And Then There Was COVID-19: Do the Benefits of Cooperative Learning Disappear When Switching to Online Education?

In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic induced a rapid shift to online education. University instructors promptly reinvented their teaching methods and developed digital lessons. Cooperative learning has been demonstrated to surpass lecture-based learning (LBL) regarding students’ learning processes; therefore, the question arises as to whether the perks of cooperative learning still hold when switching to online education. This study examines whether the benefits of team-based learning (TBL) regarding good teaching (i.e., perceived teaching quality), satisfaction, and performance persist when switching from face-to-face to online education. A quasi-experiment in an undergraduate advanced accounting course compared a non-COVID-19-affected semester to a COVID-19-affected semester. In both semesters, students could choose between a TBL and a LBL path for tutorial sessions. Quantitative survey data (N = 455) indicate TBL outperforms LBL, even when switching to online tools. Good teaching was perceived as even better in the COVID-19-affected semester, and even more so by students in the team-based setting, compared to the lecture-based setting. Students’ course satisfaction and performance were unaffected by the switch to online education. This paper shows that TBL still benefits students, even in a blended environment.

The 3-D Skills Model: a Randomised Controlled Pilot Study Comparing a Novel 1–1 Near-Peer Teaching Model to a Formative OSCE with Self-regulated Practice

Introduction Near-peer teaching is a popular pedagogical teaching tool, with well-recognised benefits for students and tutors. There are multiple existing models to structure these interventions, but it is often unclear how they translate to academic attainment. We designed a novel near-peer teaching model that expands on previous research. Methods Our model was piloted in a formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) setting, trialled on 22 pre-clinical medical students to establish feasibility, acceptability and descriptive outcomes that could inform the design of a larger study. Students were randomly assigned to intervention or control cohorts. Each cohort undertook 5 min formative OSCE assessments with either 3 additional minutes of structured teaching or 3 min of self-regulated practice before reattempting the first OSCE station. Checklist marking sheets for 1st and 2nd sittings were collected by independent external markers, in addition to a global assessment rating in which we used the Borderline Regression Method to establish the station pass mark. Results A quantitative and qualitative result analysis was performed, demonstrating that students gained on average 3 additional marks after teaching with this model. Students and student-tutors reported increased confidence, high course satisfaction and evidence of reflective practice. Discussion We established acceptability and feasibility outcomes. The descriptive outcomes will support the design of a larger, adequately powered study required to demonstrate translation to summative exam performance.

An Investigation of Student Satisfaction in an Online Language Learning Course

Online learning's application in the language learning process has become an important topic as the COVID-19 crisis has restricted in-person classes. This study investigates student satisfaction in an online language learning course at a higher educational institution in Vietnam. The study tested the influence of learner-learner, learner-content, and learner-instructor interactions; internet self-efficacy; and self-regulation on student course satisfaction. The effects of student background variables were also explored. Linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the contribution of predictor variables to student satisfaction. The findings showed that student interaction with peers, content, and instructors and self-regulation were good predictors of student satisfaction; however, internet self-efficacy was not a good predictor. Additionally, there were no differences in effects of gender and prior online language learning experience on student course satisfaction.

The impact of team-based learning on students’ perceptions of classroom community

Developing a sense of classroom community is important in promoting course satisfaction and in helping students overcome feelings of disconnectedness, especially in online courses. When considering the various strategies identified as contributing to a sense of classroom community, instructors likely need support in which strategies and technology tools to select, as well as how to implement those strategies. This support may be especially needed for instructors seeking to translate community building practices in face-to-face settings to their online courses. Team-based learning might be used to foster a sense of classroom community among students in both face-to-face and online courses. An embedded mixed methods design was used to determine if and how students’ perceptions of classroom community varied between method of course delivery (face-to-face or online) and course format (non-TBL or TBL). The results showed whether students in face-to-face courses (non-TBL and TBL) reported a stronger sense of classroom community than those students in online courses (non-TBL and TBL). The results also revealed how students in TBL courses (face-to-face and online) described their sense of connectedness to their instructor and peers compared to those in non-TBL courses.

Sustained Use of Virtual Meeting Platforms for Classes in the Post-Coronavirus Era: The Mediating Effects of Technology Readiness and Social Presence

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions were forced to turn to online classes that are either recorded or taught live on virtual meeting platforms. Students could, therefore, attend classes from virtually any location using their mobile devices and Internet access. Despite the prolonged pandemic, little attention has been paid to whether offering courses on a virtual meeting platform is sustainable. This study, therefore, explores the antecedents of students’ intentions regarding the sustained use of virtual meeting platforms for academic courses. We investigated the relationship between technology readiness (TR) and perceived social presence (SP) within a virtual communication setting with course satisfaction and sustained use intention. Data were collected via a survey from 525 college students in South Korea who had attended classes using a virtual meeting platform. Serial mediation analysis revealed a pathway in which SP and course satisfaction in series fully mediate the positive relationship between technology readiness and sustainability. This study discusses the implications in relation to the sustainability of virtual technology-based courses as a replacement of live classroom-based courses from a user perspective. Further research is needed to understand users’ negative experiences of attending courses on virtual meeting platforms.