Virtual Class Research Articles

Learning EFL Listening and Speaking Skills via Blackboard: Students’ Attitudes, Challenges, and Assessment

Online learning can be considered an important means of education during emergencies. However, educational institutions, including students and teachers, need to have enough preparation, as a result, many issues, such as challenges, the effectiveness of assessment methods, and attitudes toward learning online, have emerged. This study describes the reality of using the Blackboard platform to learn EFL listening and speaking skills from a student perspective. It examines students’ experiences and attitudes in learning EFL listening and speaking skills via Blackboard. Also, it reflects students’ views on the acquired EFL listening and speaking skills, challenges of learning via Blackboard, and the effectiveness of assessment methods. The study followed the descriptive-diagnostic approach to achieve its objectives. The results showed that students highly valued the Blackboard platform to learn listening and speaking skills. Also, they liked to be assessed using the online assessment methods. In addition, students’ most technical problems were recorded during exams and virtual classes due to poor Internet. Furthermore, they improved their learning of listening and speaking skills via Blackboard.

Integrating technologies, active methodologies, and curriculum: promoting interactivity in the teaching-learning process

This study, based on a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), sought to understand how the fusion of emerging technologies, active learning methodologies, and curriculum could optimize education. The analysis of a successful practice by a history teacher, who used Virtual Reality to engage his students in the construction of historical knowledge, was one of the highlights. The strategy of integrating innovative technologies and active learning methodologies proved promising for improving education, especially when aligned with student-centered and interdisciplinary curricula. The pandemic highlighted the flexibility of teaching, with practices such as interactive virtual classes and virtual reality simulations keeping education active in remote environments. Interactivity is crucial in the teaching-learning process, as it stimulates student engagement and broadens the understanding of concepts. In the face of constant global changes, students need to be equipped with adaptable skills and critical thinking. Therefore, the intersection between technologies, active methodologies, and curriculum creates fertile ground for a more engaging and effective education. The continuous exploration and application of these approaches will significantly contribute to the creation of an enriching and effective teaching environment.

HIGHER EDUCATION AND MOBILITY

The purpose of the article is to determine the impact of technology and innovation on the opportunities for international learning and cooperation in higher education and mobility based on a survey and questionnaire. Methods: the experiment was carried out in stages, using a combined approach with the use of various methods of data collection and analysis. The participants of the study are 120 students of higher education institutions represented by different specialities and levels of education (bachelor, master, postgraduate). The scientific novelty of the work is determined by a comprehensive analysis of the impact of technology and innovation on the opportunities for international learning and cooperation in higher education and mobility of modern students. The study for the first time uses a combined approach, combining different methods of data collection and analysis, and covers a variety of mobility programmes and their popularity among students. The findings indicate that digital technologies have become an integral part of academic mobility, and their use helps students to maximise their time and conveniently interact with international partners. The study also revealed differences in the popularity of different mobility programmes and pointed to factors that may influence their attractiveness for students. The findings of the study indicate that technology greatly facilitates the process of academic mobility of students. They include virtual classes, distance learning, virtual exchanges, and other innovative approaches. These technologies help students to effectively find and choose international study opportunities, interact with partners, and receive information about study opportunities.

Does Student Engagement Impact Learning Differently in Face-to-Face and Virtual Accounting Classes?

ABSTRACT This paper investigates how student engagement impacts learning in face-to-face and virtual classes. Our setting is an introductory financial accounting course taught by three instructors face-to-face in fall 2019 and virtually in fall 2021. Our proxy for student engagement is the accuracy of responses to in-class group polling questions. We measure learning using final exam scores. We hypothesize and find that higher levels of student engagement resulted in better scores on the final exam in both the face-to-face and virtual classes but that over the course of the semester engagement declined faster in the virtual classes than in the face-to-face classes. We also find that the decline in engagement contributed to lower final exam scores in the virtual classes relative to the face-to-face classes. Taken together, these findings highlight some of the challenges faced by educators when delivering content virtually. Data Availability: Data are available from the authors upon request.

Professional and personal traits of the teacher and the relationship with didactic strategies

<span lang="EN-US">During the context of virtual classes due to the pandemic, it was evidenced that many teachers had to face accelerated adaptation stages, which is why teachers presented difficulties in designing their teaching strategies and students showed certain difficulties in their learning. In this sense, this article aims to determine how the professional and personal traits of the teacher are related to their teaching strategies, in the context of COVID-19, from the perspective of the students. For which an investigation was developed with a quantitative approach, correlational level and non-experimental design. It was determined that there is a moderate direct relationship between the professional and personal traits of the teacher with his didactic strategies in the context of virtual teaching. Thus, it was also identified that teachers do not pour their professional experiences into the development of the subject, additionally it does not favor the solution of problems related to real life applications; this leads teacher to reflect on the importance of the construction of student knowledge, especially if it is about subjects that are taught in the last cycles, since the student is waiting for how and in which processes their knowledge will be applied theoretical knowledge.</span>

Artificial intelligence in biology and learning biology: A literature review

Artificial Intelligence (AI) had been developed in various fields of human life. The use of AI brought the world towards a digital transformation that had not been imagined before. One form of AI development in the fields of biology and biology education brought the development of science in both fields far beyond expectations. The use of AI in the fields of biology and biology education had utilized many new methods and discoveries that are beneficial to humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the application of AI in biology and biology learning. The literature review method was used to analyze and synthesize research results from a new perspective. The results of the analysis of various pieces of our literature found various uses of AI. In the field of biology, including AI in the field of biology used for biological data analysis, genetic data analysis, investigation of complex biological phenomena (synthetic biology and system biology), bioinformatics, disease detection, and diagnosis. AI had been utilized in various fields of biological sciences such as medical, agriculture, animal husbandry, and industry for product development and automation in the production process utilizing IoT. There were 24 types of AI utilization in education, especially biology learning, which can be grouped into six groups: personalized and tutoring learning (teaching assistance/tutor), evaluation and assessment, teaching media, enriching learning, virtual classes, and learning aids.

Automatic Mobile Learning System for the Constant Preparation of the Student Community

Introduction: the events that occurred with the pandemic caused a drastic change in all activities with direct contact due to the high risk of contagion, with educational centers being affected by the closure measures and the imposition of virtual classes to continue with student preparation, leading many students to see the need to have a computer to take their classes, eventually showing boredom due to the lack of desire to be in front of a computer, This to a certain extent weakens their interest in learning and affects their learning because mobile devices have become more important due to the various applications that provide students with information. For this reason, we propose mobile learning that allows students to have more information, as well as interaction with different students so that they have the opportunity to learn on a constant basis.Objective: the objective is to create an automatic mobile learning system for the constant preparation of the student community.Method: a methodology based on a client-server model to take advantage of the various educational resources accompanied by the good support it provides the subjects for students with the interaction of a mobile application.Results: through the operation of the system, it was visualized that the tests carried out with the students were presented with an efficiency of 96,70 %,Conclusions: this system presents a high efficiency that allows to reinforce the subjects that need more prominence in the student's learning and progress of level through the teacher's evaluations

OPTIMALISASI KELAS IBU HAMIL MENGGUNAKAN APLIKASI GEMBIL MENUJU IBU HAMIL SEHAT

Sunyaragi is one of the community health centers that has quite a large number of pregnant women and already has classes for pregnant women, but they are not yet running regularly. Community Health Center also has not utilized virtual classes for pregnant women, even though all pregnant women have joined the WhatsApp group. The GEMBIL application (pregnant mother game) is an interesting, fun and educational information technology media innovation that can be used as media in pregnant mother classes. The GEMBIL application consists of 3 parts. GEMBIL 1 contains about pregnancy, GEMBIL 2 contains about childbirth and postpartum and GEMBIL 3 contains about newborn babies. This application was created in collaboration with IT (information and technology) experts in 2022. This community service activity is a follow-up to research activities carried out in 2022. The aim is to increase pregnant women's knowledge about care during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. The method used is through online classes for pregnant women using the GEMBIL application, held in 3 meetings with a total of 10 pregnant women. Evaluation was carried out using pretest and posttest questionnaires. The results of the analysis using the dependent T test show a p value of 0.00, meaning that the use of the GEMBIL application has an effect on increasing pregnant women's knowledge about pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and newborn care. This application is effectively used as an alternative for holding virtual classes for pregnant women.

Switching to virtual classes: exploring teacher readiness under the ‘new normal’

ABSTRACT The recent global pandemic necessitated a shift which compelled educators to embrace online modalities. The authors examined the preparedness of teachers for this transition in three key domains: material readiness, home environment readiness and psychological disposition readiness. Survey data, gathered from 219 Filipino educators via an online questionnaire, revealed noteworthy insights. Most respondents registered a lack of confidence in internet connectivity and admitted not having household surroundings conducive to work-from-home arrangements. Despite some educators expressing readiness for online instruction, a prevalent theme emerged wherein a majority demonstrated unwillingness to assume the role of ‘digital teachers’. This study posits that while transitioning to non-traditional spaces like the online platform is imperative in times of global pandemic, being mindful of the myriad of readiness issues faced by educators is equally important to ensure a truly meaningful and effective online teaching experience.

Physical Impact of Traditional and Virtual Physical Exercise Programs on Health Outcomes among Corporate Employees

Background: Technology-based exercise programs have the potential to reduce chronic disease prevalence and obesity-related risks. This research focuses on the impact of both traditional and virtual exercise programs on the health metrics of corporate employees. Methods: The study involved 30 corporate employees (16 females, average age ± SD = 37.8 ± 8.8 years) from Nigeria, who were divided into two experimental groups (one experiencing traditional exercises with an on-site trainer, and the other participating in live, virtual classes via Zoom) and a control group continuing usual practices. The 6-week intervention measured several health outcomes, including resting heart rate, blood pressure (both diastolic and systolic), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-hip ratio, both before and after the intervention. Results: One-way analysis of covariance yielded significantly greater decreases in the diastolic blood pressure, F(2,27) = 3.7, p < 0.04; systolic blood pressure F(2,27) = 3.5, p < 0.04, body mass index, F(2,26) = 7.8, p < 0.01, and waist circumference, F(2,27) = 39.1, p < 0.01. Conclusions: The study concludes that virtual-based exercise programs are as effective as traditional ones. Offering a virtual exercise option provides flexibility, potentially increasing adherence to exercise routines among corporate workers.

Navigating New Normals: Student Perceptions, Experiences, and Mental Health Service Utilization in Post-Pandemic Academia

This study explores the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education, focusing on shifts in learning experiences and students’ intentions to utilize mental health services post-pandemic. Utilizing Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study assesses perceptions from a stratified random sample of college students on post-pandemic learning experiences and mental health service utilization intentions. Findings reveal a positive reception to university initiatives and a preference for ongoing virtual classes. There is an evident increase in, and varying intentions for, using mental health services, shaped by demographics, employment, and prior service utilization. Younger and female students showed an increased propensity to seek such services. This research underscores the urgent need for universities to bolster support for mental health and create awareness, alongside accommodating diverse learning preferences in transitioning back to traditional learning post-pandemic.

Visual display terminal syndrome and its associated factors among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ever since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, students have been spending an increasingly longer time staring at electrical devices to take online courses. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the virtual class environment on eye and musculoskeletal problems in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 365 university students were enrolled in this study. They completed an online survey to examine the effects of online learning on eye and musculoskeletal health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaires consisted of four sections: demographic and general information, environmental and work factors, device-related factors, and visual display terminal syndrome (VDTS). Participants have been taking online classes of 14.5 hours per week during the COVID-19 pandemic. They reported the mean daily usage of digital devices of 4.8±2.2 hours before the pandemic but this increased to 8.1±2.9 during the pandemic. Eye fatigue and neck, shoulder, and back pain have also been reported. The mean VDTS score was significantly influenced by gender, obesity, daily exercise, regular breaks, wear of blue light-blocking glasses, daily hours of electronic device use, and illumination of room. The results of this study showed that university students taking online classes suffered more from VDTS, especially in eye fatigue and neck, lower back, and shoulder pain during COVID-19 pandemic than prior. This study suggests that it is necessary to take breaks in online classes and regularly provide appropriate eye exercise and physical activity to prevent VDTS.

Enhancing well-being in modern education: A comprehensive eHealth proposal for managing stress and anxiety based on machine learning

In the evolving education landscape, institutions are transitioning to a hybrid model encompassing physical and virtual classes. In this scenario, as working hours and exhausting routines increase, individuals accumulate psychological and physical challenges over time. This change requires students and educators to adjust to changes in teaching and learning routines, leading to moments of stress and anxiety. Cultivating self-awareness about unhealthy habits emerges as a pragmatic strategy to address this issue. In this work, a comprehensive eHealth proposal is developed to provide individuals with pertinent health information, assisting educational agents (students and teachers) in identifying and managing these stressful instances during their daily activities. This proposal acquires, processes, and disseminates vital sign data using IoT devices, supported by a Fog Computing architecture for scalability and adaptability. IoT plays a pivotal role in this eHealth proposal, facilitating the seamless collection and transmission of real-time data from various devices. Connected wearables and sensors enable the continuous monitoring of vital signs, enhancing the accuracy and responsiveness of the system. Heart rate data from educational agents were collected for implementation, allowing the evaluation of system performance. Machine learning models were leveraged to discern behavioral profiles and predict possible irregularities in vital signs. The results confirm the system’s ability to perform its intended functions, giving users quick and accurate insights into their evolving behavioral patterns. Integrating these research perspectives underscores the importance of adaptive systems in navigating the challenges of modern education environments. The incorporation of IoT technology not only enhances data collection but also opens avenues for real-time interventions and personalized feedback, ultimately contributing to a more proactive approach in addressing health-related concerns within the educational context.

A case study of charitable investment impact assessment

AbstractThe Pablove Foundation has been raising resources since 2008 to fight childhood cancer by investing in underfunded, cutting‐edge pediatric cancer research, and a participatory arts program that improves the lives of children being treated for cancer. Given numerous challenges in determining investment impact, the Foundation created key metrics such as the quality of grant recipients' contributions to the research literature, and the amount of subsequent cancer‐related research funding generated. Evaluating the effect of the Foundation's participatory art program has been difficult given the pandemic‐driven shift from in‐person sessions to virtual classes. Nonetheless, standard client survey feedback suggests that the virtual classes are not only functioning quite well, but also that accessibility is enhanced. It is clear that imaginative thinking is as important in assessment as it is in implementing medical research funding and arts programming. Practical implications of these findings for evaluation/assessment efforts by other foundations, nonprofit organizations, and development staff are examined.

Percepção dos atores educacionais: aulas presenciais para as virtuais em tempos de pandemia

Introduction: experimentation is an essential tool in learning, allowing an explanation of how knowledge integrates within a scientific academic community. Objective: to analyze the perception of students, teachers, and administrative staff regarding the delivery of practical classes in General Chemistry through virtual modality (use of laboratories) at the State University of the Santa Elena Peninsula (UPSE) in Santa Elena, Ecuador, amidst the health emergency caused by COVID-19 during 2020. Methodology: a mixed approach with an exploratory scope was employed, utilizing survey techniques with an instrument consisting of 15 parametric questions (10 closed-ended and 5 open-ended), exhibiting a reliability of 0.767 in Cronbach's Alpha; the research was non-experimental, adopting a cross-sectional cohort, encompassing the entire sample (133 individuals). Results: Over 50% of educational stakeholders encountered difficulties adapting to the new educational system, highlighting the limited use of ICT. Conclusion: the COVID-19 pandemic exposed certain institutions' lack of readiness for remote learning, unveiling numerous challenges when transitioning from in-person to virtual classes across the educational community. While the quarantine was initially a temporary measure, it has been regarded as a starting point to envision the future of higher education, where virtuality could establish itself as a new norm.

Automatic Presence Design in Virtual Class Using Convolution Neuron Network (CNN)

Universitas Terbuka is a pioneer in distance learning, it is required to always innovate, especially in the mode of learning. One of learning is through virtual classes, the tutor as a teacher provides direction and assistance to students as participants. Tutor and student attendance can be written directly by the tutor or through the attendance link, this tends to have a lack of human error, either the tutor forgets to write down the participants who were present or the attendance link filled in by participants who were not present, because the link can be accessed by anyone. Based on this, we try to design an automatic presence that is carried out in a virtual class. The research result design of image database, design of user interface, and design of learning engine. The results of database testing show that every table in the database is normal and there is a logical relationship between tables. The user interface test results are proven to be able to accommodate the database and engine display deep learning method. The results of the learning engine show the creation of a deep learning method architecture in accordance with the needs of face recognition in the virtual class.

Vietnamese EFL teachers’ approach in employment of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) via synchronous online learning

With the advent of technology-enhanced learning, research emphasizes the pivotal role of teachers’ beliefs in shaping their implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), whether in traditional or virtual classroom. Nevertheless, little investigation has been conducted concerning Vietnamese EFL teachers' beliefs, especially those working in language centres and private teaching, with regards to CLT and their implementation of this approach in online contexts. This research aims to explore the universal beliefs towards CLT among Vietnamese teachers as well as their methods to apply the approach into their virtual classrooms. A mixed-methods approach, with a combination of an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, was adopted to generate both generalised and in-depth data from Vietnamese EFL teachers. Findings showed that Vietnamese teachers have positive beliefs towards the principles and characteristics of CLT despite certain misconceptions regarding the importance of teaching grammar and a preference for teaching speaking skills. Moreover, they demonstrated a noticeable dedication as they apply certain teaching strategies and activities associated with CLT during their virtual classes. Accordingly, the research revealed a strong link and alignment between teachers' beliefs and their implementation of the approach in virtual classrooms. The research also highlighted the relevant obstacles faced by Vietnamese teachers when adopting CLT online and potential solutions to these problems.

A Cross-sectional Study on the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Medical Training and Mental Health

Abstract Background: The regulations for Postgraduate Medical Education in 2021, established by the National Medical Commission, aim to produce skilled and efficient medical professionals. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on the academic aspects, clinical training, and mental health of postgraduates. Most of the studies have primarily focused on the impact of COVID-19 on clinical departments, while pre- and para-clinical departments have been largely ignored. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the specific impact of COVID-19 on academics, clinical skills, and mental health among postgraduates. Methods: Between mid-August and mid-October 2022, face-to-face interviews were conducted with postgraduates from all three batches using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included inquiries regarding the impact of COVID-19 on academic and clinical aspects. The mental health of postgraduates was assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. A total of 230 responses were collected, entered into MS Excel, and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Out of approximately 1200 eligible postgraduates, only 230 (19%) participated in the study. Among the findings, 52.9% of postgraduates did not have any physical classes, while 59.6% expressed satisfaction with virtual classes. Virtual examinations had a negative impact on 61.3% of the postgraduates. Furthermore, a significant majority (88.8%) of postgraduates reported being unable to learn clinical procedures due to the absence of ward rounds. The mental health of the postgraduates, except for 96 individuals, was adversely affected. Conclusion: By this study, it can be concluded that COVID-19 has had a severe impact on the academics, clinical skills, and mental health of postgraduates.

Learned Lessons and New Normal in Education After the Covid-19 Pandemic From Saudi K-12 Teachers’ Perspectives

Aim/Purpose: This study evaluated the e-learning experience of Saudi K-12 teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, it explored their perceptions of e-learning. It also investigated the teaching approaches and strategies, tools for facilitating e-learning, assessment tools, and social media used by teachers for communicating with students in e-learning during the pandemic. Furthermore, it identified the weaknesses of e-learning as perceived by the teachers. Background: The education sector has been severely impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic that has spread globally. The lockdown has damaging effects on the educational system as well, notably in Asia. Traditional classroom education has quickly changed to online instruction as a result of the extended closure of schools and institutions. Methodology: The study used a mixed-methods approach involving quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis in this exploratory study. A cohort of 426 randomly selected K-12 teachers completed an electronic questionnaire in the second semester of the 2021 school year. Contribution: The study revealed successful e-learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. The teachers reported favorable perceptions of e-learning and used teaching approaches and strategies aligned with e-learning. Findings: The results revealed that the teachers’ perceptions of e-learning were positive. However, substantial differences in e-learning perceptions in some variables were found, e.g., experience using the Internet and computer applications. However, no significant differences by sex were found. The results also revealed the teaching approaches and strategies, tools for facilitating e-learning, assessment tools, and social media for communicating with students, which were used more frequently by the teachers in e-learning during the pandemic. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings of this study would persuade educational institutions and policymakers to improve the quality of online teaching with the most up-to-date teaching methods, along with government support for bettering basic infrastructure and Internet connectivity, bridging the digital divide, and developing rural areas to make e-learning more successful and well-liked throughout the nation. Recommendation for Researchers: This new discovery prompts aspiring researchers to explore teachers’ perceptions of e-learning. Researchers would find this work important because the results revealed successful e-learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Impact on Society: Because of the impact of e-learning during COVID-19, schools and society should not discard it. This can improve the e-learning experience for both teachers and students. Online-based and classroom-based education modes have advantages, and combining both methods is appropriate to benefit from these advantages. Future Research: Future work will need to be more detailed, including either qualitative or investigations. Further, more research can investigate instructors’ discernments alongside students’ and parents’ insights toward virtual classes.

Assessing Content Assimilation in Health Research Methodology: A Comparative Study of Lecture and Flipped Classroom Instruction

Virtual education has evolved significantly, driven by the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Sciences, with their practical components, present unique challenges in virtual education, including maintaining student engagement. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the flipped learning methodology with and without in-class content reinforcement in a virtual classroom for previously assimilated materials within Health Sciences. The study involved students in a Kinesiology program using the Blackboard Learn platform. Two groups were established: one completing a questionnaire at the beginning of the virtual class (FLI group) and the other at the end following a content reinforcement session (FLI+TRA group). While no statistically significant score differences were found between the two groups, the FLI+TRA group showed higher pass rates and improved average scores, indicating practical benefits. These results suggest that combining flipped learning with traditional in-class instruction can enhance content assimilation in virtual education, fostering increased student engagement and participation. However, further research is needed to explore the full implications and adaptability of this approach. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of the FLI+TRA approach to improve learning outcomes in complex subjects like Epistemology and Research Methodology within Health Sciences. As virtual education continues to evolve, educators should consider this hybrid teaching model as a valuable tool to provide a more holistic and effective learning experience.