Students' Perspectives on Virtual Learning During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstrak: Pembelajaran virtual merupakan proses belajar mengajar yang menggunakan media virtual berbantuan platform berbasis Web. Penelitian deskriptif kuantitatif ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh gambaran pelaksanaan pembelajaran virtual online calon guru pada masa pandemic COVID-19. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada calon guru di Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Samawa. Responden penelitian sebanyak 51 orang calon guru yang dipilih menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Instrumen dalam penelitian ini menggunakan kuesioner berisi pertanyaan dan pernyataan yang berjumlah 13 item dengan satu kolom komentar yang disediakan diakhir. Angket tersebut menggambarkan tentang proses pembelajaran virtual online dari kesiapan infrastruktur sampai dengan prospek pembelajaran ini kedepan. Hasil penelitian diperoleh bahwa dari empat aspek yang diukur, mahasiswa calon guru memiliki pandangan positif tentang proses pembelajaran secara daring termasuk berkategori tinggi kecuali pada aspek kepraktisan. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa pembelajaran secara daring mempermudah mahasiswa dalam proses belajar dan sangat membantu mereka dalam menghindari pencemaran COVID-19.Abstract: Virtual learning is a teaching and learning process using virtual media assisted by a Web-based platform as a tool in the teaching and learning process. This quantitative descriptive study aims to obtain an overview of the implementation of virtual online learning for prospective teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted on prospective teachers at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Samawa University. The research respondents were 51 prospective teachers selected using the purposive sampling technique. The instrument in this study used a questionnaire containing questions and statements totaling 13 items with one comment column provided at the end. The questionnaires discuss the online virtual learning process, from infrastructure readiness to prospects for this learning. The study results showed that from the four aspects measured; teacher candidates had a view of the learning process being categorized as high except for the practical element. It can be concluded that online learning makes it easier for students in the learning process and helps them avoid contamination with COVID-19.

University studies in the adjacent tab : dimensions of students' agency and everyday life in the rural north of Finland

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Tecnología educativa en la educación superior: prácticas emergentes para la enseñanza de futuros educadores - Educational Technology in Higher Education: Emergent Practices for Teaching Future Educators

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Participatory parity through teaching with Telegram

The COVID19 pandemic thrust emergency remote teaching (ERT) into the global spotlight and thereby undeniably changed aspects of the higher education (HE) landscape. For a developing country such as South Africa (SA), the use of the mobile instant messaging (MIM) application (app) called Telegram represents a practicable solution to overcome historical socio-economic challenges faced by certain demographic groups of limited or restricted access to devices and data. Against this backdrop, a Telegram teaching intervention was developed by two lecturers in the Engineering Faculty at a University of Technology (UoT) in SA to deliver curriculum content and engage with students in a low-tech, low-cost/low-data usage manner, and consequently to widen access to education, promote inclusivity and thereby facilitate student access, retention and success. This study explored student perceptions of the MIM app being used as a primary vehicle to deliver succinct instructional materials and facilitate class activities to offset the lack of faceto-face classes in a multimodal and flexible curriculum delivery approach. Following the completion of the Telegram teaching intervention, a mixed method approach was used that included two online surveys measuring different aspects of the same project (n=34 and n=32) and a focus group interview (n=6). Three research lenses suggested by Fraser (2008) were used to evaluate student perceptions of the usefulness and (dis)advantages of Telegram. These lenses were: (1) redistribution (of resources), (2) recognition (related to social status) and (3) representation (who can act/say/ challenge in an academic environment). Ethical clearance was obtained from Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Ethics committee. Initial results indicate that using the Telegram app for teaching and learning was successful. Significantly, the app allows for the emergence of a socially just online classroom environment and an inclusive and enabling learning experience for the students during a very disruptive and fearful time in the world’s history

Learning Analytics and societal challenges: Capturing value for education and learning

A complex challenge for the society is to offer equal learning opportunities at various life stages and to support students, teachers, and institutions in their various tasks and roles related to learning and teaching. Learning analytics (LA) provides an opportunity to address these societal challenges. As the LA field matures, tool development is aimed at aiding informed human decision-making and combating inequalities. For example, detecting students at risk of dropping out or supporting self-regulated learning. The inception of LA was catalysed by an increasing amount of available data and what could be done with these data to improve learner support and teaching. Simultaneously, an increase in the computational power, machine learning methods, and tools at hand offer renewing affordances to analyse and visualise data both retrospectively and for predictive purposes. Employing LA as a solution also brings potential problems, such as unequal treatment, privacy concerns, and unethical practices. Through selected example cases, this chapter presents and addresses these potentials and risks

An Investigation of the Impact of Student Satisfaction on Student Outcomes Among Undergraduate Students in a Blended Learning Environment in University A

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of student satisfaction on student outcomes among undergraduate students in a blended learning environment in University A. It was a quantitative predictive correlational design, with predictor variables satisfaction with course, sex, age and race/ethnicity, and criterion variable end-of-course score. The Corona Virus pandemic highlighted the central role of blended and online learning in educational processes globally. The technological revolution in education characterized by the infusion of digital technologies in classrooms, indicates that blended learning will continue to feature prominently in educational settings. Student satisfaction in blended learning redounds to the benefit of students and educational institutions since it could contribute to improved pedagogical and curricular practices, goodwill, enhanced reputation, and increased enrollment. Participants for this study were drawn from a convenience sample of 330 undergraduate students enrolled in a blended general education course at University A. Data collection procedures for predictor variables were accomplished through the online administration of the Satisfaction with Blended eLearning Systems (BELS) Questionnaire, while criterion variable data was garnered from student records. Applying multiple linear regression analysis, a statistically significant relationship was found between the linear combination of satisfaction with course, sex, age, race/ethnicity and end-of-course score. However, satisfaction with course emerged as the only significant predictor of the end-of-course score. Course satisfaction in blended learning settings influences performance. Further investigations are needed in other tertiary level institutions in the Caribbean, across different disciplines, and different blended learning delivery methods

Instant messaging and the facilitation of collaborative, student-led learning and teaching-support: The NZCEL EAP scenario

Abstract In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to smartphone use becoming more prevalent in supporting students’ learning. Apart from applications (apps) specifically designed for language educational purposes, such as Duolingo, there are also instant messaging apps that are not specifically designed for education purposes, but that can be useful in supporting learners. These include instant messaging apps such as, WhatsApp and WeChat. Instead of relegating phone app use to merely a source of entertainment and distraction, teachers increasingly use them as a vital form of communication to enhance education, including language learning. Apps have thus shifted from a tangential position to the forefront of the learning space. For the purposes of this research project, WeChat was used as the messaging app. This article focuses on the initial findings of a pilot study and concentrates on the perceived purposes for the participants’ posts as they relate to the use of the app as a tool for collaboration, peer-support, and knowledge sharing. Data was gathered through an online survey, semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of the WeChat posts. Analysis of the posts and comments made by students during the interviews suggest that the tool formed a vital link between them, their classmates and teachers, and, at times, served as a social platform underlying the key educational purposes of the programme