Inequality and Access to Online Education During a Global Crisis

2021 ◽  
pp. 340-361
Author(s):  
Herbert Ntuli ◽  
Edwin Muchapondwa ◽  
Victor Ntuli ◽  
Lina Mangwende
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Free Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Method Approach

The impact of inequality and technology on access to online education has received tremendous attention within the past two decades from researchers across the globe. What remains under-researched is the knowledge of how shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic affect access to online education. The main objective of the study was to examine inequality in accessing online education in the context of a crisis in a developing region. A mixed-method approach was used to collect and analyze online survey data based on 393 undergraduate students from six countries in Southern Africa. Both observable and hidden inequality sources such as income and participation in household chores compromise the quality of online education. A shift from face-to-face teaching to online education is likely to result in learning difficulties and deterioration in the quality of education. Policies such as the provision of free data improve the learning experience by reducing inequality. Therefore, decision-makers should take into consideration inequality in designing policies and strategies during a crisis.

scholarly journals Online language teaching and learning: Anglistics students' perspectives on the new educational environment imposed by the COVID 19 outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-248
Author(s):  
Marijana Prodanović ◽  
Valentina Gavranović
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Online Delivery ◽  
Education Environment

This paper focuses on students' perspectives on the quality of online teaching and learning environment, created, and organized as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which unexpectedly interrupted the traditional face-to-face education context and changed the delivery and mode of classes overnight. The aim of this research is to gather information pertaining to students' learning experience in an online education environment, and to gain a deeper insight into the nature of online delivery of classes as perceived by students who had not had any similar learning experience prior to this newly created educational context. The theoretical framework of the paper states the latest EU education policies passed as an immediate and urgent response to the pandemic and its aftermath. This pilot study relies on a qualitative research which includes the analysis of a corpus of questionnaires taken by a group of 52 undergraduate students majoring in English. The main part of the questionnaire is composed of open-ended questions, and the respondents were asked to write their own answers, thus providing a valuable resource for the analysis; the other part relies on one Likert-scale question measuring the overall attitude of the respondents to the online learning. The students' answers are analyzed and classified into several categories according to their common denominator. Not only do the results show the students' opinions related to the benefits and drawbacks of online delivery of classes, the comparison of online and traditional form of teaching and learning, types of courses which are more suitable to be delivered in one of these modes, and the students' suggestions how to improve the quality of online classes, but they also shed light on different aspects of online teaching and its complexities enhanced by social and psychological factors involved.

scholarly journals Technology Makes the Heart Grow Fonder? A Test of Media Multiplexity Theory for Family Closeness

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Bhoj Balayar ◽  
Michael Langlais
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Relationship Closeness ◽  
Media Multiplexity ◽  
Family Closeness ◽  
The Impact

Technology can be helpful for family relationships. Media multiplexity theory illustrates that the more technological connections (i.e., multimodality) an individual has with their family members, the stronger that relationship. Yet, this theory assumes that spending time face to face (FtF) is equitable to multimodality for relationship quality. The goal of this study is to examine the impact of online and offline interactions for the quality of family relationships. Data are from undergraduate students completing an online survey (N = 154). Results reveal that spending time FtF is better for the quality of relationships for one parent, but not the other. Although FtF was not significantly different for grandparent and sibling relationships, participants felt closer to siblings when they texted. Correlational analyses revealed that individuals scoring high in collectivism report that spending time FtF is associated with higher relationship closeness and love, particularly with parents, but not other family members. These results provide some evidence for the importance of spending quality time with family members, particularly for those who identify as collectivistic.

scholarly journals Female Saudi University Students’ Perceptions of Online Education Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 381-397
Author(s):  
Nasrin Altuwairesh
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Education Experience

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc and caused world-wide disruptions to daily activities, including education. Numerous mitigation measures were taken to slow down the rapid spread of this pandemic. The situation, subsequently, entailed utilizing technology to ensure the continuation of the educational process. The abrupt shift to online education presented significant challenges to teachers and learners alike. Uncovering students’ perceptions of their online education experience will help address and deal with these challenges. This study attempted to explore the perceptions of Saudi female undergraduate students of their online education experience amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The total of 241 female students at the College of Languages and Translation at King Saud University in Riyadh answered a multi-item online survey. The results revealed that many of the respondents were happy with their online learning experience, enjoyed learning online and looked forward to their online classes. However, when asked to compare online learning to brick-and-mortar classes, more than half of the participants stated that they prefer traditional, face-to-face learning. The results of this study also revealed that the significant problems students faced in online education related to staying motivated, technical issues and the absence of face-to-face interaction. Despite the many challenges they face when learning online, the most cited advantage for online education mentioned by the participants is that it is more convenient. The results also indicated that this education mode seemed to suit shy students more, as they stated that they participate and ask questions more in online classes.

scholarly journals Female Saudi University Students’ Perceptions of Online Education Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasrin Altuwairesh
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Education Experience

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc and caused world-wide disruptions to daily activities, including education. Numerous mitigation measures were taken to slow down the rapid spread of this pandemic. The situation, subsequently, entailed utilizing technology to ensure the continuation of the educational process. The abrupt shift to online education presented significant challenges to teachers and learners alike. Uncovering students’ perceptions of their online education experience will help address and deal with these challenges. This study attempted to explore the perceptions of Saudi female undergraduate students of their online education experience amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The total of 241 female students at the College of Languages and Translation at King Saud University in Riyadh answered a multi-item online survey. The results revealed that many of the respondents were happy with their online learning experience, enjoyed learning online and looked forward to their online classes. However, when asked to compare online learning to brick-and-mortar classes, more than half of the participants stated that they prefer traditional, face-to-face learning. The results of this study also revealed that the significant problems students faced in online education related to staying motivated, technical issues and the absence of face-to-face interaction. Despite the many challenges they face when learning online, the most cited advantage for online education mentioned by the participants is that it is more convenient. The results also indicated that this education mode seemed to suit shy students more, as they stated that they participate and ask questions more in online classes.

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

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.

scholarly journals Do-it-yourself physiology labs: Can hands-on laboratory classes be effectively replicated online?

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-102
Author(s):  
Kay Colthorpe ◽  
Louise Ainscough
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Loss Of Face ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Laboratory ◽  
Do It Yourself ◽  
Essential Knowledge ◽  
The Impact

Laboratory classes are a cornerstone of physiology education, enabling students to develop essential knowledge and skills. Recent moves toward utilizing blended options to support face-to-face classes with online materials are beneficial, but using solely online classes may not produce similar learning gains. During 2020, the global pandemic meant a loss of face-to-face teaching, such that laboratory classes were rapidly transitioned to online delivery. This study explores the impact of this shift on undergraduate students, evaluating their use of the online laboratory classes and the impact this had on their examination performance and their perceptions of learning. Student use of the online laboratory classes varied, with those spending more time performing better on examinations. Students valued the online classes, finding them helpful for their learning, but also felt that the lack of face-to-face laboratory classes and interactions with peers and teaching staff was detrimental to their learning experience. Overall, academic performance of online learners was comparable to previous years but may indicate some underlying deficits.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on Continuing Medical Education—Results of an Online Survey Among Users of a Non-profit Multi-Specialty Live Online Education Platform

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias L. Schulte ◽  
Thilo Gröning ◽  
Babett Ramsauer ◽  
Jörg Weimann ◽  
Martin Pin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Continuing Medical Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Education Platform ◽  
The Impact

Background: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic accelerated digitalization in medical education. Continuing medical education (CME) as a substantial component of this system was relevantly affected. Here, we present the results of an online survey highlighting the impact on and the role of online CME.Methods: An online survey of 44 questions was completed by users of a German online CME platform receiving an invitation via newsletter. CME habits, requirements, personal perception, and impact of the pandemic were inquired. Standard statistical methods were applied.Results: A total of 2,961 responders took the survey with 2,949 completed surveys included in the final analysis. Most contributions originated from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Physicians accounted for 78.3% (57.5% hospital doctors) of responses followed by midwives (7.3%) and paramedics (5.7%). Participating physicians were mainly board-certified specialists (69%; 55.75% hospital specialists, 13.25% specialists in private practice). Frequent online lectures at regular intervals (77.8%) and combined face-to-face and online CME (55.9%) were favored. A duration of 1–2 h was found ideal (57.5%). Technical issues were less a major concern since the pandemic.Conclusion: A shift from face-to-face toward online CME events was expectedly detected since the outbreak. Online CME was accelerated and promoted by the pandemic. According to the perception of users, the CME system appears to have reacted adequately to meet their demand but does not replace human interaction.

scholarly journals Moving from Face-to-Face to Remote Instruction in a Higher Education Institution during a Pandemic: Multiple Case Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-383
Author(s):  
Ladan Ghazi-Saidi ◽  
Aliisa Criffield ◽  
Carrie L. Kracl ◽  
Miechelle McKelvey ◽  
Sharon N. Obasi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Previous Experience ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Remote Learning

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, our institution, like others in higher education, suspended face- to-face classes and offered remote learning as an alternative.  We report five cases of undergraduate and graduate courses that transitioned from a face-to-face to a remote mode. Each case will provide a detailed description of how the course was moved to an online mode, how the course was managed, the instructors’ previous experience in online teaching, their self-reflection on the process of transitioning to remote learning and their recommendations for a more successful experience in a similar potential scenario in the future.  Further, we report the students’ perspectives based on their responses to an online survey.  The combined results of the cases reported in this study reflect the resilience on both sides. A sudden shutdown of the university along with disease- related fears caused anxiety both for the students and instructors regardless of previous experience in online education. However, having online material pre-pandemic, possessing the technical skills, and previous online teaching or learning experience as well as having the infrastructure in place, facilitated the smooth navigation of the courses. The mode of delivery of the course (synchronous, asynchronous or blended) did not have an effect on students’ satisfaction.

scholarly journals Student and faculty perceptions of the quality of online learning experiences

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Ward ◽  
Gary Peters ◽  
Kyna Shelley
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
University Of Southern Mississippi ◽  
Instructional Format ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Some faculty members are reluctant to offer online courses because of significant concerns relative to the impact of such formats on the quality of instruction, learning, and participant interaction. Faculty members from The University of Southern Mississippi implemented synchronous interactive online instruction (SIOI) in the spring of 2007. This article explores the rationale for use of the particular technology, faculty conclusions regarding implementation of the technology, and the impact of the technology on instruction and learning. Comparisons by students of the quality of the learning experience in this environment with the quality of learning in face-to-face and asynchronous online learning environments were also analyzed. The study finds that instructors and students view SIOI favourably. The mean student ratings for the dimensions of instructional quality were the same for SIOI and face-to-face course formats in all but one dimension, but mean ratings for SIOI and face-to-face formats were consistently higher than those for asynchronous online instruction. The single exception was for the dimension, ease of access to the course; the SIOI and asynchronous online formats were rated higher than the face-to-face format in this quality dimension. These findings suggest that it is possible to achieve levels of effectiveness in an online instructional format similar to those that are realized in face-to-face delivery. However, there is slight, though not statistically significant, evidence of concern about the quality of student collaboration in SIOI-enabled courses. Thus, instructors will need to capitalize on available mechanisms for interaction and collaboration.

scholarly journals Social Media Use During Social Gathering Among Youth: A Study on Moghbazar Area of Dhaka City

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-219
Author(s):  
Md. Tahsinul Haque ◽  
Easrat Jahan Eyemoon ◽  
Arifur Rahaman
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Social Gathering ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

The rise of social media and continuous technological advances have had a significant impact on how people communicate. Social media sites include social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and any website that allows social interaction. Many studies have been conducted on the impact of social media, but this study is specifically based on the impact of social media on social gatherings in Dhaka. The primary objective of this study is to examine how the virtual world reshapes the way of social gathering. In this study, an online survey was administered to find out the level of engagement of social media during a social gathering. The researcher collected a total of 120 respondents using the purposive sampling method. Findings suggest that social media intensely affects social gatherings. Despite respondents' awareness of the decrease of face-to-face communication as a result of social media, more than 74 percent of respondents continue to use social media during a social gathering. Use of social media sites found to be harnessing the quality of conversation. While technology facilitates instant communication, it also harms regular interaction.

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