Challenges and Opportunities: Experiences of Mathematics Lecturers Engaged in Emergency Remote Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this paper, we consider the experiences of mathematics lecturers in higher education and how they moved to emergency remote teaching during the initial university closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted in May–June 2020 which received 257 replies from respondents based in 29 countries. We report on the particular challenges mathematics lecturers perceive there to be around teaching mathematics remotely, as well as any advantages or disadvantages of teaching mathematics online that they report. Over 90% of respondents had little or no prior experience teaching mathematics online, and, initially, 72% found it stressful and 88% thought it time-consuming. 88% felt there was a difference between teaching mathematics in this way compared with other disciplines. Four main types of challenges were associated with emergency remote teaching of mathematics: technical challenges; student challenges; teaching challenges; and the nature of mathematics. Respondents identified flexibility as the main advantage of online teaching, with lack of interaction featuring strongly as a disadvantage. We also consider respondents’ personal circumstances during this time, in terms of working conditions and caring responsibilities and conclude by summarizing the impact they perceive this experience may have upon their future teaching. Forty-six percent% of respondents self-identified as having caring responsibilities, and 61% felt the experience would affect their future teaching.

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Disruptive Changing Higher Education Ecosystems: Have University Academics Been Gazumped?

Frontiers in Education Technology ◽

10.22158/fet.v4n2p12 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. p12

Author(s):

Dr Warrick Long ◽

Associate Professor Lisa Barnes ◽

Professor Maria Northcote ◽

Professor Anthony Williams

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Education Sector ◽

Academic Environment ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Disruptive Change ◽

The University ◽

The Impact ◽

Teaching Workload

Continual reforms in the Australian Higher Education Sector result in ongoing significant changes to the experiences of the Australian academic. As a result, massification, internationalisation and corporatization form the landscape of academia in Australia. The Australian University Accounting Academic (AUAA) faces ongoing challenges and opportunities within this dynamic academic environment, and this study explores these challenges in relation to teaching themed issues that confront the AUAA. By using a questionnaire and interviews with AUAAs, three themes emerged, being curriculum, teaching workload, and the impact of online teaching. The “ASSET” support framework is developed from these conversations with the AUAA’s to help them become an “asset” to the university during these times of disruptive change instead of allowing the system to “gazump” them.

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Migration of Junior Doctors: The Case of Psychiatric Trainees in Portugal

Acta Médica Portuguesa ◽

10.20344/amp.12562 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (13) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mariana Pinto da Costa ◽

Cátia Moreira ◽

Luis F. S. Castro-de-Araujo ◽

Fábio Monteiro Da Silva ◽

Renato Antunes Dos Santos

Keyword(s):

Working Conditions ◽

Low Income ◽

Prior Experience ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Junior Doctors ◽

Medical Migration ◽

Push And Pull Factors ◽

Push And Pull ◽

The Impact ◽

The Brain

Introduction: In the last few decades, the rates of international medical migration have continuously risen. In Psychiatry, there is great disparity in the workforce between high and low-income countries. Yet, little is known about the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors and the migratory intentions of trainees. This study aims to assess the factors impacting the decisions of psychiatric trainees in Portugal towards migration.Material and Methods: A questionnaire was developed in the Brain Drain study and was distributed to psychiatric trainees in Portugal.Results: The sample consists of 104 psychiatric trainees (60.6% female). Overall, 40.4% of the trainees had prior experience of living abroad and the majority (96.9%) felt that this experience influenced their attitude towards migration in a positive way. About 75% of trainees had ‘ever’ considered leaving the country, but the majority (70.0%) had not taken any ‘practical steps’ towards migration. The main reasons to stay in Portugal were personal, while the main reason to leave was financial. The majority of the trainees (55.7%) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their income, working conditions and academic opportunities.Discussion: Working conditions, salaries and academic opportunities are the main triggers for the migration of psychiatric trainees from Portugal.Conclusion: These results may inform the decisions of stakeholders in the health and education sectors and point out the necessary investments required and the impact it may have on the workforce.

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Online Education in the Post COVID-19 Era: Students’ Perception and Learning Experience

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci11100633 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 633

Author(s):

Nastaran Peimani ◽

Hesam Kamalipour

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Urban Design ◽

Digital Technology ◽

Design Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Online Survey ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Blended Online Learning ◽

The Impact

Students’ learning experiences and perceptions are markedly influenced by the use of digital technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploring students’ perception of blended online learning, amid the adaptations of the higher education sector in the wake of uncertainty, has become more critical than ever. This paper reflects on the experience of learning and teaching the Research Methods and Techniques subject in the postgraduate programme of MA Urban Design at Cardiff University during COVID-19 in the UK. To do so, we designed and carried out an online survey to explore students’ perception of online teaching and learning activities, feedback and assessment, and digital platforms based on their experience during the subject delivery period in the 2020–2021 academic year. One of the significant findings of this paper was that students agreed with the impact of eye contact on their virtual learning experience but as long as this was aligned with their rights to see others, including their peers and instructors, rather than reciprocal rights to be seen. In addition, students felt that facilitating synchronous communication through effective interaction among diverse peers has been quite challenging in small-group online reading seminars. The majority of respondents also reported that attending live online lectures was more helpful than watching pre-recorded lectures. Online formative feedback and synchronous interim reviews also allowed students to reflect on their progress and develop their projects further before their summative assessment. The outcomes of this paper can effectively assist educators who consider delivering programmes, adopting a blended online learning environment design model, in the post COVID-19 era. The findings of this study can also provide guidance for further developments and improvements in using digital technology and blended online learning in urban design education and pedagogy.

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Effectiveness of Online Teaching During COVID-19 Pandemic for West Midlands Urology Trainees

Journal of Endoluminal Endourology ◽

10.22374/jeleu.v3i4.110 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. e25-e31

Author(s):

Anton Wong

Keyword(s):

Online Teaching ◽

Online Survey ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Postgraduate Education ◽

Learning Approach ◽

The West ◽

Face To Face ◽

West Midlands ◽

Virtual Presence ◽

The Impact

Background and Objective Urology trainees in the West Midlands are provided with protected compulsory teaching sessions by the deanery. These teaching sessions are usually held in a regional centre, on a face-to-face basis. However, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact not only on individuals, the healthcare system, but has affected medical education for trainees. All regional teaching sessions have been moved online for the safety of individuals and to comply with social distancing guidelines. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of online teaching during the pandemic. Material and Methods An online survey was sent out to all urology trainees in the West Midlands. The questionnaire, comprised of a mixture of open, closed and Likert-10-point scale questions was used to compare online teaching against face-to-face teaching. An independent t-test was carried out as the data was presumed to follow a normal distribution. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results 70% of trainees responded and participated in the survey. Attendance rates were higher when teaching was online compared to face-to-face sessions. 100% of trainees were able to attend at least 80% of online teaching sessions whilst 89% were able to attend face-to-face sessions. However, the quality of teaching were not statistically significant between face-to-face and online teaching sessions (mean = 7.95 and 8.11 respectively, p= 0.316). The study found that trainees benefited from the accessibility of online teaching sessions but lost out on social networking and interactivity of face-to-face sessions. Most participants recommended a hybrid or blended learning approach once the pandemic is over. Conclusion The impact of COVID-19 has almost forced all undergraduate and postgraduate education to have a form of virtual presence. All teaching sessions will remain online for the foreseeable future. Our study found no difference between the qualities of teaching for both approaches. However, benefits and drawbacks of online teaching have been identified. Hence, we recommend a mixed learning approach of face-to-face and online teaching for the future.

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Adolescents and Distance Learning during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: What Impact on Students’ Well-Being and Learning Processes and What Future Prospects?

European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education ◽

10.3390/ejihpe11030052 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 726-735

Author(s):

Elena Commodari ◽

Valentina Lucia La Rosa

Keyword(s):

Distance Learning ◽

Secondary School ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Studies ◽

School Career ◽

Upper Secondary ◽

E Learning ◽

The Impact

Background: This study aimed to analyze the experiences related to distance learning in a large sample of students in upper secondary school during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and to explore the potentialities of distance learning for students’ well-being. Methods: Between 22 April and 1 May 2020, 1017 students completed an online survey about the characteristics of online didactic, the availability of devices for distance learning, and the psychological experiences related to e-learning. Results: All Italian schools have adopted distance learning, even if each teacher employs different approaches to e-learning. Students are aware of the importance of distance learning for the containment of the pandemic and of the need to continue with online teaching to avoid the resumption of the infections. However, distance learning is associated with a significant increase in student workload and a consequent psychological distress related to homework. Specifically, students are more distracted in studying, have difficulty organizing study and are concerned that their school career may be adversely affected by the lockdown. Furthermore, a significant percentage does not perceive adequate support from teachers. Conclusions: Future studies will have to explore the impact of distance learning even in the subsequent waves of contagion, taking into account the persistence of the stress from the pandemic.

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The Impact of COVID-19 and Lockdown on Plastic Surgery Training and Practice in India

Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1716458 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 53 (02) ◽

pp. 273-279

Author(s):

Shalabh Kumar ◽

Amrita More ◽

Mandara Harikar ◽

Keyword(s):

Medical Practice ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Online Survey ◽

Personal Life ◽

Financial Strain ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Surgery Training ◽

Spss Software ◽

Teaching Pattern ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background A nationwide lockdown due to the outbreak of COVID-19 has posed unforeseen challenges. Lockdown, physical distancing, and restrictions on medical practice have affected the training of residents and the professional and personal life of plastic surgeons. An online survey was conducted to assess this impact. Methods A questionnaire was circulated on Whatsapp groups from 15 to 21 of May and snowball sampling was done. The survey was designed to have a separate set of questions for residents and practitioners. The obtained results were analyzed, according to SPSS software version 25. Results A total of 206 responses were obtained (107 residents and 96 consultants) from across the country. The average age of consultants was 38.10 years, with mean experience of 4 years (range 0.5–33 years). As much as 56.3% of practitioners and 87.8% of residents were working in hospitals treating COVID-19. Average fall in number of OPD cases and elective surgeries was 75%. This led to financial strain on 86.5% of consultants and adversely affected training of 86% residents. As much as 86.9% of residents and 67.7% of consultants hoped that the online teaching pattern continued after the pandemic. Conclusion Universities need to recognize the loss in training for residents due to the pandemic and formulate plans to overcome it. Institutions and associations conducting webinars can streamline and archive them for future use.

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Challenges and opportunities identified for lymphoedema services in Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic

British Journal of Nursing ◽

10.12968/bjon.2021.30.4.210 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 210-217

Author(s):

Marie Gabe-Walters ◽

Rhian Noble-Jones

Keyword(s):

Patient Care ◽

Online Survey ◽

Patient Advocacy ◽

Mailing List ◽

New Ways Of Working ◽

Effective Care ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Future Burden ◽

The Impact ◽

Virtual Services

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, lymphoedema staff adapted services, providing care remotely, and worked in other NHS sectors. The impact on services and staff must be understood in order to safeguard patient care and foster workforce resilience. Aims: To evaluate the experiences of clinical and non-clinical lymphoedema staff in Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An anonymous online survey, based on scoping work, was sent out via the Welsh lymphoedema services mailing list. Findings: 71% (68/96) of eligible lymphoedema staff completed the survey. More than half supported lymphoedema services (40/68) with the remaining staff deployed elsewhere. Overall, staff and services felt prepared for new ways of working. Concerns about others and the future burden on services when life returned to normal were reported. Opportunities identified included education initiatives and virtual services. Conclusion: Lymphoedema services were well prepared to deliver virtually, enable effective care and share knowledge. Co-ordinated efforts to uphold patient advocacy will support virtual services to meet their needs.

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Ability to Overcome Border Guards’ Psychological Barriers During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Journal of Mediation & Social Welfare ◽

10.18662/jmsw/2.1/11 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 44-59

Author(s):

Dmytro Oleshko ◽

◽

Maksym Filippov ◽

Yurii Bets ◽

Iryna Basaraba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Conditions ◽

Online Survey ◽

Training Programs ◽

Online Training ◽

Online Classes ◽

Psychological Strain ◽

Psychological Barriers ◽

The World ◽

The Impact ◽

Positive Results

The article reveals an analysis of the ability of border guards to overcome psychological barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last few months, the psychological strain in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic has increased significantly, which has affected the ability of border guards to overcome psychological barriers. The article examines the impact of such psychological support in the form of online classes and provides recommendations for the applied use of the program to develop the ability to overcome border guards’ psychological barriers, developed by the authors. The authors suggested a number of methods to test the ability in order to overcome the psychological barriers of border guards in difficult working conditions, and also tested these methods. To examine the ability of border guards to overcome psychological barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic, an online survey of respondents was conducted. The results of the survey were compared with the results in 2014. The study also included the testing of online training programs, which provided for the simulation of service situations in order to correct the errors that are most common done by officers. A constructive part of the study was the research and analysis of psychoregulation and correction of negative, uncomfortable states, emotional, affective and sensory spheres. At the final stage there was a consolidation of the positive results achieved in the process of classes, discussion by the students of the group of experience, emotions, own states.

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Teachers’ Perceptions and the Challenges of Online Teaching/Learning in Morocco during Covid-19 Crisis

10.31235/osf.io/gfdzc ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Basma MOUNJID ◽

Elhassane EL HILALI ◽

Fatima AMRANI ◽

Mohammed MOUBTASSIME

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Online Survey ◽

School Closure ◽

School Closures ◽

Teachers Perceptions ◽

Data Collection Instrument ◽

Teaching Learning ◽

The Impact

The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused one of the most extensive school closures worldwide, sending over one billion students home away from their schools, teachers, and classmates. Governments opted for online education to ensure the continuity of learning. Teachers in Morocco have opted for different tech tools and platforms to design and deliver online classes. This study aims to assess the impact and effectiveness of online teaching during the COVID 19 outbreak among teachers in Morocco. Based on the theoretical framework Online Collaborative Learning (OCL), an online survey questionnaire is employed as a data collection instrument. A total of 421 Moroccan teachers from different regions all over Morocco took part in the study. This paper used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software to analyze the collected data and determine the impact and quality of online teaching during the Covid-19 national school closure in Morocco. The results showed that most of the teachers faced numerous technology, training, and socio-economic challenges that acted as barriers to the processes of online education. The findings obtained can be of use in making future decisions concerning the implementation of teaching and learning online programs in Morocco considering the teachers’ perspective

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

Theory and Practice in Language Studies ◽

10.17507/tpls.1010.11 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1259

Author(s):

Maha Mouchantaf

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Distance Learning ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Online Survey ◽

Higher Education Institutions ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

The Impact

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.

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