An Analysis about Attitudes Towards the Changes in Online Tutorials from the Perspective of Teachers

This study aims to explore the teachers’ attitudes towards changes in online tutorials and what changes they will adapt to these challenges for achieving long-term development. In this study, the data collected is quantitative and use a questionnaire to collect related information from 117 samples. Through the investigation and analysis of teachers’ attitudes about the changes in online tutorials, the following two conclusions are mainly drawn. Initially, majority of teachers has recognized attitudes towards the teaching methods, course content and teaching effects of existing online tutorials, and is willing to accept the changes in online tutorials. At the same time, the age (teaching age) and experience in online tutorials are also important factors that have an impact on teachers’ attitudes towards changes in teaching methods and course content. Secondly, teachers’ attitudes towards existing online tutorials can also impact on teachers’ recognition and behavioral intentions of changes in online tutorials. Teachers, on the whole, are in favor of changes in the design and content of online tutorial courses, which implies that the curriculum will be more student-centered and high-quality. These two findings support the validity of the research hypothesis. Furthermore, the research suggests that teachers take advantage of the opportunity to develop their teaching abilities, overcome their fear of challenges, embrace change, and ensure technical support, based on the literature and research. However, in order to gain a better grasp of this topic in the future, more in-depth research will be required. In summary, this research has both theoretical and practical significance.

Sponsoring Academic Integrity: The Role of Human and Informational Sources of Scholarship in Adoption of Plagiarism-Avoiding Techniques among Research Students of Social Sciences

Plagiarism is a serious offense that defies the ethics of scholarship and research. Research students need to pay substantive attention to the dynamics and contours of plagiarism in their creative, ethical, and academic endeavors. Scholarship avenues such as online tutorials and work assignments are important sources of instructions for plagiarism-avoidance among students. The current study explores the frequency of consultation of scholarship avenues and the usage of plagiarism-avoidance techniques among research students in social sciences. The study also recommends a scale to investigate plagiarism-avoidance techniques. Furthermore, it also examines the level of the study in predicting the usage of plagiarism-avoidance. Using the online survey technique, 108 research students from Pakistan were sampled. The questionnaire was uploaded on several student-based research groups of social media, including; Facebook, and Yahoo groups. Bivariate linear regression analysis was used for hypothesis testing. Findings revealed that scholarship avenues lead to greater usage of plagiarism-avoidance techniques among research students (R2=0.065). Supervisors, class-fellows, colleagues, and faculty of the department are prominent human scholarship avenues. Similarly, articles and books from the web, books from the library, the anti-plagiarism policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and lectures delivered in the classroom were leading informational scholarship avenues. Stage of the study and consultation of the scholarship avenues were predictors of usage of plagiarism-avoidance techniques. It is recommended that (i) plagiarism-avoidance is promoted through prevention rather than detection, and that (ii) scholarship avenues (e.g. delivering lectures, institutional policy, and interaction with relevant websites) are used for enhancing awareness about intellectual dishonesty.

Quality, Effectiveness and Outcome of Blended Learning in Dental Education during the COVID Pandemic: Prospects of a Post-Pandemic Implementation

Blended learning is growing in popularity particularly following the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. One of the fields that the pandemic has substantially affected is dental education. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the online dental education. Students’ perceptions and experiences of blended learning were also investigated. Methods: A 28-question online survey was designed to gauge students’ perceptions of the effect of blended learning on their academic performance. Results: 314 participants in preclinical and clinical years completed the questionnaire (223 females and 91 males). The majority of students (89%) believed that clinical and practical courses cannot be given by the internet. In terms of students’ opinion in the assessment process, more females (65.8%) preferred traditional exams than males (50.5%) (p < 0.05). Most clinical students (83%) preferred a combination of online and traditional teaching compared to 72% of preclinical students (p < 0.05). Clinical year students were more willing to communicate electronically with their classmates and instructors. The majority of dental students (65%) reported that future dental courses should be blended. Conclusions: In the pandemic era, blended learning, should become the preferred method of education whereby theoretical knowledge is delivered through online tutorials and clinical training is resumed on-site, to ensure competency of dental graduates while maintaining safety of the dental team. Current facilities and course designs should be improved in order to improve students’ experiences with blended learning.

Literature and Practice in the Creation of Online Information Literacy Tutorials in New Zealand and Australian University Libraries: Results of Content Analysis of Online Tutorials

<p>Introduction: This research users inferential statistical tests to explore the statistical significance of observed relationships between the frequencies of elements of online tutorials found within the academic literature, and the frequencies of those same elements as found in online tutorials produced by New Zealand and Australian university libraries. Frequencies were also compared between Australian and New Zealand tutorials, and also between two types of tutorials. Method: Elements of online tutorials were located in articles from highly ranked journals, and other germane sources. A content analysis of a sample of online tutorials was carried out, using the elements identified as criteria. Findings and conclusion: No statistically significant differences were found between the frequencies of elements in the literature and elements in the online tutorials, despite descriptive statistics indicating otherwise. A slight positive correlation was found between the frequencies of elements in tutorials produced in the two different countries. However, the small size of the literature sample severely restricts the conclusiveness of these results.</p>

Literature and Practice in the Creation of Online Information Literacy Tutorials in New Zealand and Australian University Libraries: Results of Content Analysis of Online Tutorials

<p>Introduction: This research users inferential statistical tests to explore the statistical significance of observed relationships between the frequencies of elements of online tutorials found within the academic literature, and the frequencies of those same elements as found in online tutorials produced by New Zealand and Australian university libraries. Frequencies were also compared between Australian and New Zealand tutorials, and also between two types of tutorials. Method: Elements of online tutorials were located in articles from highly ranked journals, and other germane sources. A content analysis of a sample of online tutorials was carried out, using the elements identified as criteria. Findings and conclusion: No statistically significant differences were found between the frequencies of elements in the literature and elements in the online tutorials, despite descriptive statistics indicating otherwise. A slight positive correlation was found between the frequencies of elements in tutorials produced in the two different countries. However, the small size of the literature sample severely restricts the conclusiveness of these results.</p>

Validity and reliability of an instrument to evaluate the digital competence of teachers in relation to online tutorials in the stages of Early Childhood Education and Primary Education

El artículo presenta la validez y fiabilidad de un instrumento para evaluar el nivel de competencia digital del profesorado de Educación Infantil y de Educación Primaria para llevar a cabo la acción tutorial a través de recursos TIC como parte del proceso educativo en tiempos de COVID-19. El instrumento cuenta con 35 ítems clasificados en cinco dimensiones (A- funciones del tutor con el alumnado, B- funciones del tutor con el profesorado, C- funciones del tutor con la familia, D-Formación en TIC y transferencia, E- Uso de recursos TIC). El instrumento fue aplicado a una muestra de 1098 profesores en activo procedentes de 14 comunidades autónomas de España. La fiabilidad fue medida a través de Alfa de Cronbach, Coeficiente de Spearman-Brown, Dos mitades de Guttman, Omega McDonald y fiabilidad Compuesta. Para comprobar la validez del instrumento, fue analizado la validez de comprensión, exploración de la dimensionalidad mediante Análisis-Factorial-Exploratorio (AFE), y se fue ajustando el instrumento a través de diferentes modelos a través del análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC). Además, fue analizada la invarianza factorial por la variable sexo (masculino-femenino), tipo de centro (público-concertado) y tipo de profesorado (educación infantil-educación primaria), así como la validez externa. Los análisis de fiabilidad fueron altamente satisfactorios y en relación a la validez de constructo, los resultados encontraron un buen ajuste del modelo tanto en la validez interna como en la invarianza factorial, con una versión final del instrumento de 25 ítems. This article demonstrates the validity and reliability of an instrument to evaluate the level of digital competence of Early Childhood Education and Primary Education teachers to carry out online tutorials using ICT resources as part of the educational process during the COVID-19 pandemic. The instrument consists of 35 items classified into five dimensions (A – functions of the tutor with the students; B ­– functions of the tutor with the teaching staff; C – functions of the tutor with the family; D – training in ICT and transfer; E – use of ICT resources). The instrument was applied to a sample of 1,098 active teachers from 14 autonomous communities located in Spain. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s Alpha, the Spearman-Brown Coefficient, Guttman Two Halves, Omega McDonald, and for composite reliability. To check the validity of the instrument, we analysed the validity of understanding, and exploration of dimensionality using Factorial-Exploratory Analysis (EFA), and the instrument was adjusted for the different models through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). In addition, factorial invariance was evaluated based on the variables sex (male/female), type of centre (public/charter school), and type of teaching staff (Early Childhood Education/Primary Education), as well as external validity. The results of the reliability analyses were highly satisfactory and, in relation to the construct validity, the results found a good fit of the model, both in the internal validity and in the factorial invariance. The final version of the instrument consists of 25 items.

The Mediating Role of Student Satisfaction in the Relationship between Determinants of Online Student Satisfaction and Student Commitment

The present study uses a proposed model to explore satisfaction and commitment of students in an online learning environment. First, it presents the key determinants of student satisfaction and their impact on student commitment. Second, it examines the significance impact of each of the three key determinants namely course structure, online tutorials flexibility and technology quality on both student satisfaction and commitment.

Perception of Medical Students on the Effect of Covid-19 on Medical Education in Nigeria

Background: The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal activities including undergraduate medical education in Nigeria, similar to the rest of the world. Nigeria as a low- and middle-income country had peculiar challenges in adjusting to the new norm. This study aimed to assess Nigerian medical student’s perception of the effect of COVID-19 on their learning. Methods: A semi-structured, pre-tested online questionnaire was administered to consenting medical students from thirty-three medical schools in Nigeria. Questions assessed the effect of COVID-19 on study and wellbeing, as well as the perception of interventions from institutions and student organizations to reduce the lockdown consequence on learning. Data was analyzed using (SPSS) version 25. Results: A total of 623 students from 33 institutions participated. All private institutions and 25% of public institutions had commenced online lectures/tutorials, 92% of students in private institutions and 21% in public institutions had attended online lectures/tutorials. Of those who did not attend institution-organized classes, 30.5% were opposed to online lectures, the main reasons stated being internet cost/availability and inefficiency. About 65% of the participants were aware of student-organized online tutorials/seminars. Eighty percent did not feel motivated to study and perceived their personal study to be less effective. Conclusion: Nigerian medical student’s perception of the effect of COVID-19 on their medical education was largely negative. Private institutions fared better in coping with the challenges of the pandemic. Proper planning will be needed to curb the effect of COVID-19 on students’ health and wellbeing.

Immunopeptidomics toolkit library (IPTK): a python-based modular toolbox for analyzing immunopeptidomics data

Background The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins play a fundamental role in the adaptive immune system as they present peptides to T cells. Mass-spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics is a promising and powerful tool for characterizing the immunopeptidomic landscape of HLA proteins, that is the peptides presented on HLA proteins. Despite the growing interest in the technology, and the recent rise of immunopeptidomics-specific identification pipelines, there is still a gap in data-analysis and software tools that are specialized in analyzing and visualizing immunopeptidomics data. Results We present the IPTK library which is an open-source Python-based library for analyzing, visualizing, comparing, and integrating different omics layers with the identified peptides for an in-depth characterization of the immunopeptidome. Using different datasets, we illustrate the ability of the library to enrich the result of the identified peptidomes. Also, we demonstrate the utility of the library in developing other software and tools by developing an easy-to-use dashboard that can be used for the interactive analysis of the results. Conclusion IPTK provides a modular and extendable framework for analyzing and integrating immunopeptidomes with different omics layers. The library is deployed into PyPI at https://pypi.org/project/IPTKL/ and into Bioconda at https://anaconda.org/bioconda/iptkl, while the source code of the library and the dashboard, along with the online tutorials are available at https://github.com/ikmb/iptoolkit.

Digital Literation: Case Study Library Science Students

Digital literacy can be used as a means of learning because the millennial era currently has digital sources of information that are liked by the public. Information technology-based learning materials are very easy to find and download in digital form and download free of charge so that people in various circles are very easy to get the information needed, as well as students. Universitas Terbuka which organizes an education system remotely, teaching materials which are the main learning materials apart from being provided in printed form, is also developed in digital form. Learning aid materials in the form of online tutorials and web tutorials (tuweb) is also in digital form because online tutorials and tuweb to access them must be connected to the internet. The spread of information in digital form requires knowledge or the ability to find or use these digital information sources. Researchers raised problems about digital literacy in distance learning, especially students of the Library Science Study Program, FHISIP-UT. The research method used is quantitative with the addition of qualitative data. The results showed that the Open University students, especially the Library Science students of FHISIP-UT, already have the ability to terms of digital literacy. Because we often and always use a PC / Laptop at home or office, use a cellphone/smartphone/tablet, and use the internet. Literasi digital sering dikaitkan dengan perkembangan teknologi informasi yang semakin marak saat ini. Literasi digital dimungkinkan untuk digunakan sebagai sarana pembelajaran, karena jaman millennial saat ini tersebar sumber-sumber informasi yang berbentuk digital dan disukai oleh masyarakat. Materi pembelajaran berbasis teknologi informasi, sangat mudah ditemukan dan diunduh dalam bentuk digital serta diunduh secara gratis, sehingga masyarakat dalam berbagai kalangan sangat mudah mendapatkan informasi yang dibutuhkan, demikian juga para pelajar maupun mahasiswa. Universitas Terbuka yang menyelenggarakan sistem pendidikan secara jarak jauh, bahan ajar yang merupakan bahan pembelajaran utama selain disediakan dalam bentuk tercetak, juga dikembangkan dalam bentuk digital. Materi bantuan belajar berupa tutorial online dan tutorial web (tuweb) juga dalam bentuk digital, karena tutorial online dan tuweb untuk mengaksesnya harus tersambung dengan internet. Dengan tersebarnya informasi dalam bentuk digital ini, maka diperlukan pengetahuan atau kemampuan dalam mencari atau menggunakan sumber informasi digital tersebut. Peneliti mengangkat permasalahan tentang literasi digital dalam pembelajaran jarak jauh khususnya mahasiswa Program Studi S1 Ilmu Perpustakaan FHISIP-UT. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah kuantitatif dengan tambahan data kualitatif. Hasil penelitian bahwa mahasiswa Universitas Terbuka khususnya mahasiswa Ilmu Perpustakaan FHISIP-UT sudah mempunyai kemampuan dalam hal lierasi digital. Karena sudah sering dan selalu menggunakan PC/Laptop di rumah maupun kantor, menggunakan Ponsel/smartphone/tablet, dan menggunakan internet.