scholarly journals The COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned Regarding Distance Learning in Lebanese Higher Education Institutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1259
Author(s):  
Maha Mouchantaf

In the past few months, due to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak, most educational establishments in Lebanon, including schools and higher education institutions, made the transition to distance learning. This research sought to explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the challenges that it currently poses to higher education. More specifically, it aimed to evaluate the views of language teachers with regards to online teaching to better understand both its advantages and disadvantages in comparison to face-to-face education. The study also offered insight on the educator’s feedback and their presented solutions that will lead to a better experience with online learning. A quantitative cross-sectional online survey was implemented for the purpose of this study.

Author(s):  
Veit Wohlgemuth ◽  
Christina Saulich ◽  
Tine Lehmann

Many lecturers preach teamwork, but they do not practice it by sharing responsibility for classes. Particularly in a transnational context, inputs from lecturers and learners from various countries might be beneficial for students’ learning. This paper asks the question: How can higher education institutions (HEI) set up cross-country and cross-HEI co-teaching to facilitate the transfer of host and home country knowledge? The authors provide insights into a transnational co-teaching project that partly relies on virtual distance learning across countries. This real-life project supports small and medium sized enterprises in their international endeavours with the support of lecturers and student teams from the respective host countries as well as their home countries. The authors discuss advantages and disadvantages of cross-country and cross–HEI co-teaching in comparison to traditional teaching methods. Furthermore, the authors elaborate on the impact of virtual distance learning in comparison to in-class teaching at a single physical location. Due to the international nature of the project, it mainly relies on distance learning that can be very effective when implemented correctly. The paper provides lessons learned from the project that might be beneficial for lecturers with and without international components in their teaching.


Author(s):  
Yuliia Nenko

The paper has a two-fold purpose. The first purpose of the research is to clarify the concept of “readiness of teachers of higher education institutions to use distance learning technologies”, to determine the components and indicators of teachers’ readiness to use distance learning technologies. The other purpose is to announce the results of the conducted online survey on teachers’ readiness for distance learning; understand how distance learning methods are being implemented, which need to be modified or improved, establish the depth of complications associated with transitioning to online teaching due to the introduction of COVID-19 quarantine and provide the information to stakeholders to further improve the process of distance learning. The article is based on the survey of scientific literature on teachers’ readiness/preparedness to distance education and results of the authors’ COVID-19 Teachers’ Questionnaire with 485 faculty members of major higher education institutions of Cherkasy region (Ukraine). The author proves that the effectiveness of distance learning depends on subjective (teachers’ and students’ preparedness for distance education) and objective factors (material and technical base of higher education institutions). Components of teacher’s readiness for distance learning and their indicators are summarized: motivational, cognitive, operational, technological, creative, personal. The outcomes of the questionnaire have identified that most respondents lack theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for the implementation of distance learning and encounter difficulties in teaching during quarantine.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reham Hassan ◽  
Ayman R. Khalifa ◽  
Tarek Elsewify ◽  
Mohamed G. Hassan

Objectives: To evaluate the perceptions of clinical dental students on the role of online education in providing dental education during the COVID-19 crisis.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was sent to four Egyptian dental schools from the 20th of January 2021 to the 3rd of February 2021. Survey questions included the demographics, uses, experiences, perceived benefits, and barriers of distance learning in dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses were collected from the clinical dental school students. Categorical data were presented as frequencies (n) and percentages (%) and were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test.Results: Three hundred thirty-seven clinical dental students across four Egyptian dental schools responded. Most students used either Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams to access the online content. The data showed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the academic performance of most participants (97.4%) with varying degrees. On average, students were neutral when asked to rate the online lectures, but did not find online practical education as effective (81.3%) as online theoretical teaching. The commonly described barriers to online teaching included loss of interaction with educators, inappropriateness in gaining clinical skills, and the instability of the internet connection.Conclusion: Despite the reported benefits, clinical dental students in Egypt preferred the hybrid approach in dental education as distance learning represented a prime challenge to gain adequate clinical dental skills.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 1425-1431
Author(s):  
Andi Rahman

The current Covid-19 pandemic has had many effects on human life globally, including the implementation of education. This study aimed to obtain the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on learning outcomes in higher education. The research method used is a cross-sectional study. The data were taken from the test results at the end of the lecture, observations, and interviews. The research was conducted at the University of Muhammadiyah Lampung, IPDN Jatinangor Campus, and the Ahmad Dahlan Institute of Technology and Business, with 120 students participating. The data analysis technique used the percentage technique and cross-tabulation. The study results concluded that student learning outcomes decreased in the 2020-2021 academic year compared to the 2019-2020 academic year. The decline in learning outcomes includes knowledge, skills, and psychology. This finding has implications for the understanding of education personnel regarding online teaching and learning design during the Covid-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihaela Bernetič Perhavec ◽  

The article contains the description of the bases and starting points of primary physical education and sports day in Slovenia and other European countries. It presents the motivational point of view of the students at the implementation of distance learning for a sports day. There is a graphic display of the results of an online survey that was carried out among teachers and students of Komen primary school, branch of Štanjel. Fifty students from the 1st to 6th grade and 7 teachers took part in the survey. The purpose of the article is the research about what influences the motivation of students in distance learning. From the collected data it was found out that the ICT and interdisciplinary connection have played the most important role in the implementation of the sports day. The answers of the teachers show that besides the ICT devices, the weather, the family and interdisciplinary connections are the main motivators for the children. The students were very motivated at the implementation of the distance sports day. The teachers, as well as students, have found advantages and disadvantages in the organization of a distance sports day.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Majda Sebbani ◽  
Latifa Adarmouch ◽  
Adil Mansouri ◽  
Ouassim Mansoury ◽  
Sarah Michaud ◽  
...  

Background. On the announcement of the COVID-19 health emergency, the Marrakesh School of Medicine accelerated the digitization and the establishment of courses available to students through the faculty platform. We aimed to describe the students’ perspectives toward the online educational approach implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate the factors that might affect the implementation of online teaching in the future. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study among medical students in Marrakesh during June-July 2020. Data collection was based on a self-administered electronic questionnaire distributed via the student platform. We studied the knowledge and previous practices of virtual technologies and students’ appreciation of distance learning during the lockdown. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SPSS16.0 software. Results. A total of 111 students participated. The female-to-male sex ratio was 2.2 with an average age of 20.6 ± 1.8. The majority of students felt that they had a good knowledge of virtual technologies (on a scale of 1 to 10, 81% ≥ 5/10), and two-thirds reported using them in medical studies. Before the COVID-19 lockdown, 16.2% of the students used the platform and 39.6% did not attend in-person courses (16.0% in 1st cycle versus 49.2% in 2nd cycle, p = 0.01 ). During the pandemic, 79% of the students appreciated the virtual learning (54.0% in 1st cycle versus 89.0% in 2nd cycle, p < 0.001 ) and 80.2% thought that the online courses were understandable. Regarding to student’s preferences, 41.4% preferred blended education and 68.5% of the students would recommend continuing distance learning after the pandemic. Regarding satisfaction, previous use of the educational platform (OR = 66.3, CI 95% [1.9; 2.2 ∗ 103]), improvement of learning during distance learning (OR = 22.6, IC 95% [4.1, 123.7]), and professor support (OR = 7, IC95% [1.3, 38]) seemed to be the most powerful factors in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion. Our results will contribute to the implementation of actions by taking advantage of the experience during the health crisis. The institutionalization of virtual learning with more interaction in addition to the in-person courses is the main recommendation of this study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-488
Author(s):  
Steven K. Msosa ◽  
Jeevarathnam P. Govender

In recent times, students in higher education institutions have raised their expectations and are becoming less tolerant to poor service. The reality is that service failures are bound to happen. However, effective service recovery strategies could minimise the impact of service failure. The aim of this research was to analyse the influence of service recovery strategies on distributive justice in higher education institutions. A total of 430 students from three public universities in South Africa participated in this research as respondents. The research adopted a quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional approach. The findings of this research showed that compensation and explanation have a positive and significant influence on distributive justice. Furthermore, the results showed a positive and insignificant influence of apology on distributive justice. The findings of this research are a wake up call to higher education institutions to focus on the two strategies of service recovery, namely explanation and compensation to achieve distributive justice. Thus, higher education institutions should firstly, focus on the use of an explanation to achieve distributive justice because it is offered at no cost compared to compensation which normally wears a financial face. This is based on the fact that higher education institutions are non profit making institutions such that they cannot afford to offer financial compensation on regular basis to address student problems. Ultimately, higher education institutions are advised to consider the severity of service failure before offering any form of service recovery to avoid double deviation. Keywords: distributive justice, field-based research, higher education institutions, service failure, service recovery strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4(61)) ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
Victor Chentsov ◽  
Olha Hryhorash ◽  
Tetiana Hryhorash

The object of the research is the budget expenditures for the state order funding. One of the most problematic places is, on the one hand, the lack of financial resources, and on the other hand, the low efficiency of their allocation. Using the method of vertical and horizontal analysis, the expenditures of the consolidated budget for higher education are explored by the example of Ukraine. It was found that the share of the consolidated budget of Ukraine for higher education in % of GDP is one of the largest in Europe, however, the amount of funding is insignificant in monetary terms, which makes it impossible to improve the quality of higher education. The amount of the state order for training of specialists and expenditures of the consolidated budget are analyzed. On the basis of the results of the analysis of the legislation, the impact of elements of the system of formation and state order placement on its effectiveness is assessed. During 2012–2020, the consolidated budget expenditures tended to increase (except for the crisis of 2020, when there was a general economic growth disruption). At the same time, the number of budget places reduced annually until 2018. The analysis of the system of the state order allocation showed that during 2012–2020 it had been changed several times. The main advantages and disadvantages of the system of state order allocation at the stages of its transformation are identified in the paper. Until 2015 the state order allocation was carried out manually. Since 2017 a mechanism for state order addressing has been introduced. In 2020 the mechanism of cost allocation between higher education institutions was changed and indicative prices were introduced. Due to the analysis of the conditions of state order allocation and cost allocation between higher education institutions, it is possible to take into account the main factors that contribute and block the efficiency and effectiveness of funding the higher education system in Ukraine


Author(s):  
Omar Mohamed Ali Albakri ◽  
Abubakar Albakri

Higher education has been shifting to learning management systems (LMS) for decades. Some universities, like the Open University, have managed to gain international recognition by providing undergraduate degrees to students in different countries. However, in moments of emergency and international disruption higher education institutions need to adapt at unprecedented speed. This chapter focuses on the use of technology in moments of extreme internationalised interference. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a ground for change, students enrolled in presential courses in Spain, Malta, and the United Kingdom were interviewed in order to understand how they are coping with having contact with their academic life exclusively online. The students' impressions, LMS software, and results (assignments and exams) were also discussed. Finally, the chapter analyses the solutions provided by lecturers and students.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Alexander ◽  
Jessica Jacovidis ◽  
Deborah Sturm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory analysis of campus community member (i.e. students, faculty, staff) definitions of sustainability, their perceptions of select elements of sustainability culture and the relationship between the two. Design/methodology/approach Researchers implemented a cross-sectional design where participants from two higher education institutions in the USA completed an online survey. The 352 respondents from James Madison University and 349 respondents from Wofford College included students, faculty and staff members. Descriptive statistics were used to examine patterns in the quantitative data, and an inductive theme approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. Findings This study provides evidence that sustainability is often viewed from an environmental lens, and personal definitions of sustainability may impact perceptions of campus sustainability culture elements. Generally, the highest rated elements of culture examined (i.e. university actions, signs and symbols and institutional commitments) were all aligned with the environment dimension of sustainability and consistent across sustainability definitions. However, respondents with a more integrative definition of sustainability expected to see elements of culture that aligned with the social dimension of sustainability at a considerably higher rate than the respondents who reported more narrow definitions of sustainability. Research limitations/implications Lack of generalizability, low response rates and self-selection bias are some of the limitations of the study. Practical implications Personal definitions of sustainability may impact campus community member perceptions of sustainability culture and progress on their campuses. Practitioners may use this study to inform development of more effective strategies for creating and assessing the culture of sustainability that colleges and universities are pursuing. Originality/value The empirical analysis of campus community members on two very different campus communities responds to Owens and Legere (2015) who argue for further studies to understand the concept of sustainability at other higher education institutions that are at different stages of pursuing sustainability. This paper links research about sustainability definitions to the emergent research on campus sustainability culture, filling a gap between these two areas.


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