Prospects of Blended Learning Implementation at FPT University Can Tho, Vietnam

Drawing on the evaluations of students’ attitudes toward learning aspects the mixed-method research aims to examine the prospects of Blended Learning at FPT University in Can Tho. Four hundred sixty-seven students partook in the study by providing answers for a 30-item questionnaire with open-ended questions. The results showed that most students have positive attitudes towards factors constructing their Blended Learning adaptability, including (1) Study Management and Online Learning, (2) Classroom Learning, and (3) Learning Flexibility. The results of Binary Logistic Regression also clarified the good promise of Blended Learning implementation and the discovery of other concerns that hindered informants’ willingness, namely Worriment about Learning Effectiveness, Online Learning Barriers, and Learners’ Ego. The research findings served as a reference for FPT University and other higher institutions to better grasp how students perceive Blended Learning to develop strategies for successful practices.

Readiness of Students in Flexible Learning Modality

This convergent-parallel mixed-methods study was conducted to examine students' readiness on flexible learning modality established in the local context based on Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order No. 04 series of 2020 or the "Guidelines on the Implementation "Flexible Learning in the Philippines." A sample of 408 students participated in the study. The self-determination theory model and contextual approach to e-learning delivery (learning flexibility, online learning, study management, technology, modular learning, and online interaction) were used as theoretical underpinnings. Data collected using electronic surveys and information from semi-structured interviews were analyzed. The application of a descriptive survey confirms the low level of readiness among students. When compared across the population, the results provided no significant difference in the level of readiness among students when grouped according to sex and provided significant difference according to year level and Course. Interpreting the results together with qualitative analysis parallels the notion of difficulties among students in all dimensions of flexible learning. This research places the thrust of improving curriculum delivery by addressing flexible learning policies in the local context.

Can You Escape? Using Mobile App Escape Games to Create a Holistic Experiential Learning Process Online

Mobile app escape games are excellent tools to create an experiential learning process in online contexts. Through the act of solving puzzles to escape the rooms, students experience a process in which they need to discover new information and clues, adjust their strategies repeatedly, and become more aware of the way they learn. Their emotional and behavioral reactions when they encounter difficulties can shed light on their learning identity and learning flexibility. The experiential learning cycle is complete with the addition of after-game reflection, debrief, and discussion. Escape games are versatile and can be used to teach a variety of topics, such as problem-solving, creative thinking, teamwork, and leadership, in any kind of classroom, with any population of students. This article provides an overview of mobile app escape games, how instructors could use them in class, and examples of topics, games, and debrief questions to use.

The Continuous Pursuit of Smart Learning

With an emphasis on learning flexibility, effectiveness, efficiency, engagement, adaptivity and reflectiveness, smart learning embraces a variety of concepts, including but not limited to personalised learning, adaptive learning, intelligent tutoring, open online learning, blended learning, and collaborative learning. As new concepts continue to evolve, the pursuit of smart learning is ongoing, mainly in areas pertaining to the design and implementation frameworks, pedagogical theories and practices, learners’ behaviours and learning pattern, learning and assessment strategies and evaluation of learning performance and perception. This editorial gives an overview of smart learning and provides the context on the latest development of smart learning in which the articles in this special issue are located.

Hard limits to cognitive flexibility: ants can learn to ignore but not avoid pheromone trails

Learning allows animals to respond to changes in their environment within their lifespan. However, many responses to the environment are innate, and need not be learned. Depending on the level of cognitive flexibility an animal shows, such responses can either be modified by learning or not. Many ants deposit pheromone trails to resources, and innately follow such trails. Here, we investigated cognitive flexibility in the ant Lasius niger by asking whether ants can overcome their innate tendency and learn to avoid conspecific pheromone trails when these predict a negative stimulus. Ants were allowed to repeatedly visit a Y-maze, one arm of which was marked with a strong but realistic pheromone trail and led to a punishment (electroshock and/or quinine solution), and the other arm of which was unmarked and led to a 1 M sucrose reward. After circa 10 trials ants stopped relying on the pheromone trail, but even after 25 exposures they failed to improve beyond chance levels. However, the ants did not choose randomly: rather, most ants begun to favour just one side of the Y-maze, a strategy which resulted in more efficient food retrieval over time, when compared to the first visits. Even when trained in a go/no-go paradigm which precludes side bias development, ants failed to learn to avoid a pheromone trail. These results show rapid learning flexibility towards an innate social signal, but also demonstrate a rarely seen hard limit to this flexibility.

Student E-Learning Satisfaction During The Covid-19 Pandemic in Bali, Indonesia

The Covid-19 has led to comprehensive changes in the education sector. Physical distancing requirements have seen education programs in Denpasar city, Bali province, Indonesia move online. During the Covid-19 pandemic from February-May) 2020, this study was conducted to determine student e-learning satisfaction and e-learning system success. Student satisfaction was measured by e-learning attitude, e-learning quality, and e-learning flexibility. The research was conducted at two private universities in Bali, Indonesia and involved 257 respondents. Respondents were student actively engaged in e-learning during Covid-19. The results found a significant positive relationship between student e-learning attitude and e-learning quality on student e-learning satisfaction, and also student e-learning satisfaction on e-learning system success; however, the influence of e-Learning flexibility on student e-learning satisfaction was not significant. Universities can improve e-learning results by considering the technical limitation students face for e-learning and improving the flexibility of access to online teachers.Keywords: e-learning attitude, e-learning quality, e-learning flexibility, student e learning satisfaction, e-learning system successKepuasan Siswa Mengikuti E-Learning Selama Pandemi Covid-19 di IndonesiaAbstrak:Terjadinya pandemi Covid-19 mengakibatkan berbagai perubahan terjadi di seluruh dunia, termasuk di sektor pendidikan. Penerapan jarak fisik menyebabkan program pembelajaran dilakukan secara online, termasuk pada program pendidikan di kota Denpasar, Provinsi Bali, Indonesia. Penelitian ini dilakukan selama pandemi Covid-19 (Feb-Mei) 2020, bertujuan untuk mengetahui kepuasan mahasiswa mengikuti program e-Learning dan keberhasilan program e-Learning selama pandemi Covid-19. Pengukuran kepuasan mahasiswa dilakukan melalui variabel sikap mahasiswa, kualitas e-learning, dan fleksibilitas e-learning. Lokasi penelitian dilakukan di dua Universitas swasta di Bali, Indonesia, dengan populasi 718 dan 257 sampel yang diambil menggunakan formula Slovin. Responden adalah mahasiswa aktif yang mengikuti e-learning selama Covid-19. Data dianalisis menggunakan program SmartPLS 3,0. Hasil menemukan bahwa tiga hipotesis diterima dan satu hipotesis ditolak dari empat hipotesis yang diusulkan. Universitas diharapkan untuk memperhatikan waktu dan tempat pelaksanaan yang nyaman bagi mahasiswa dalam mengikuti pembelajaran e-learning demi meningkatkan kepuasan mereka terhadap program e-learning.Kata kunci: sikap e-learning, kualitas e-learning, fleksibilitas e-learning, kepuasan e-learning siswa, keberhasilan sistem e-learning

Superior Class Management during Covid-19 at MTs Islamiyah Barbaran Academic Year 2020/2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a wide impact on various aspects of human life, especially education, so it needs to be reorganized or managed again, in accordance with the demands of implementing learning during Covid-19. The aim is that madrasahs still have an advantage over schools in general. MTs Islamiyah Barbaran is one of the madrasas in Mandailing Natal Regency which for approximately 8 years has implemented a superior class system learning pattern, to accommodate the demands or needs of smart or superior students. The ability of MTs Islamiyah Barbaran in managing superior classes so as to produce sufficient quality output or graduates makes this madrasah always in demand, and gets a good response from the community. In this regard, this study will examine the implementation of superior class management during covid-19 at MTs Islamiyah Barbaran, using a qualitative approach, the methods used in this study are the methods of interviewing, observation and documentation. The data analysis method uses qualitative descriptive analysis which consists of four stages, namely data collection, data reduction, data display and conclusion or verification. Withdrawing conclusions using the inductive method. The results of this study indicate that the principal of the madrasah has carried out superior class learning innovation management during the Covid-19 pandemic at Islamic Private MTs Barbaran TP. 2020/2021, namely by implementing several policies, such as online learning, flexibility of lesson hours, IT development, and maintaining daily protocols, by implementing management functions, namely planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling. In addition, committee empowerment is one of the main keys to the success of these MTs in managing superior classes.