The Development of Scaffolding and its Effects on the Sense of Community in Online Education

2014 ◽  
Vol 701-702 ◽  
pp. 1263-1266
Author(s):  
Rong Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Education Data

Sense of community refers to individuals’ strong feelings of community, which plays a significant role in attracting and retaining learners in online education. This study argued that properly-constructed scaffolding can enhance the sense of community in online education. Data were collected from 299 university students, and the relationships between the scaffolding and the sense of community were examined by path analysis. It was proved that scaffolding has significant effects on both the connectedness and learning aspects of the sense of community.

scholarly journals University Students’ Self-Rated Health in Relation to Perceived Acoustic Environment during the COVID-19 Home Quarantine

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2538
Author(s):  
Angel M. Dzhambov ◽  
Peter Lercher ◽  
Drozdstoy Stoyanov ◽  
Nadezhda Petrova ◽  
Stoyan Novakov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Single Item ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Human And Nature

Background: Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likely changed perceptions of the indoor acoustic environment (i.e., soundscape) and raised its importance. In the present study, we seek to understand how indoor soundscape related to university students’ self-rated health in Bulgaria around the time that the country was under a state of emergency declaration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Between 17 May and 10 June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 323 students (median age 21 years; 31% male) from two universities in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Self-rated health (SRH) was measured with a single-item. Participants were asked how frequently they heard different types of sounds while at home and how pleasant they considered each of those sounds to be. Restorative quality of the home (the “being away” dimension of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was measured with a single-item. A priori confounders and effect modifiers included sociodemographics, house-related characteristics, general sensitivity to environmental influences, and mental health. Our analysis strategy involved sequential exploratory factor analysis (EFA), multivariate linear and ordinal regressions, effect modification tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: EFA supported grouping perceived sounds into three distinct factors—mechanical, human, and nature sounds. Regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to mechanical sounds was consistently associated with worse SRH, whereas no significant associations were found for human and nature sounds. In SEM, exposure to mechanical sounds related to lower restorative quality of the home, and then to poorer SRH, whereas nature sounds correlated with higher restorative quality, and in turn with better SRH. Conclusions: These findings suggest a role of positive indoor soundscape and restorative quality for promoting self-rated health in times of social distancing.

scholarly journals Examining Saudi EFL University Students’ Readiness for Online Learning at the Onset of Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Abdullah Ghobain ◽  
Abdullah Ahmed Zughaibi
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
First Year ◽  
English Major ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
First Year University

Nowadays, especially after the COVID-19 crisis lockdown, the heavy reliance on technology and online platforms led to a greater expectation of more learning autonomy among English learners in EFL contexts such as Saudi Arabia. The sudden shift to online learning requires an investigation into students’ readiness and willingness for such a mode of learning. This can provide educators with many prospects about learning outcomes achievement and assessment, test performance, and interaction during classes. Therefore, the current study seeks to contribute to the well-known area of learner autonomy research, which is still lacking in the context of the study, by exploring the readiness of Saudi first-year undergraduate English learners towards online education. Participants’ level of readiness is identified according to their autonomous behaviors and activities. The study will also assess the investigated concept considering the influence of gender and field of study of the participants on their autonomy levels. A total of 802 students participated in this study. It was found that Saudi first-year university students are moderately autonomous, that both males and females have similar levels of aptitude and readiness for taking responsibility for their learning, and that English-major and non-English-major groups showed comparatively similar levels across different learning autonomy dimensions. Yet interestingly, English-major participants displayed a relatively lower autonomy level than students of other majors.

scholarly journals Psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on university students: Understanding apprehensions through a phenomenographic approach

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0251641
Author(s):  
Sumbal Shahbaz ◽  
Muhammad Zeshan Ashraf ◽  
Rubeena Zakar ◽  
Florian Fischer ◽  
Muhammad Zakria Zakar
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Psychological Effects ◽  
Limited Evidence ◽  
Psychosocial Effects ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
Outcome Space ◽  
Depth Interviews

Limited evidence exists to help understand the experiences of university students in relation to the long-term lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For that reason, we conducted a study using a phenomenographic approach in order to understand how university students perceive COVID-19 and the associated lockdown. Data were collected from 25 students in Pakistan. They were asked to demonstrate the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in illustrations. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with these students, to gain further insights into their perspectives on the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis revealed four interlinked directions for understanding students’ experiences. These themes were: 1) escape into peace, 2) hope for personal freedom, 3) fear of becoming a victim of COVID-19, and 4) concerns regarding education, future career, and opportunities. All four themes were analyzed and condensed into an outcome space, which further gathers the perceptions of students under one theme as “Hope for life while paradoxically living with fear”. Studying the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on students not only highlighted their concerns, but also emphasized the importance of starting regular psychological evaluations and stress-releasing sessions, along with online education to overcome growing depression.

Architectural design communication (ADC) in online education during COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison of Turkish and Spanish universities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşegül Akçay Kavakoğlu ◽  
Derya Güleç Özer ◽  
Débora Domingo-Callabuig ◽  
Ömer Bilen
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Architectural Education ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Design Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technical Drawing

PurposeThe paper aims to examine the concept of architectural design communication (ADC) for updating design studio dynamics in architectural education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Within this perspective, the changing and transforming contents of architectural education, the thinking, representation and production mediums are examined through the determined components of ADC. There are five components in the study, which are (1) Effective Language Use, (2) Effective use of Handcrafts, (3) Effective Technical Drawing Knowledge, (4) Effective Architectural Software Knowledge and (5) Outputs.Design/methodology/approachThe research method is based on qualitative and quantitative methods; a survey study is applied and the comparative results are evaluated with the path analysis method. The students in the Department of Architecture of two universities have been selected as the target audience. Case study 1 survey is applied to Altinbas University (AU) and Case study 2 survey is applied to Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) students during the COVID-19 pandemic; ‘19-‘20 spring term, online education.FindingsAs a result, two-path analysis diagrams are produced for two universities, and a comparative analysis is presented to reveal the relationships of the selected ADC components.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills an identified need to study how ADC can be developed in online education platforms.

Fostering Successful Learning Communities to Meet the Diverse Needs of University Students by Creating Brain Based Online Learning Environments

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-25
Author(s):  
Silvia L. Braidic
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
University Students ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Learning Environment ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

This paper introduces the reader on how to foster successful learning communities to meet the diverse needs of university students by creating a brain based online learning environment. Students come in all shapes and sizes. At the university level, students enrolled in online programs, have made a choice to do so. Today, online education is a unique and important venue for many students wishing to continue (or start) their education. It is part of a new culture with many distinct characteristics (Farrell, 2001). For instructors, online instruction creates its own set of challenges in terms of the course design and implementation. The author hopes that developing an understanding of how to create a brain based online learning environment will inform the reader of ways to foster successful learning communities to most effectively meet the diverse needs of the students it serves.

scholarly journals Factors that Influence the Purchase and Consumption of Alcoholic Drinks in Malawi Particularly among University Students

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-67
Author(s):  
Eliam Y.Z. Kamanga
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Alcoholic Drinks

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence the purchase and consumption of alcohol among university students in Malawi. The study sought to recommend strategies that can promote the marketing of alcohol among university students aged 18 and above. Results show that of the 138 respondents, 109 (72% males and 28% females) agreed that they consume alcohol. The study indicates that quality of alcohol influences most students to consume alcohol. In addition, promotions that emphasise on price cuts and special offers have a positive impact on the marketing of alcohol among students. Notable also are subjective social norms which play a significant role in influencing students to consume alcohol with friends other than alone. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v2i1.11682      Int. J. Soc. Sci. Manage. Vol-2, issue-1: 52-67 

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