Preservice Training Amid a Pandemic in Ghana: Predictors of Online Learning Success Among Teachers

The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak has brought the world to a standstill, especially the education sector. Globally, it has claimed over two million lives, with over 100 million people infected, forcing schools to close down. This has reignited the importance of online teaching and learning for preservice teachers who comprise the next frontiers in providing online education to their future students. However, studies on online learning [OL] success among preservice teachers in developing countries, such as Ghana, remain scarce. Accordingly, this study mainly aimed to assess the predictors of OL success among preservice teachers in Ghana. Bandura’s social cognitive theory guided the study; in total, 526 preservice teachers were recruited from four colleges of education. Although the teachers were ambivalent regarding the success of OL, significant differences were found between the following demographics: gender, specialization, marital status, the preferred mode of learning, and the place of residence. Moreover, the study discussed the need for intensive information and communications technology education among preservice teachers, particularly women, developing their confidence in computer skills, and other recommendations.

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Online Engineering Pedagogy: A Proposal for Specialization of the Teacher Training in Engineering

International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP) ◽

10.3991/ijep.v11i5.22427 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 105

Author(s):

Diego Gormaz-Lobos ◽

Claudia Galarce-Miranda ◽

Hanno Hortsch

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Online Communication ◽

Communication Strategy ◽

University Teaching ◽

Pilot Training ◽

Training Course ◽

Engineering Pedagogy

The context of the COVID-19 pandemic produced new immediate needs in the field of university teaching related to distance learning and forces the universities to transform their “traditional” face-to-face teaching methods, particularly with the implementation of online education. This situation represented a challenge not only for the universities but also for the teachers because they need to transform their teaching work in the classroom to online strategies for online learning environments. To meet these needs for effective online education an online pilot training course in Engineering Education based on the IGIP Curriculum of the TU Dresden was designed and implemented. The course “Introduction to online teaching and learning in engineering” (in Spanish: “Introducción a la Enseñanza-Aprendizaje Online en Ingeniería”) consisted of 4 modules implemented on a mix of online communication strategy of synchronous activities carried out on the Zoom platform, together with asynchronous work on a Moodle-based LMS platform. The course was offered between May and June 2020 for a group of academics of the Faculty of Engineering of a public Chilean University. This paper describes the designed online pilot training course in Engineering Pedagogy and presents the results of the evaluation of its implementation. For this a survey was applied and filled by the participants to evaluate the course and to know their per-ceptions about their competencies development to improve online learning in engineering.

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Capacities and Obstacles of Kuwait Medical Educational Sector in Transitioning Education System to Online Form: A Paradigm Shift

International Journal of Business and Management ◽

10.5539/ijbm.v16n12p88 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (12) ◽

pp. 88

Author(s):

Shafi AlDousari

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Education System ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Online Teaching And Learning ◽

E Mail ◽

Online Form

Background: During this coronavirus outbreak, online teaching and learning have become highly common in medical education. The majority of students and professors have transitioned to this comparatively modern online learning model. While faculty members found the transition to online education to be overwhelming, they persevered. Aim: study aims to investigate the Kuwait Medical educational sector's capacities and obstacles in transitioning the education system to the online form. Method: This study used a close-ended survey questionnaire constructed on Google Forms and distributed to the participants via e-mail. The study used an online Google form for formulating the questionnaire survey, which was later sent to the participants via e-mail. Results: The results showed that most of the faculty members (53%) were satisfied with online learning. The most prominent difficulty emphasized by the faculty members (35%) was network vulnerability n online teaching. The majority of the faculty members (45%) agreed that transitioning to remote teaching is a big challenge and that there is inequality for different technology uses (56%). Conclusion: Online learning has been increasingly relevant in medical education in recent months. It has its own set of benefits for improving students' knowledge and skills, and it may be used as an instructional tool in medical school.

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Perception of medical students about online learning in the COVID-19 era

Biomedicine ◽

10.51248/.v41i1.549 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 139-145

Author(s):

Kalpana Ramachandran ◽

Robert Dinesh Kumar

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Medical Students ◽

Online Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

P Value ◽

First Year ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Internet Connectivity ◽

First Year Medical Students

Introduction and Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a disruption in the academic schedule. As UNESCO observes an 87% interruption in student learning across the globe, it is undeniable that e-learning would have a major role to play in the future and both teachers and learners are getting accustomed to this ‘New Normalcy’. This survey analyses the perception of medical first-year students about online learning in the COVID-19 era. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire based study was done and first year medical students were asked to respond. The respondents were asked to answer the questions in Likert-scale, from 1-5. Statistical analysis was done and Test for one proportion was calculated using ‘z’ test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 122 first year medical students responded to the survey. More than two-thirds of the respondents were females (67%). About 78% of respondents find online learning interesting and enjoyable. More than 80% of students found online education very satisfactory in all aspects. Problems with internet connectivity was the principal challenge faced by the students during online learning. An overwhelming 70% of students felt online teaching to be very beneficial. Conclusion: The pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to the academic schedule. Although many challenges were faced by the teachers and learners, internet connectivity continued to be a major problem in online education. It is the duty of every educationist to ensure an uninterrupted, continuous and an effective process of teaching and learning.

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Formalism in online education

Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning ◽

10.1108/jrit-02-2021-0010 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Peter Serdyukov

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Research Literature ◽

Original Material ◽

Online Teaching And Learning ◽

Content Type ◽

Automated Learning ◽

The Impact

PurposeWith the rapid transition of education from the traditional, classroom- or campus-based to the online format, there grows a need for not only taking advantage of online technology but also assessing actual and potential effects it can make on the learners, learning, education, and society. One of the risks inherent in online learning is its growing formalization both in the organization of the learning and in its process, which may gravely affect students’ learning, health, cognition, behavior and quality of the learning outcomes. It can also produce serious implications for the society. This article investigates the origins of formalization, its forms and stages, and discusses asynchronous, precision, and automated learning formats from this perspective. Among many issues, the impact of formalization on the learner's development and socialization is considered. The author offers a pragmatic solution for deformalization of online learning.Design/methodology/approachQualitative analysis of contemporary research literature, educational trends and practices.FindingsIt was found that formalism permeates online education in many ways. It is present in asynchronous, precise and automated learning and may produce significant impact on students, their learning, and society.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a qualitative research based on the analysis of current research literature and teaching practices.Practical implicationsWhile formalism in education is an unavoidable evil, its impact must be diminished. Critical analysis and practical recommendations offered may help improve online teaching and learning.Social implicationsFormalism affects both students' socialization in the online learning environment, and patterns of socialization in the society. It also impacts students’ cognition and behaviors. So, counteracting formalism may benefit the society's well-being.Originality/valueThe authors could not find any publications on this topic. So this is an original material which may contribute to improving online teaching and learning.

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Preparing Teacher Candidates for Virtual Field Placements via an Exposure to K-12 Online Teaching

Journal of Information Technology Education Research ◽

10.28945/3626 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 001-014 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tian Luo ◽

Laura Hibbard ◽

Teresa Franklin ◽

David Moore

Keyword(s):

Preservice Teachers ◽

Online Learning ◽

Teacher Candidates ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Field Experiences ◽

Learning Activities ◽

Future Research ◽

Virtual Field ◽

K 12

Aim/Purpose The goal of this project was to determine what effects exposure to online K-12 teaching and learning activities had on teacher candidates’ perceptions of K-12 online learning, how the exposure allowed teacher candidates to reach greater understanding of online pedagogy, and what effect such exposure had on teacher candidates’ aspirations to complete virtual field experiences. Background With an increasing number of K-12 students learning online within full-time online schools and in blended learning environments, universities must prepare future educators to teach in virtual environments including clinical practice. Before engaging in online field placement, preservice teachers must be oriented to online K-12 teaching and learning. Methodology Using a design-based, mixed-method research methodology, this study drew samples from four sections of a hybrid technology integration course. Preservice teachers’ papers detailing their perceptions, focus groups, and surveys were used to gauge changes in perceptions of online learning after participating in online teaching and learning activities. Contribution The study demonstrated that an exposure to online K-12 classrooms stimulated preservice teachers’ interest in online teaching as they began to feel that online education could be equivalent to traditional education. Findings Students’ perceptions positively improved the equivalency of online learning to traditional schooling, the possibility of positive relationships between teachers and students, and the ability to create interactive learning. Students also reported being more knowledgeable and showed increased interest in participating in virtual field experiences. Future Research Future research may continue to examine if the exposure course, combined with a short-term clinical experiences and long-term online apprenticeships may serve to prepare graduates with the skills necessary to teach in classrooms of the future.

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Institutional Policies and Online Education in Developing Countries

10.4018/978-1-7998-8193-3.ch014 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 289-305

Author(s):

Diocleciano Nhatuve

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Negative Impact ◽

African Region ◽

Institutional Policies ◽

Online Teaching And Learning ◽

Learning Principles

This chapter aims to examine the effectiveness of institutional policies regarding online teaching and learning in some developing countries in the Southern African region. The study is informed by online teaching and learning principles, and it adopts qualitative and quantitative approaches. The data comprises answers of 231 students to the question: Did your institution encourage online learning before the lockdown? The sample was collected through a survey between the 1st July 2020 and the 11th March 2021, a period in which students were undertaking an online learning process as a strategy to overcome the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 67% of respondents confirm that their universities did not implement nor encourage online learning before the lockdown due to the pandemic. In this context, the study shows that aversive policies against online learning and lack of adequate equipment jeopardize the education goals to provide integrated and globalizing learning.

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Examining Social Presence Influence on Students' Satisfaction with Online Learning Environments

Blended Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-0783-3.ch067 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 1378-1404

Author(s):

Fadi Khalil Dajani

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Social Presence ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Cognitive Theory ◽

Essential Element ◽

Online Learning Environments ◽

Course Outcomes ◽

Students Satisfaction

Online education has become an essential element of higher education and continues to grow with a potential to facilitate learning. Evidence indicates that many students become frustrated after their initial online experience and fail to pursue additional online courses. Little is known about the reasons why this phenomenon exists. The purpose of this chapter is to examine students' satisfaction with online learning environments guided by the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) conceptual framework and to determine students' perceptions of social presence in the online environment. The selection of the student population from this program are due to the need to improve on the U-rate. The U-rate is the unsatisfactory rate of a course due to few factors. Such factors are low Course Level Assessment (CLA), course difficulty, content presented in the course is not clear, or students struggling with course outcomes.

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Examining Social Presence Influence on Students' Satisfaction with Online Learning Environments

Critical Examinations of Distance Education Transformation across Disciplines - Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-6555-2.ch011 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 211-236

Author(s):

Fadi Khalil Dajani

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Social Presence ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Cognitive Theory ◽

Essential Element ◽

Online Learning Environments ◽

Course Outcomes ◽

Students Satisfaction

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PROVIDING QUALITY ASSURANCE IN ONLINE GERONTOLOGY COURSES THROUGH A PEER REVIEW NETWORK

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3545 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S978-S978

Author(s):

Louise M Murray ◽

Enoch Park

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Professional Staff ◽

Online Course ◽

Instructional Designers ◽

Team Approach ◽

Peer Reviewers

Abstract In health care and senior housing and care, the challenge of meeting diverse regional workforce needs is increasingly important in higher education. Educators within gerontology are rising to this challenge using multiple platforms, including online education (Carter, Solberg, & Solberg, 2017; Nadash, Miller, Porell, Birchander, Glickman, & Burr, 2014). This poster presents the life cycle of a traditional face to face introductory level graduate gerontology course which was transitioned to a fully online course. This transition was achieved using a structured course development process based on nationally recognized online course quality standards by Quality Matters (QM). Utilizing a team approach, the process incorporated faculty (subject matter experts and course developers), instructional designers, and professional staff in distance education, faculty teaching support, and online learning specialists. QM standards serve to assure quality online instruction, with the goal of providing students with a positive and successful online learning experience. Analysis of this case highlights the role of Certified (QM) peer reviewers who have expertise in Gerontology and can serve as the connector of online gerontology courses offered within programs, between institutions, and globally. Recommendations are presented to improve the pedagogical quality of online courses to attract and retain students in gerontology and aging studies courses. The case for building an initial network of online course peer reviewers to strengthen online teaching and learning within the gerontology profession will be made.

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Perception on Online Teaching and Learning Among Health Sciences Students in Higher Education Institutions during the COVID-19 Lockdown – Ways to Improve Teaching and Learning in Saudi Colleges and Universities

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.28178.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 177

Author(s):

Khalid Aziz Ansari ◽

Faraz A. Farooqi ◽

Soban Qadir Khan ◽

Muhanad Alhareky ◽

Ma. Abigail C. Trinidad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Internet Technology ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Online Teaching And Learning ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Health Sciences Students

Background: Online learning or E-learning are approaches to broadcasting teaching by the means of internet technology and software applications. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is likewise embarking on the rapid growth in online education. The purpose of this study is to investigate the student’s perceptions regarding online teaching and learning during COVID 19. Methods: An online computer-based cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2020. A pre-validated questionnaire was used and administrated to health sciences students studying at Dammam Universities through online software QuestionPro. Results: Out of total 281, 68% of the participants were females (n=188) while 31.9% (n=88) were male students with an average age of 23.1(4.5) years. Overall, 176 (62%) of the students expressed their satisfaction with online learning. Conclusion: Findings will help academicians to identify strengths, areas of improvement, and encourage faculty to think deeply to restructure course learning objectives, teaching techniques to engage students and improve learning process.

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