scholarly journals Digital readiness and its effects on higher education students’ socio-emotional perceptions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Händel ◽  
Melanie Stephan ◽  
Michaela Gläser-Zikuda ◽  
Bärbel Kopp ◽  
Svenja Bedenlier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Cluster Membership ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness

The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong impact on higher education in 2020. Worldwide, universities developed and implemented online courses for distance learning within a relatively short amount of time. The current study investigated how ready students were for this exceptional situation and how their readiness for digital learning influenced their socio-emotional experiences. N = 1,826 students from across all institutional faculties of a German comprehensive university took part in the online survey immediately before the semester began. Results indicate that, on average, higher education students seem to be ready for digital learning. A k-means cluster analysis revealed two groups of students that significantly differed with respect to their readiness for digital learning (in terms of technological equipment, prior experiences with e-learning, and skills for digital learning). Finally, students’ socio-emotional experiences, that is, their perceived stress, their work-life-balance as well as social and emotional loneliness significantly differed due to their cluster membership. Hence, the study points to the need to support higher education students in successfully coping with the challenges of emergency remote studying.

scholarly journals The Structure of Social Networks and Its Link to Higher Education Students' Socio-Emotional Loneliness During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel D.S. Hopp ◽  
Marion Händel ◽  
Svenja Bedenlier ◽  
Michaela Gläser-Zikuda ◽  
Rudolf Kammerl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Education Student ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Egocentric Networks ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
The Impact

Lonely students typically underperform academically. According to several studies, the COVID-19 pandemic is an important risk factor for increases in loneliness, as the contact restrictions and the switch to mainly online classes potentially burden the students. The previously familiar academic environment (campus) as well as the exchange with peers and lecturers on site were no longer made available. In our study, we examine factors that could potentially counteract the development of higher education student loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic from a social network perspective. During the semester, N = 283 students from across all institutional faculties of a German comprehensive university took part in an online survey. We surveyed their social and emotional experiences of loneliness, their self-reported digital skills, and their current egocentric networks. We distinguished between close online contacts (i.e., mainly online exchanges) and close offline contacts (i.e., mainly in situ exchanges). In addition, we derived the interconnectedness (i.e., the densities of the egocentric networks) and diversity (operationalized with the entropy) of students’ contacts. The results of correlation analyses and hierarchical linear regressions indicate that strong digital skills are related to both a higher number of online contacts and to lower social and emotional experiences of loneliness. Regardless of whether offline or online, the number of reported contacts is indicative of a lower experience of social loneliness. A well-connected network related to lower experiences of social but not emotional loneliness. Finally, findings suggest that homogenous networks tend to be related with lower experiences of both social and emotional loneliness. Overall, our study indicates that barriers to online communication might be mitigating factors to consider when assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student loneliness.

scholarly journals Visual and Verbal Engagement of Higher Education Students in Videoconferencing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Händel ◽  
Svenja Bedenlier ◽  
Bärbel Kopp ◽  
Michaela Gläser-Zikuda ◽  
Rudolf Kammerl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Course Characteristics ◽  
The Status ◽  
Potential Factors ◽  
Synchronous Online

Given that videoconferencing serves as a crucial means for remote teaching, the current study investigated higher education students’ (non)use of webcams and engagement in synchronous online courses. Three phases were studied: (1) A state of engagement; (2) antecedents that influence it; and (3) consequences of engagement. In particular, the aim of the study was to describe the status quo of students’ situation-specific engagement and to analyze potential factors contributing to it, namely, course characteristics, behavior of others, and individuals’ perceptions. Furthermore, the extent to which verbal and visual engagement influence each other was investigated. The cross-sectional online survey encompassed 4,143 students from all fields of studies of a comprehensive university. Results indicated that visual and verbal engagement were only slightly related to each other. Structural equation modelling revealed different direct and indirect influences on either visual or verbal engagement in synchronous online higher education courses. Due to the novelty of the research scope, results of this study provide a foundation for further investigation.

scholarly journals Loneliness and Its Association With Social Media Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512110338
Author(s):  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Mary Ruffolo ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Daicia Price ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Social Loneliness

Social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic changed social interaction for many and increased the risk of loneliness in the general population. Social media use has been ambiguously related to loneliness, and associations may differ by age. The study aimed to examine loneliness and its association with social media use within different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia during April/May 2020, and 3,810 participants aged 18 years or above were recruited. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between social media use and social and emotional loneliness within separate age groups. Emotional loneliness was higher among young adults and among those who used social media several times daily. Adjusting by sociodemographic variables, using more types of social media was associated with lower social loneliness among the oldest participants, and with higher emotional loneliness among the youngest participants. Among middle-aged participants, using social media more frequently was associated with lower social loneliness. We found that the associations between social media use and loneliness varied by age. Older people’s engagement on social media may be a resource to reduce loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed higher levels of loneliness among high-frequent social media users of younger age.

The relationship between higher education students' perceived employability, academic engagement and stress among students in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 744-762
Author(s):  
Yin Ma ◽  
Dawn Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Academic Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Chinese Higher Education ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Employability ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeWith a focus on Chinese higher education students, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between students' perceived employability and their levels of academic engagement and stress.Design/methodology/approachThe study engaged 1,155 students from three universities in China. Students responded to an online survey, reporting their confidence in relation to their perceived employability, academic engagement and stress in life. The authors employed structural equation modelling to explore students' confidence in each employability attribute and to assess perceived employability relation to academic engagement and perceived stress.FindingsThe results suggest that self-perceptions of employability are positively associated with students' academic engagement and negatively associated with perceived stress. Perceived employability mediated the majority paths.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to examine perceived employability in line with academic engagement or stress and the first study to do so in China.

scholarly journals Mental Health and Psychological Impact during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Survey of Portuguese Higher Education Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 337
Author(s):  
Carlos Laranjeira ◽  
Maria Anjos Dixe ◽  
Olga Valentim ◽  
Zaida Charepe ◽  
Ana Querido
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Portuguese Higher Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant psychological impact on vulnerable groups, particularly students. The present study aims to investigate the mental and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors in a sample of Portuguese higher education students. An online cross-sectional study was conducted among 1522 higher education students selected by convenience sampling. The survey assessed mental health symptoms as well as sociodemographic variables, health-related perceptions, and psychological factors. Results were fitted to binary and multivariable logistic regression models. The overall prevalences of stress, anxiety, and depression were 35.7%, 36.2%, and 28.5%, respectively. Poor mental health outcomes were related with being female, having no children, living with someone with chronic disease, facing hopelessness, and lacking resilient coping. Future studies focusing on better ways to promote mental health and wellbeing among students are warranted. It is necessary to gather more evidence on the post-pandemic mental health using robust study designs and standardized assessment tools.

scholarly journals Perception of Computer Work Health Impact among Higher Education Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-103
Author(s):  
László Berényi ◽  
Bernadett Szolnoki ◽  
Lehel Zoltán Györfy ◽  
Nikolett Deutsch
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Computer Work ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Workplace Design ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Design Work ◽  
Sitting Posture

Beyond professional and IT competencies, sufficient computer work requires adequate workplace design. Applying ergonomic aspects in design and utilization aims to establish and maintain the man-machine system while considering long term impacts. However, the human body is quite adaptive to health-disadvantaged work postures, and it may be adversely affected, which leads to a decrease in work performance as well. This study investigates the relationship between computer use habits, workplace design, work environment, and perceived health impacts among higher education students. The study aims to find the critical factors of computer work for establishing ergonomic development actions. The results are based on the responses of 711 business students from various higher education institutions in Hungary, using a voluntary online survey. Cross-tabulation, ANOVA, and correlation analyses could show that exposition to the risk by workload and wrong workplace selection go together with more health problems. The results show that portable computers are preferred, sitting posture is usually wrongly chosen, tiredness in the upper body is common, but students rated their workplace design rather good. The main experience of the study is that targeted actions are required for protecting the health and improve efficiency in performing computer activities.

scholarly journals Higher education students’ experiences of digital learning and (dis)empowerment

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Costa ◽  
Mark Murphy ◽  
Ana Lucia Pereira ◽  
Yvette Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Participatory Culture ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Critical Education ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Academic Field ◽  
Meaningful Participation ◽  
Learning Practices ◽  
Learner Agency ◽  
The Stability

This paper focuses on learning practices in higher education in relation to a digital participatory culture. Using key principles of critical education, the research set out to explore higher education students’ sense of agency online – or lack of it –as part of their formal learning practices. The research found that although students were proficient Web users, they did not exercise their learner agency beyond what they assumed to be expected of them, thus evidencing the stability of their learning habitus in relation to the learning conventions associated with the academic field. Perhaps more surprisingly, however, is students’ perception of the Web not only as a space of student participation, but also as a space of student surveillance. Such perceptions constitute real obstacles to meaningful participation as a form learning.

scholarly journals Digital Culture and Learning in Higher Education After COVID19: A Collaborative Approach in a Virtual Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Lúcia Ana de Souza Lopes ◽  
Marili Moreira da Silva Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Private University ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Digital Culture ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Interactive Tools ◽  
Language And Literature

This article is the result of a critical analysis of the incorporation of Digital Culture into methodologies and interactive approaches that drive collaborative and meaningful learning processes for higher education students. We will analyze a specific course, Science, Technology and Society in Arts, Languages and Culture, with students from the 1st. Semester of the Portuguese Language and Literature for Teacher education Course of a Private University. Our goal is to demonstrate the planning, implementation, and learning outcome in a course with a hybrid methodological approach that makes use of interactive tools in the students' learning trail. We will highlight an interactive evaluative activity that consisted in the construction of a collaborative mural using the Digital Padlet tool as a resource for a critical reflection done by students on the chapter of a book from the basic bibliography: "What is Society?" (Bazzo, 2003). We adopted the qualitative analysis of the data from the Collaborative mural itself and the records of the students' Digital Learning Diaries, which was performed after the collaborative activity. This allowed us to observe the relationships between the methodological approach, the use of digital tools and the perception of significant learning in higher education, as well as to establish a critical reflection on the incorporation of digital culture in pedagogical practices.

scholarly journals Technology enhanced learning environments in higher education: A cross-discipline study on teacher and student perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 147-168
Author(s):  
Sue Downie ◽  
◽  
Xiaoping Gao ◽  
Simon Bedford ◽  
Kenton Bell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Technology Enhanced Learning ◽  
Education Student ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
The Future ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Teacher And Student Perceptions ◽  
Enhanced Learning

Teacher and student perceptions of using technology enhanced learning (TEL) in higher education have received growing attention, particularly during COVID-19, however existing studies are mainly disciplinespecific. This study adopts a holistic cross-disciplinary approach. It compares teacher and student perceptions on defining TEL, promotors and barriers for its use, and solutions offered for better use of TEL in the future. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from an Australian university. A total of 75 teachers and 48 students completed an online survey, and of these participants, 24 teachers and 29 students participated in follow-up focus group interviews that included Kahoot! surveys. Quantitative results show that teacher and student perceptions on TEL were generally aligned except that self-reported technology savviness and confidence was rated higher than how students and staff rated each other. Qualitative analyses reveal that both teachers and students identified the main promoters for TEL as being: modern and expected in higher education, while being equalising, efficient, engaging, authentic, collaborative and flexible. The common barriers for using TEL were identified as fear, time, organisational culture, knowledge and technical/support issues, along with the perceived pitfalls of distraction, and superficial student learning. Solutions offered for TEL in the future from staff focused on the institution and a desire for strategic, pedagogical and holistic approaches, while students focussed on the accessibility, flexibility and collaborative potential of TEL. This cross-discipline pre-COVID-19 study of TEL perceptions offered by teachers and students has contributed to knowledge in this area by identifying barriers and solutions for TEL common to all disciplines that have the potential to be applied to whole of institution strategic approaches for the more effective use of TEL in teaching and learning in higher education. Student accessibility to TEL and the development of pedagogically sound digital learning resources bringing together educational developers and discipline experts are of particular relevance during and post-COVID-19.

scholarly journals Student engagement in Higher Education, age and parental education level

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filomena COVAS ◽  
Feliciano Henriques VEIGA
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Public Higher Education ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Parental Education Level ◽  
Multidimensional Construct ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural

Abstract Within the scope of socio-cognitive theories, student engagement in school has been studied as a multidimensional construct. A four-dimensional perspective was adopted, with the dimensions: affective, cognitive, behavioural and agentic. The objective, to analyse how the variables age and parental education relate to student engagement in school. The sample consisted of 715 Portuguese public Higher Education students from the Lisbon area. The data was collected through an online survey, which included the Student Engagement in School: a Four-Dimensional Scale – Higher Education Version. Data analysis not only revealed that students of age 26 or older scored considerably higher results in engagement than younger colleagues, but also highlighted significant differences of engagement in the affective, behavioural and agentic dimensions, depending on parental education. The results, while partially corroborating the revised literature, suggest future in-depth studies.

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