education worldwide. In Sweden, the need for alternative solutions for the training of junior doctors became urgent, as many of the mandatory onsite courses required for residents to qualify as specialists were canceled. The purpose of this study was to understand course leaders' perceptions and experiences of using digital technologies, such as video conferencing, to teach medical residents (ST) during the pandemic and beyond.MethodsA qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with seven course leaders responsible for residency courses during the first year of the pandemic to capture their perceptions and experiences. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis, drawing on the technology affordances and constraints theory (TACT) as a framework to explore pedagogical strategies and new teaching practices emerging from the forced use of digital technologies for remote teaching.ResultsThe data analysis revealed affordances of, as well as constraints to, teaching specialist medical training during the pandemic. The findings show that the use of digital conference technologies for ERT can both enable and inhibit social interactions, the interactive learning environment and the utilization of technological features, depending on the individual course leaders’ goals of using the technology and the situated context of the teaching.ConclusionsThe study reflects the course leaders' pedagogical response to the pandemic, as remote teaching became the only way to provide residency education. Initially, the sudden shift was perceived as constraining, but over time they found new affordances through the enforced use of digital technology that helped them not only to cope with the transition but also to innovate their pedagogical methods. After a rapid, forced shift from on-site to digital courses, it is crucial to utilize experiences to create better preconditions for digital technology to facilitate learning in the future.

Evidence-based training and certification: the ERS thoracic ultrasound training programme.

Thoracic ultrasound has developed into an integral part of the respiratory physician's diagnostic and therapeutic toolbox, with high diagnostic accuracy for many diseases causing acute or chronic respiratory symptoms. However, it is vitally important that the operator has received the appropriate education and training to ensure a systematic and thorough examination, correct image interpretation, and that they then have the appropriate skills to integrate all the findings for patient benefit. In this review, we present the new European Respiratory Society thoracic ultrasound training programme, including a discussion of curriculum development, its implementation, and trainee evaluation. This programme enables participants to gain competence in thoracic ultrasound through structured, evidence-based training with robustly validated assessments and certification. The training programme consists of three components: an online, theoretical part (part 1), which is accessible all year; a practical course (part 2), with four courses held each year (two online courses and two on-site courses); and an examination (part 3) comprising an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), which is hosted each year at the European Respiratory Society Congress.

Performance and satisfaction during the E-learning transition in the COVID-19 pandemic among psychiatry course medical students

BackgroundIn the field of medical education, students faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Abrupt alterations were made in the form of preventative precautions. Virtual classes replaced onsite classes, clinical placements were canceled, and social distance interventions prevented face-to-face practical sessions. The present study aimed to assess students' performance and satisfaction before and after the transition of a psychiatry course from onsite to entirely online during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsA retrospective, non-clinical, and non-interventional comparative educational research study included all students registered in the psychiatric course for the academic year 2020 (pre-pandemic/onsite) and 2021 (during the pandemic/online).To assess students' satisfaction, we utilized the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) students' satisfaction survey used by the academic quality unit at KSU, College of Medicine.Satisfaction was assessed in six domains: course organization, learning resources, faculty experiences, clinical teaching, practical sessions, and overall satisfaction. The reliability of the questionnaire was measured using Cronbach's alpha test.To assess their performance, students’ grades from both periods were obtained from the exam center. ResultsA total of 193 medical students enrolled in the study; 80 received onsite learning and assessment, while another 113 received full online learning and assessment. The students' mean indicators of course satisfaction for the online courses exceeded their corresponding indicators significantly compared to the onsite courses. These indicators included students' satisfaction in terms of course organization, p < 0.001; medical learning resources, p < 0.050; faculty experience, p < 0.050; and overall course, p < 0.050. There were no significant differences regarding satisfaction in both practical sessions, p > 0.050, and clinical teaching, p > 0.050. The students' performance mean was significantly higher in the online (M = 91.76) compared to the onsite courses (M = 88.58) (p < 0.001), and the Cohen's D statistic showed there was a medium level of enhancement in students' overall grades (Cohen’s d = 0.41). ConclusionStudents perceived the switch to online delivery methods very favorably. Students’ satisfaction significantly improved regarding the themes of course organization, faculty experience, learning resources, and overall course satisfaction, while a similar level of adequate student satisfaction was maintained in terms of clinical teaching and practical sessions during the transition of the course to e-learning. In addition, the online course was associated with a trend toward higher students’ grades. However, the assessment of the achievement of course learning outcomes and the maintenance of this positive impact warrants further investigation.

Statistical Success: Three-Year Analysis of Student Performance and Student Insights from a First-Year College Statistics Course

This study included quantitative and qualitative analysis of three years of students in an introductory college-level statistics course. The quantitative analysis focused on what aspects might be relevant to student success. The instructor and the modality appear to be significantly related to student success. Somewhat surprisingly, fully onsite courses had a lower success rate than online or partially online courses. The qualitative analysis focused on the student comments on end of course surveys for the same three years. These comments were categorized based on topic and then rated from -3 reflecting a strong negative feeling, through to +3 indicating a strong positive feeling. These comments highlighted the importance students placed on live online lessons with the instructor. Students also appeared to take responsibility for their learning, noting the importance of their engagement to their success. This study provided unique insights to student success in an introductory college-level statistics course. Instructor and student engagement is key, along with opportunities for live connections.

Teaching Medical Microbiology With a Web-Based Course During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Before-and-After Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented hurdles on health care systems and medical faculties alike. Lecturers of practical courses at medical schools have been confronted with the challenge of transferring knowledge remotely. We sought to evaluate the effects of a web-based medical microbiology course on learning outcomes and student perceptions. During the summer term of 2020, medical students at Saarland University, Germany, participated in a web-based medical microbiology course. Teaching content comprised clinical scenarios, theoretical knowledge, and instructive videos on microbiological techniques. Test performance, failure rate, and student evaluations, which included open-response items, for the web-based course were compared to those of the on-site course from the summer term of 2019. Student performance was comparable between both the online-only group and the on-site comparator for both the written exam (n=100 and n=131, respectively; average grade: mean 7.6, SD 1.7 vs mean 7.3, SD 1.8; P=.20) and the oral exam (n=86 and n=139, respectively; average grade: mean 33.6, SD 4.9 vs mean 33.4, SD 4.8; P=.78). Failure rate did not significantly differ between the online-only group and the comparator group (2/84, 2.4% vs 4/120, 3.3%). While lecturer expertise was rated similarly as high by students in both groups (mean 1.47, SD 0.62 vs mean 1.27, SD 0.55; P=.08), students who took the web-based course provided lower scores for interdisciplinarity (mean 1.7, SD 0.73 vs mean 2.53, SD 1.19; P<.001), opportunities for interaction (mean 1.46, SD 0.67 vs mean 2.91, SD 1.03; P<.001), and the extent to which the educational objectives were defined (mean 1.61, SD 0.76 vs mean 3.41, SD 0.95; P<.001). Main critiques formulated within the open-response items concerned organizational deficits. Web-based courses in medical microbiology are a feasible teaching option, especially in the setting of a pandemic, leading to similar test performances in comparison to on-site courses. The lack of interaction and the sustainability of acquired manual skills warrant further research.

Experimental Conclusions of the Online Inter-University Creativity, Responsibility, and Entrepreneurship Course Implementation

The implementation experiences of a new asynchronous online inter-university creativity course-titled “Creativity, responsibility, and entrepreneurship” will be presented through the lens of the course designer. Aside from introducing the identified challenges of how the regular on-site courses can be adjusted to the needs of remote education, with the aim to reach a high completion rate, the main focus remains the introduction of the different level abilities of the students in relation to social responsibility. The unique patterns of positioning the course among its internal and external competitors are created from the combination of theoretical and methodological approaches while also considering the special attitudes of the prospective Eastern European entrepreneur and social responsibility as a distinctive character. Since there was no evidence from the students on how positive social impact as a value in entrepreneurship can be ensured through online courses, the analysis of this potential effect could rely on multiple data sources from a questionnaire, answers to a quiz, and targeted analysis of the final assignments. The aim to improve new iterations call for qualitative data collection. The experimental consequences can guide the prospective course designer through the most important steps of establishing a new online course that leverages the uncommon approach that social responsibility can be an unmissable factor in the competition.

Mnemonics and Metaphorical Videos for Teaching/Learning Musculoskeletal Sonoanatomy.

Musculoskeletal ultrasonography, despite various advantages, is a user-dependent modality. There are several approaches to facilitate the learning process of novice sonographers, for example, on-site courses, textbooks, and online lectures. However, the need for specific (sono)anatomy knowledge can be an obstacle, particularly in the beginning. With the aim of helping novice sonographers understand and retain topographic (sono)anatomy, we have prepared this article that follows a modern approach to teaching known as "entertainment education." It consists of images, schematic drawings, and multimedia videos that provide a simple, visual explanation accompanied by auditory content.

Moving intensive onsite courses online: responding to COVID-19 educational disruption

From February 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to closures of educational institutions to reduce the spread of infectious disease. This forced the U.S. education system into a massive experiment with online education. Despite conducting online bioethics education for nearly twenty years, our bioethics program, a joint endeavor of Clarkson University and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, was not immune to this disruption because our curriculum features intensive, one-week onsite courses. Even in the face of historic disruptions, it is vital to ensure minimal interruptions to teaching and assessing students to provide effective education. This paper reviews the steps we took to successfully convert the onsite components of our curriculum to a synchronous online format, and it focuses on how we preserved instruction and assessment of practical skills that comprise these courses’ core. It also explains how we fostered interactive classroom environments.

Revisiting The Flipped Classroom: Lessons Learned

During the pandemic when all the on‐site courses turned into remote instruction, adaptation to virtual learning was inevitable and designs, such as online flipped classrooms, were developed. This design allowed for student integration while minimizing educational gaps. A year later, we returned to on‐site delivery and another adaptation curve is occurring in reverse. For students that have not experienced on‐site instruction during their first year in a professional academic program, the flipped design allowed them to maintain some virtual features while integrating the on‐site experience gradually, in a hybrid format. However, the impact of this reverse transition in student engagement and academic performance needs to be assessed. It seems a unique opportunity to evaluate the different tools (eg. videos, tables, cases, etc) utilized during the transition to virtual learning and back to on‐site instruction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a flipped classroom design on student engagement and academic achievement when returning to on‐site instruction. Two student cohorts enrolled in 2 consecutive academic years in a Systemic Pathology course in Optometry were compared: 1) online flipped instruction (n= 66), 2) on‐site flipped instruction (n= 62). In the online cohort, students were asked to first watch the shortened recorded lectures, complete a short quiz and an assignment before the synchronous session. During the synchronous session they worked in groups on selected cases via an online platform and then discussed with the rest of the class. The cases were based on the topics addressed in the recorded lectures. For the on‐site cohort, the short quiz was moved to the on‐site class time and a short on‐site mini‐review was also incorporated. In addition, the online cohort was asked to complete a questionnaire with a 40.9% completion rate, while the on‐site cohort was asked to complete a different questionnaire with a 98% completion rate. Student academic achievement was assessed in both cohorts with several quizzes and two exams. Student engagement was addressed in the questionnaires. We found that the on‐site cohort obtained higher scores when compared to the online cohort in exams 1 and 2 (84.98 ± 9.72 vs 78.72 ± 9.71 and 82.23 ± 9.66 vs 75.85 ± 11.86, p&lt;0.001 respectively) but similar scores in quiz average (78.37 ± 1.83 vs 78.48 ± 10.42). The questionnaire was modified from one cohort to the next to include task completion and perception of which tools had a greater impact in their learning experience. The answers to these questions indicated that 73.3% of on‐site students completed pre‐class assignments, watched the videos and read the handouts. Students found the tools offered useful for their learning. However, their responses varied greatly and there was no consensus as to which tool/assignment/activity had the greatest impact. In conclusion, the impact of flipped classroom design in student academic performance and perception varied when it was offered either exclusively online or with a traditional on‐site component. Although the on‐site design showed a more positive impact on student engagement and academic achievement, other factors may have contributed to these differences.

Automated Code Assessment for Education: Review, Classification and Perspectives on Techniques and Tools

Automatically assessing code for learning purposes is a challenging goal to achieve. On-site courses and online ones developed for distance learning both require automated ways to grade learners’ programs to be able to scale and manage a large public with a limited teaching staff. This paper reviews recent automated code assessment systems. It proposes a systematic review of the possible analyses they can perform with the associated techniques, the kinds of produced feedback and the ways they are integrated in the learning process. It then discusses the key challenges for the development of new automated code assessment systems and the interaction with human grading. In conclusion, the paper draws several recommendations for new research directions and for possible improvements for automatic code assessment.

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLAN AS A WEB SALES LEVEL

Being in a digital environment is challenging for a company in several aspects. It will be necessary to adapt its operational structure, reorganize its way of thinking, adjust the organizational culture, involve its employees in this way of acting, be up to the competitiveness of its competitors and, above all, be connected to its consumers. This means showing them that the company is aligned with the digital and “proving” that it works in this environment, offering good experiences in this relationship. In this sense, it is necessary to plan to be in the digital environment, get into digital marketing practices and understand the results it can bring. The study addresses the situation of a large company, which dominates the market in matters of customer service and experience, and which migrated on-site courses to a digital platform, but did not develop a strategic plan for dissemination and sale. The diagnostic analysis method was used, through qualitative research, from the observation and collection of internal data from the company and records of use by consumers of social networks taken into account - Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, in order to verify profile and behavior of accesses. The work contributes to the use of digital channels for the use of products and services in the Internet environment. The methodology used was qualitative analysis based on diagnostic analysis to obtain general knowledge about the proposed study, thus the general profile of the challenge situation improving specific actions.

ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING BETWEEN TEMPORARY SOLUTION AND FUTURE NECESSITY

The Covid-19 pandemic pushed the limits and limitations of all educational systems, teachers and students around the world. The solution adopted – distance, online teaching, learning and assessment – has proven to be of a longer duration than initially anticipated, to the frustration of students, parents, and teachers alike. Nonetheless, following a careful analysis of these processes over the last (two) semesters, surprising findings point out to the fact that the digital experience has brought forth, at least at the higher-education level, substantial positive outcomes that cannot be neglected. It has strengthened the digital skills that both students and teachers will need in a technology dominated future and has made the actors of the educational process aware of the constant need for an innovative look and creative approach toward sharing and assimilating the impressive amount of knowledge existent nowadays. The present article aims at discovering both the strengths and the weaknesses, the motivational factors and the technical difficulties that have characterized the recent online educational process; it also inquires to what extent this type of learning will be an integral part of our daily lives in the academia, once the on-site courses will be resumed.

Reinstating a national simulation programme in anaesthesiology during the coronavirus pandemic

BackgroundWith the introduction of strict public health measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have had to change how we deliver simulation training. In order to reinstate the College of...

Educating PhD Students in Research Integrity in Europe.

No university or research institution is immune to research misconduct or the more widespread problem of questionable research practices. To strengthen integrity in research, universities worldwide have developed education in research integrity. However, little is known about education in research integrity for PhD students in European research-intensive universities. We conducted a content analysis of didactic materials of 11 of the 23 members of the League of European Research Universities (LERU) to map out the content, format, frequency, duration, timing, and compulsory status of their training programmes and the characteristics of instructors of the onsite courses. Quantitative results revealed substantial variation in educational materials among the studied institutions. This variation might be because European research universities are free to design curricula without any requirements from the European, national, or institutional public funding channels. Given the challenges inherent to modern science and preventing misconduct, research institutions should empower future generations of researchers to engage in responsible research practices. To promote integrity in research among PhD students, we provide a set of recommendations for university-wide education in research integrity for doctoral trainees based on our investigation of educational resources.

Radiology Medical Student Education 2020: Surveys of the Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology and Medical Students

Rationale and ObjectivesThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in significant changes to medical student education by disrupting clinical rotations, licensing exams, and residency applications. To evaluate the pandemic's impact and required modifications of radiology medical student courses, the authors developed and administered surveys to Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology (AMSER) faculty and enrolled medical students. The surveys requested feedback and insight about respondents’ experiences and innovations.Materials and MethodsAnonymous twenty-question and seventeen-question surveys about the pandemic's impact on medical student education were distributed via email to AMSER members and medical students. The surveys consisted of multiple choice, ranking, Likert scale, and open-ended questions. Differences in the Likert score agreement was performed using one-sided Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests. Survey data were collected using SurveyMonkey (San Mateo, California). This study was IRB exempt.ResultsThe AMSER survey indicated 96% of institutions cancelled medical student courses and 92% resumed with virtual courses, typically general radiology. A total of 64% of faculty enjoyed online teaching, although 82% preferred on-site courses. A total of 62% of students felt an online radiology course was an excellent alternative to an on-site rotation, although 27% disagreed. A total of 69% of students who completed both on-site and online courses preferred the on-site format. Survey-reported innovations and free response comments have been collated as educational resources.ConclusionFaculty were able to adapt radiology courses to the online environment utilizing interactive lectures, self-directed learning, flipped classroom sessions, and virtual readouts, which were effective for student respondents. Hybrid rotations with on-site and online elements may offer the best of both worlds.

A Pedagogical Model to Scale Up Effective Teacher Professional Development – Findings from The Teacher Academy Initiative of the European Commission

Teachers continue to experience change in education policy, societal trends, and cultural shifts in pedagogical thought, which all require a continual adaptation and innovation of their own practice. Effective support and opportunities for teachers to develop and apply their competences is crucial for maintaining both motivation and high standards in the school education profession. However, many teachers across Europe claim to struggle to have access to effective forms of Continued Professional Development (CPD) coupled with the numerous demands already made on their work. Onsite (face to face) courses with opportunities for peer learning remain popular but are not time or financially cost-effective in reaching a large number of teachers. By exploring the pedagogical model of the online courses of the European Commission’s ‘Teacher Academy’, this article discusses how an effective, collaborative approach to online CPD can be developed as a way of addressing both teacher and school education system needs.

Disasters in Japan: LIASE-Funded On-site Experiential Learning Courses Exploring the Science, Social Impact, and Culture of Disaster

This article describes two interdisciplinary summer experiential learning courses focused on disasters in Japan, both partially funded through LIASE (Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment). The first course was titled “Seismic Japan” and was centered on earthquakes through Japan’s history culminating in the 2011 disaster. The second, “Meltdowns and Waves,” was a comparative look at the Three-Mile Island meltdown incident, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Hurricane Sandy, and the 2011 tsunami. Both courses provided a unique interdisciplinary learning experience for our students, one that explored the science behind earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear accidents as well as the impacts of these disasters on Japanese society and culture.