scholarly journals UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ STRUGGLES WITH ONLINE LEARNING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN

Author(s):  
Esther Chiner ◽  
◽  
Marcos Gómez-Puerta ◽  
Victoria E. García-Vera ◽  
M. Cristina Cardona-Moltó ◽  
...  

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that affected most countries during the year 2020, the society had to adapt rapidly to new forms of working in which the Internet has been an essential tool. And so did the higher institutions around the world, which had to move from a face-to-face classroom environment to an online one. The change from traditional learning to online learning was so unexpected that neither the instructors nor the students may have been prepared for it and could have important consequences on students’ learning and academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to explore how university students had to struggle with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown attending to three aspects: (a) availability and use of electronic devices, (b) personal factors, and (c) teaching factors. A non-experimental study based on a survey design was conducted, in which a convenience sample of 496 undergraduate and graduate students from two different universities located in south eastern Spain participated. The majority of the participants (66.3%) had very little or no experience in online learning and 55% considered that their academic performance was being worse than in face-to-face classes. Findings showed that most of the students had the electronic devices required for online learning (e.g. laptops, earphones, webcams, smartphones), although they mainly used laptops and earphones. They did not have other devices at home such as desktop computers, printers and scanners. The personal factors that most affected their academic performance were family problems and/or responsibilities (46.6%), psychological or emotional problems (41.6%), an inappropriate study environment (41.2%), and a bad Internet connection (31.4%). With regard to teaching factors, students complained of excessive assignments (82.6%), lack of lesson explanations (78.6%), loss of concentration during synchronous classes (64.3%), having to learn through the computer screen (58.9%), and feeling of being abandoned (57.4%), among others. In sum, university students’ struggles with online learning were more related to teaching factors than to personal and material factors. Therefore, higher education institutions and faculty should be prepared to respond to student’s needs in different teaching scenarios, and more specifically in online environments, by adapting not only their teaching styles and resources but also the way they interact with students.

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Hubble ◽  
Michael E. Richards

AbstractIntroduction:Colleges and universities are experiencing increasing demand for online courses in many healthcare disciplines, including emergency medical services (EMS). Development and implementation of online paramedic courses with the quality of education experienced in the traditional classroom setting is essential in order to maintain the integrity of the educational process. Currently, there is conflicting evidence of whether a significant difference exists in student performance between online and traditional nursing and allied health courses. However, there are no published investigations of the effectiveness of online learning by paramedic students.Hypothesis:Performance of paramedic students enrolled in an online, undergraduate, research methods course is equivalent to the performance of students enrolled in the same course provided in a traditional, classroom environment.Methods:Academic performance, learning styles, and course satisfaction surveys were compared between two groups of students. The course content was identical for both courses and taught by the same instructor during the same semester. The primary difference between the traditional course and the online course was the method of lecture delivery. Lectures for the on-campus students were provided live in a traditional classroom setting using PowerPoint slides. Lectures for the online students were provided using the same PowerPoint slides with prerecorded streaming audio and video.Results:A convenience sample of 23 online and 10 traditional students participated in this study. With the exception of two learning domains, the two groups of students exhibited similar learning styles as assessed using the Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales instrument. The online students scored significantly lower in the competitive and dependent dimensions than did the on-campus students. Academic performance was similar between the two groups. The online students devoted slightly more time to the course than did the campus students, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. In general, the online students believed the online audio lectures were more effective than the traditional live lectures.Conclusion:Distance learning technology appears to be an effective mechanism for extending didactic paramedic education off-campus, and may be beneficial particularly to areas that lack paramedic training programs or adequate numbers of qualified instructors.


Author(s):  
Alan Cromlish

This paper explores anonymous online learning as a tool to overcome specific teaching and learning issues within Korean post-secondary institutions. The chapter utilizes a survey of a small group of ESL students at a single Korean university to better understand student preferences and opinions about non-traditional learning options and opportunities in Korea. While many students in Korea have not been exposed to online learning, the students surveyed expressed interest in learning online and they were especially interested in collaborative learning opportunities. As more online classes and online learning opportunities start to become available in South Korea, this study explores anonymous online learning as an effective tool to overcome some significant and distinct teaching and learning challenges at Korean post-secondary institutions. The anonymous online learning suggestions and approaches in the paper can be implemented within fully online courses and blended classes but they can also be used as stand-alone online components of traditional face to face and ESL courses.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingorance Estrada ◽  
Granda Vera ◽  
Rojas Ruiz ◽  
Alemany Arrebola

In recent years, educational research has focused on analyzing significant differences in the academic performance of university students according to the intervention model of the traditional methodology vs. the flipped classroom. This empirical-analytical research is based on a quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent groups. The results reveal significant differences on the average grades of university students; those participating in the flipped classroom obtained higher scores than students following a traditional methodology, regardless of the specialization. Moreover, this research concludes that the flipped classroom approach offers an opportunity to transform the traditional system by improving the classroom environment, the teaching-learning process and the student’s assessment.


Author(s):  
Safi Mahmoud Mahfouz ◽  
Wael Juma Salam

This study aimed to investigate Jordanian university students’ attitudes toward online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, shed light on the obstacles students encounter in online learning, and suggest possible solutions. A questionnaire designed by the researchers was used to elicit responses from a study sample consisting of 195 students from the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Jordan – Aqaba. As this is an attitudinal study, the survey questionnaire was designed to elicit student responses on the following domains: gender, seniority level, socioeconomic status, training and orientation for using eLearning platforms, and their attitudes, whether positive or negative, toward online learning. Results of this quantitative research showed that student attitudes toward online learning are generally negative. The majority of the respondents reported that they prefer face-to-face classroom instruction over online learning because it gives them direct contact with the instructors. Furthermore, results revealed statistically significant differences amongst students attributed to their gender, whereas no differences were found with regards to their seniority of study, socioeconomic status, and the eLearning platform they prefer to use. The study concludes by proposing some pedagogical recommendations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Like Raskova Octaberlina ◽  
Afif Ikhwanul Muslimin

Covid-19 pandemic has made many countries adapt on new situations in different sectors including education. The Indonesia government has decided to adjust the education mode from face-to-face to online meeting using various learning management systems (LMS) such as moodle and google classroom. Moreover, the present research depicted the online learning barriers faced by students as well as their alternatives to cope them. The research implemented descriptive mixed-method survey design. The participants were 25 students of English Education Department. The instruments used to gather the data were the questionnaires and interview regarding the topics. The results showed that students experienced three barriers during the online learning including infamiliriaty of e-learning, slow internet connection, and physical condition e.g. eye strain. The alternatives they proposed were providing training to implement the LMS before the real class, converting high-definition or big-size files into smaller one, and giving break during the online class. The conclusion stated that students had to be creatives to find any solutions and innovations regarding learning barriers including maintaining good communication with teacher and understanding best learning styles individually


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicitas Biwer ◽  
Wisnu Wiradhany ◽  
Mirjam oude Egbrink ◽  
Harm Hospers ◽  
Stella Wasenitz ◽  
...  

During the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, universities had to shift from face-to-face to emergency remote education. Students were forced to study online, with limited access to facilities and less contact with peers and teachers, while at the same time being exposed to more autonomy. This study examined how students adapted to emergency remote learning, specifically focusing on students’ resource-management strategies using an individual differences approach. One thousand eight hundred university students completed a questionnaire on their resource-management strategies and indicators of (un)successful adaptation to emergency remote learning. On average, students reported being less able to regulate their attention, effort, and time and less motivated compared to the situation before the crisis started; they also reported investing more time and effort in their self-study. Using a k-means cluster analysis, we identified four adaptation profiles and labeled them according to the reported changes in their resource-management strategies: the overwhelmed, the surrenderers, the maintainers, and the adapters. Both the overwhelmed and surrenderers appeared to be less able to regulate their effort, attention, and time and reported to be less motivated to study than before the crisis. In contrast, the adapters appreciated the increased level of autonomy and were better able to self-regulate their learning. The resource-management strategies of the maintainers remained relatively stable. Students’ responses to open-answer questions on their educational experience, coded using a thematic analysis, were consistent with the quantitative profiles. Implications about how to support students in adapting to online learning are discussed.


Author(s):  
Hong-Thu Thi Nguyen

<p>In response to a public health emergency of COVID-19 pandemic, changing learning and teaching from face to face mode to online one is determined to be imperative. The fact that classrooms were temporarily prevented from continuing did not mean that learning and teaching were suspended. It was going on in a new approach supported by technology, which challenges students and teachers with various barriers. The paper explored the correlation between online learning barriers and motivations, whether the motivation-boosting strategies could help students overcome challenges in online learning duration and had any impact on students’ academic achievement or not. A quasi-experimental research was applied for 288 third-year students of law joining the second criminal law course at a university in Viet Nam. The experiment was conducted with the assistance of LMS, Microsoft Team, Skype and Zoom, along with Socrative, Kahoot and Social networks. The findings revealed that the extrinsic barriers had more impact on motivation than intrinsic ones; extrinsic barriers had high impact on the motivation and the learning results of students compared to the traditional learning method. The data also expressed that the motivation-boosting activities in the online learning process led positive changes in students’ learning motivation and academic achievement.<strong></strong></p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-27
Author(s):  
Aleksander Yu. Osipov ◽  
Tatyana I. Ratmanskaya ◽  
Elena A. Zemba ◽  
Vladimir Potop ◽  
Mikhail D. Kudryavtsev ◽  
...  

Background and Study Aim. Physical activity (PA) is regarded as a critical component of a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention. Different constraints placed upon social interaction and public spaces due to COVID-19 could decrease PA and academic performance in physical education (PE) in student population. The purpose of the research was to assess overall and sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE in a sample of university students pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods. Participants (n=209) – university students (19-20 years old). The overall period of the research is September-December 2020. All participants (male–n=106 and female–n=103) were divided into approximately equal groups: humanities students (male–MG-1, female–FG-1), medicine students (male–MG-2, female–FG-2), technical students (male–MG-3, female–FG-3). The main research tools: modified student self-reported questionnaire (on the base of IPAQ), academic grading (scores for self-completed PE tasks). In surveys, all participants self-rated overall and sport/fitness PA level pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. The participants had to complete 32 special PE tasks, during the research period. PE teachers rated participants by a special grading scale. Results. For the male and female students’ groups there were no significant differences of overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE pre-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. All participants significantly (p≤0.05) decreased overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE post-cancellation. There was a significant (p≤0.05) large amount of overall PA level in MG-2 students and sport/fitness PA level in MG-1 students’ post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. For the male students there were no significant differences of grading in PE pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes between participants groups. There was a significant (p≤0.05) large amount of overall PA level post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in FG-2 students. There was a significantly (p≤0.05) lower amount of sport/fitness PA level post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in FG-3 students. There was a significant drop in mean grading scores in PE post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in students. FG-2 participants had significantly (p≤0.05) higher grading scores in PE post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. Conclusions. The universities closure and cancellation of face-to-face PE classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic decreased overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE in all participants. It is important to note that the proportional decrease in overall PA for the male students was actually large, then decrease in overall PA for the female students was less. The findings highlight the need for active interventions of PA promotion targeted at the student population in the context of self-isolation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Torres-Diaz ◽  
Josep M. Duart ◽  
Mónica Hinojosa-Becerra

In this work, we determined, the level of incidence of the use of technologies on academic success and the incidence of interaction and experience on the level of plagiarism of university students. A sample of 10,952 students from 31 face-to-face universities in Ecuador was created. Students were classified based on their experience level, level of interaction with teachers and classmates, and the use they do with technology for academic activities. The results showed that the level of experience does not affect academic success, but does have an incidence on plagiarism levels that increase as this experience increases. Plagiarism reaches higher levels when level of experience, family income and hours of connection per day increases. Academic performance depends on the number of hours that students seek information and the number of academic videos they watch. Also, plagiarism tends to decrease as the student makes better use of technology for their academic activities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 84-90
Author(s):  
Hung Nguyen Quoc Luu

Online learning is a revolutionary trend of educational technology today. Particularly, online learning has become the donminent alternative to traditional learning during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the new normal. Various studies have shown that online learning has varying effectiveness at all levels and types of education; however, it is worth noting that many learners are still struggling to accept the mode of online learning, and learner retention has been suggested as one of the greatest weaknesses in online education. The current study used a questionnaire with open-ended questions to examine online learners’ perceptions of online learning as well as to understand reasons for their retention in online courses. The results revealed that most of the learners, especially young learners still preferred traditional face-to-face learning to online learning due to various problems they experienced while doing online learning, such as lack of facilities and necessary interactions. However, the retention rates are relatively modest, indicating the perceived quality of online programs at a center of foreign languages in Vietnam.


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