scholarly journals Examining Student Perception of Readiness for Online Learning: Importance and Confidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Martin ◽  
Brandy Stamper ◽  
Claudia Flowers

The last two decades have seen a steady increase in the number of online courses in higher education. This survey-based study examines student readiness for online learning in 2018, through the dimensions of importance and confidence as measures of readiness.  An instrument with four subscales of competencies (online student attributes, time management, communication, and technical) that measures student readiness for online learning (SROL) was developed. Reliability of student responses to an online readiness instrument and factors related to student perception are examined. Descriptive statistics and item level means for the competencies are provided. Two repeated measures ANOVAs with one-within subject factor (four subscales for importance and competency) were conducted. Online student attributes, time management, and technical competencies were rated high for importance compared to communication competencies. Students were confident in online student attributes and technical competencies compared to time management and communication. Data was also analyzed based on demographic differences. MANOVA showed significant differences based on the race (white and non-white) of the students and course format (asynchronous, synchronous, and blended) on their perceptions of online learning competencies.

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahir Ibrahim Latheef ◽  
Robert Robinson ◽  
Sedef Smith

Readiness for online learning has been established as a key component of student success in online classes. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored how vital being prepared for online can be. This paper highlights an orientation technique widely used in the business field, namely Realistic Job Preview (RJP), as a method to prepare students for what online learning might be like. Our research proposes an RJP would help students adapt to their new role as online learners. For the purposes of this study, we developed a video providing a realistic preview of online learning following recommendations from RJP research. We then conducted a mixed methods study to examine student perceptions of our realistic preview video and an online readiness self-assessment. Overall, our findings provide strong evidence for the use of RJP as a strategy to improve student readiness for online learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 661-680
Author(s):  
Natalia A. Lyz

Introduction. The widespread use of telelearning raises the issue of ensuring its effectiveness. Researchers consider various factors, but student readiness for such learning has not yet become the subject of systemic research in domestic science. The objectives of the article are: to reveal personality predictors of online learning success, to identify the components of student readiness for such learning (on the basis of foreign works); to characterize the readiness and self-efficacy of students’ online educational activities drawing on empirical data. Materials and Methods The researchers utilized the methods of theoretical analysis of the problem and the survey method. The author’s questionnaire was used to collect the data on the online activity of the students, self-assessment of readiness and effectiveness of online learning. 252 first- and second-year IT-students participated in the survey. Results. Five components of students’ readiness for online learning have been identified: attitude towards online learning, self-directed learning, time management, communicative competence, and technical competence. The students’ attitudes towards online learning are ambivalent. The students understand the importance of such training, but they are not willing to invest enough time and effort into it. Two interrelated components (self-directed learning and time management) contribute most to the overall online learning readiness. Online learning self-efficacy is related to technical competence and attitudes towards online learning. Discussion and Conclusion. The results will be useful for further research of the factors and ways improving online learning effectiveness. The research prospects are the development of psychodiagnostic tools for assessing the online learning experience and readiness of students and the diversification of the sampling by adding students from different programme tracks and with different experiences in online educational activities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Naujoks ◽  
Svenja Bedenlier ◽  
Michaela Gläser-Zikuda ◽  
Rudolf Kammerl ◽  
Bärbel Kopp ◽  
...  

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring term 2020, students faced a sudden change from on-campus learning to online learning with synchronous and asynchronous online courses (emergency remote teaching). To study successfully, students not only needed to be prepared in terms of digital readiness (workspace, IT equipment, previous online learning experiences, and sharing information online), they also faced challenges that pertained to the self-regulated management of external resources (environment structuring, time management, and help-seeking). In the current study, we investigated students’ digital readiness for the sudden switch to online learning; differences between students’ intended and actual use of external resource management strategies; and the influence of students’ digital readiness on their actual use of resource management strategies. Students enrolled in a full-scale, German university (N = 662) answered two online questionnaires (before and in the middle of the term). Descriptive statistics indicated that students seemed to be ready to study online. However, repeated measures ANOVA showed that students were not able to manage their resources during the term as frequently as intended. Finally, separate regression analyses revealed that availability of workspace and IT equipment predicted the use of environment structuring strategies. Additionally, IT equipment and information sharing behavior predicted students’ help-seeking. Based on the current results, we discuss implications for the promotion of student self-regulated learning (SRL) in online emergency remote teaching based on both external resources and digital readiness.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
Md. Akbar Hossain ◽  
Sayedus Salehin ◽  
Md. Shahadat Hossain Khan ◽  
Mahbub Hasan

Abstract Background - Engineering education utilizes a face-to-face model for delivery of course materials and workshops. The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic imposed a countrywide lockdown and forced education institutes to shift to an internet-based online delivery mode. Purpose/Hypothesis - This study developed an instrument to meticulously measure the students’ readiness for online learning in a pandemic situation. A situation like COVID-19 accelerates a long-standing issue of digital inequality among the students in education. The study proposed a reconceptualised model for students’ online readiness for emergencies like COVID-19. The proposed model consists of (a) motivation, (b) self-efficacy, and (c) situational factors.Design/Method - The proposed model was validated with the engineering students (for pilot study N = 68 and main study N = 988) from several universities in Bangladesh. To validate the underlying relationships between the latent constructs, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed followed by structural equation modelling (SEM) for the construct validity of the measurement model and to assess the model fit. Results - The findings showed that besides motivation and self-efficacy, the situational factors describing the contextual dynamics emerging from the COVID-19 significantly influenced the student's online readiness.Conclusions - The impact of situational factors on student readiness for online learning is complex, specially during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. By analyzing the collected data, it is evident that current practices of teaching should be blended with face-to-face, synchronous and asynchronous internet-based learning. We argue that digital inequality is an important factor influencing student readiness for online learning.


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Betts ◽  
Bill Welsh ◽  
Kelly Hermann ◽  
Cheryl Pruitt ◽  
Gaeir Dietrich ◽  
...  

Approximately 11% of all postsecondary students reported having a disability in 2008. Although the percentage of students with disabilities in 2008 closely reflects the percentage reported in 2004, the U.S. Government Accountability Office states that recent legislative changes have the potential to increase the diversity and number of students with disabilities pursing higher education. To support students with disabilities enrolled in higher education and in online learning, it is important to understand disabilities and the resources students need to actively engage in their courses and to achieve their academic goals. This article includes collaborative responses from a diverse group of leaders at eight higher education institutions and organizations who work with disability services and have experience in online learning. Some of the contributors also have disabilities so the collective responses build upon research, professional experience, and personal experience. For this article, the ten contributors answered 20 questions regarding disabilities and online student success as well as provided recommended practices. This article is designed to be interactive. It includes screenshots, simulation links, video demonstrations, and resources to provide a more detailed understanding of disabilities, accessibility, and support resources. JALN readers are encouraged to interact with the simulations and to watch the demonstration videos as a way to learn more about disabilities and supporting online student success.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niyi Awofeso ◽  
Moyosola Bamidele

Instructor feedback is constructive and specific information provided by an instructor to a learner on his or her course work and/or class contributions in relation to the course objectives and expectations. Effective instructor feedback is particularly important in online learning as learners are more likely to withdraw from online learning environments due to delayed, or inadequate feedback, compared with students enrolled in physical classes. Not all learners are equally active, and there are indeed learners who hardly take an active part in online course activities -the so-called lurkers. Courteous instructor feedback to such learners on their limited participation has been shown to improve learners’ participation in online courses. Diligent learners engaged in online learning programs expect feedback to be contextual, supportive, constructive, timely, substantive, summative and formative.  This study examined the perceptions of 66 undergraduate and postgraduate learners on feedback provided in eight online courses facilitated by the same instructor at the School of Health and Environmental Studies, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, Dubai, UAE between August 2014 and December 2015. Data collection from learners was anonymized and participation was voluntary. The survey sought to elicit learners’ perceptions on the extent to which feedback provided in specified courses were motivational, timely, frequent, supportive, and individualized. A polytomous Rasch model was utilized to analyze the data with Winsteps and STATA. Analysis of the 20 survey questions revealed a real person reliability of 0.82 and a Cronbach Alpha test reliability of 0.96, suggesting that the scale discriminates well between the persons. The real item separation reliability of 0.77 suggests that the questions are reliable in measuring the specified items.  Descriptive analyses revealed general agreement among the majority of learners on the effectiveness of feedback provided by the instructor, although Infit and Outfit Z-standard deviation statistics revealed two questions with unexpected rare (i.e. “mostly disagree” or “completely disagree”) extremes in several learners’ responses.  Unlike single questions related to learner feedback in most Student Perception of Teaching Surveys, this survey instrument comprehensively explores the dimensions of instructor feedback, aspects of which may not be previously known to learners or instructors. Our results indicate that systematic collection and analysis of learners’ feedback comments have a strong potential to enhance feedback competencies of course facilitators, as well as provide a common platform for both learners and course facilitators vis-à-vis the diverse objectives of instructor feedback.  


Author(s):  
Monira I. Aldhahi ◽  
Abdulfattah S. Alqahtani ◽  
Baian A. Baattaiah ◽  
Huda I. Al-Mohammed

AbstractThe overarching objective of this study was to assess learning satisfaction among students and to determine whether online-learning self-efficacy was associated with online learning satisfaction during the emergency transition to remote learning. This cross-sectional study involved a survey distributed to 22 Saudi Arabian universities. The survey used in this study consisted of an online learning self-efficacy (OLSE) questionnaire and an electronic learning (e-learning) satisfaction questionnaire. A total of 1,226 respondents voluntarily participated in and completed the survey. Students in medical fields made up 289 (23.6%). A Kruskal–Wallis H test and a chi-square test were used to compare the student’s satisfaction based on the educational variables. Spearman’s correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between self-efficacy and satisfaction. The findings revealed degrees of satisfaction ranging between high satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The majority of students (51%) expressed high satisfaction, and 599 students (49%) reported experiencing a low level of satisfaction with e-learning. A comparison of groups with low and high satisfaction scores revealed a significant difference in the OLSE. High satisfaction was positively correlated with the OLSE domains: time management, technology, and learning. The OLSE regression analysis model significantly predicted satisfaction. It showed that the model, corrected for education level and grade point average of the students, significantly predicted e-learning satisfaction (F = 8.04, R2 = 0.59, p = .004). The study concluded that students’ satisfaction with the e-learning experience is influenced by e-learning self-efficacy. The study’s findings lead to the practical implications and identify the need to improve the remote learning, time management and technology self-efficacy to enhance students’ satisfaction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 224-239
Author(s):  
Herdian Herdian ◽  
Itsna Nurrahma Mildaeni

The pandemic period causes all systems in life to change a lot, one of which is education. Online learning is a solution to the difficulty of offline learning in schools. This study examines academic stress during online learning among first-year Muslim students in Indonesia. This study's participants were 731 first-year Muslim students who had never done offline learning at the target campus. Data collection used the academic stress scale from Lin & Chen (2009) with seven stress sources. The results showed teachers' stress, stress results, stress tests, studying in groups stress, peer stress, time management stress, and self-inflicted stress were at moderate and high levels. Meanwhile, the highest percentage of academic stress factors was obtained from teachers' stress. We also present a detailed examination of demographic data by cross-tabulating and discussing these findings' theoretical and practical implications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-155
Author(s):  
Diana-Crina Marin ◽  
Mușata Bocoș

"In the context in which the teaching, learning, and assessment processes take place in the online environment, the question arises whether the currently organized learning situations are as effective as the learning situations carried out in the classroom, before the beginning of the pandemic. One of the disadvantages of online learning is related to the teacher’s low control over students’ activity. Factors such as initiative, creativity, efficient time management, intrinsic motivation, responsibility, and intellectual curiosity play an important role in students’ success in learning activities. Attendance at courses should not be formal and superficial and should be a process that involves the active and interactive participation of the students in the learning process. Providing high-quality educational opportunities to all students is a goal that is increasingly difficult to achieve in the context of the absence of face-to-face interactions. Also, applying a curriculum focused on the needs of the learner is becoming hard to achieve. Through this research, we aim to investigate issues related to how online learning takes place and to establish ways in which we can increase the efficiency of current teaching and learning processes. The study revealed that in the opinion of most of the students, the current epidemiological context has influenced in a negative way the quality of teaching and the student-teacher educational relationship. Keywords: Interactive learning, eLearning, independence in learning, higher education, efficient strategies "


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