E-learning for Students With Disabilities During COVID-19: Faculty Attitude and Perception

Faculty at the special education department of the University held mixed concerns about e-learning opportunities for Students with Disabilities (SWD) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research investigated their attitude using a questionnaire survey. The sample was 70 faculty members who specialized in tutoring students with disabilities. The Pearson regression (0.655) established the reliability of the data collection instrument. The results showed that faculty members held a positive attitude toward the application of e-learning technologies for SWD and supported its ability to allow for cognitive, social, and education interaction during the pandemic. While faculty agreed the method was no more time-consuming than regular classroom sessions, they were reluctant to invest the time in training. The research concluded the views of department members in the design of appropriate systems/curricula would help to eliminate barriers and encourage more support for e-learning of SWDs during the pandemic. The faculty had several recommendations for the successful application of online learning during the pandemic for special needs students. Most suggested the need for adequate educational resources within the departments, and appropriate software and hardware to enable teaching appropriate skills to the learners with disabilities. There was a further recommendation that e-learning should be incorporated into the curricular programs.

Faculty Members' Attitude, Perceived Barriers, and Motivators toward Using E-Learning in University Education

Context: E-learning is an important trend for faculty members and students teaching and learning, which needs overcoming barriers and enhancing motivators for the successful implementation of educational programs. Aim: To explore the faculty members' attitudes, perceived barriers, and motivators toward using e-learning in university education. Methods: Descriptive correlational design was used to achieve the study's aim on 110 faculty members in Nursing Faculties at Mansoura, and Zagazig Universities, Egypt. They were chosen through a convenience sampling to participate in the study. One questionnaire was used to undertake the study and had four parts: Personal data, faculty attitude towards e-learning scale, possible barriers, and motivators. Results: 54.5% of the studied sample was from Mansoura University, 92.7% of them were females, 38.2% were lecturers, 31.8% of them aged from 31-35 years old, and 30% of them had 5-10 years of experience. More than 75% of studied faculty members have a positive attitude toward using e-learning in university education. Access to students was the top-most barrier as perceived by the faculty members (42.7%). Better internet bandwidth at the workplace is the top-most motivating factor and professional incentives to use e-learning. Both were mentioned by 30% of the studied faculty members. Conclusion: There is a highly significant positive correlation between faculty attitude and motivators and a significant negative correlation between perceived barriers and motivators. At the same time, there is no significant correlation between faculty attitude and perceived barriers. No significant correlation between personal characteristics of the studied sample and faculty members' attitudes, perceived barriers, and motivators toward using E-learning in Mansoura and Zagazig Universities except for gender and faculty barriers only in Mansura University. The study recommended enhancing the basics of e-learning within the plan for dealing with crises, improving infrastructure, and providing a training environment for faculty staff to enhance e-learning, activating interactive education by setting up discussion sessions on the course topics' sidelines—full activation of the e-learning system through assignments and short tests. Paying attention to student feedback and taking the necessary corrective measures are also recommended.

The Impact of the Cooperative Mentorship Model on Faculty Preparedness to Develop Online Courses

The 2017 survey of Faculty Attitude on Technology conducted by Insider Higher Ed reported on the low percentage of partnerships between university faculty and instructional designers in online course development. Experts said it is not a surprise because instructional designers are underutilized and their role in Higher Education is still not clear. This qualitative study examined the faculty members’ perceptions about their mentorship relations with instructional designers when they designed and developed asynchronous online courses. This study also explored factors that may lead to successful mentorship relationships between instructional designers as mentors and faculty members as mentees. Higher education administration, university faculty, and instructional designers will benefit from the results of this study.

A study on knowledge sharing behavior among academicians in India

The intention of this paper is to present the concept of knowledge sharing practices among faculty members in academic institutions through the theory of planned behavior (TPB). This paper examines survey results collected on academician’s knowledge sharing. A theory of planned behavior is used as a source model to develop two models: one with the causal path from subjective norms to attitude and the other with a causal path from subjective norms to perceived behavioral control. From the results of the significance of the subjective norms to the attitude path, it is possible to conclude that there is a similarity in faculty attitude toward knowledge sharing and what they feel about knowledge sharing due to social pressure. Similarly, the casual path created from subjective norms to perceived behavioral control reveals that the academician's behavior in knowledge sharing depends upon his/her feelings about the views of others. Further analysis of the three models resulted in the emergence of a new model.

Factors Affecting Faculty Attitude for Adopting Online Learning at Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia

This study aims to take an initial step toward investigating the readiness of faculty members for adopting online learning at Aljouf University, a Saudi newly established university. Participants (n=156) were asked to complete a Web-based questionnaire that starts with eight demographic questions and has four other parts: attitude toward online learning, computer self-efficacy, attitude toward technology, and computer anxiety. The results demonstrate that faculty members show positive attitudes toward online learning (M=3.03, SD=0.45). They also showed a slight high computer self-efficiency (M=2.92, SD=0.40), positive attitudes toward technology (M=3.10, SD=0.33), and a low level of computer anxiety (M=1.05, SD=0.38). Finally, the results reveal that among the demographic variables, only the nationality of the participants and their experience with online learning had a significant effect on their attitude toward online learning. The study concluded with providing a number of recommendations for application and future studies.

Critical Factors of E-Learning Adoption and Acceptance in Pakistan: A Literature Review

This review paper examines the prior studies on critical factors of e-learning adoption in Pakistan. The search terms identified 40 papers reporting 25 conceptual and qualitative and 15 quantitative evidence about the e-learning adoption and critical factors that may influence the adoption of e-learning in Pakistan. The findings revealed that modern paradigm shift requires the in-depth analysis of government policies, institutional and management role, students and faculty attitude, social norms, cultural values as well as technological advancement. These factors may directly or indirectly affect the intention of students towards e-learning adoption. The lack of quantitative evidences illustrate that policy makers, practitioners and researchers need to pay attention for further research of identifying and analyzing the critical factors which enhances the e-learning adoption in Pakistan.