Technology supported learning and pedagogy in times of crisis: the case of COVID-19 pandemic

Online teaching within disciplines such as Engineering require experiential learning that equip future graduates with highly intellectual and professional skills to meet the demands of employers and the industry. The outbreak of COVID-19 however, has shifted the academic community into new landscapes that require educators and students to adapt and manage their expectations. Although literature reports on research attempts to study the implications of Covid-19 on the Higher Education curricular, little has been reported on its impact on Engineering Education. This paper therefore uses the theory of Emergency Management Life Cycle (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recover) as a lens to examine the challenges faced by students and academics and coping mechanism during the COVID period. This study adopts a mixed method approach using a case study from the College of Engineering at a Higher Education Institution in the UAE due to the sudden migration to online teaching amid COVID-19. Data is collected through interviews and surveys with both students and instructors on challenges, strategies and online delivery good practices that enhanced students’ learning experience. The results show that, Technology Supported Learning tools are capable of enhancing students’ experiential learning and associated competencies, however there were a number of pedagogical, technological and psychological challenges that faced students and instructors as a result of the sudden migration online, which are likely to play a role in the impediment of the students’ learning cycle, due to the lack of preparedness in response to the state of emergency created by Covid-19. Despite these challenges, the study found that instructors with effective communication skills and teaching style, competent use of technology, flexible, friendly and supportive attitude towards teaching, played a positive role in mitigating for the lack of preparedness in response to sudden migration online. The study also reveals that by overcoming some of the technical challenges such as slow internet connection and interruptions, lessons learnt from the sudden migration to online delivery amid COVID-19, will help create new opportunities for the use of blended learning approaches to meet the needs of the on-going COVID and future online deliveries

Behavioral and Psychological Aspects of Physical Education and Coaching

This Grants Collection for Behavioral and Psychological Aspects of Physical Education and Coaching was created under a Round Eleven ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process. Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: Linked Syllabus Initial Proposal Final Reporthttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/education-collections/1009/thumbnail.jp

Service as Leadership

This Grants Collection for College Algebra was created under a Round Eleven ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process. Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: Linked Syllabus Initial Proposal Final Reporthttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/business-collections/1008/thumbnail.jp

The Processes of Designing and Implementing Globally Networked Learning Environments and their Implications on College Instructors’ Professional Learning: The Case of Québec CÉGEPs

Abstract This study describes the design and implementation processes of globally networked learning environments (GNLEs) in a college environment and discusses how these processes may contribute to instructors\u27 professional learning. A thematic analysis was conducted on five interviews with instructors working in Quebec general and vocational colleges (CEGEPs). The design and implementation processes were mapped out using Fretchling\u27s (2007) logic modeling basic components. Findings suggest that GNLEs in a college context take the form of joint lectures or joint activities. Instructors reported that designing and teaching within a GNLE had led to pedagogical, intercultural and technology-related learning; and that learning was fostered by unforeseen challenges as well as long-standing partnerships. Résumé L’objectif de cette étude est de décrire les processus de conception et de mise en œuvre de milieux d’apprentissage réseautés internationalement (MARI) dans un environnement collégial ainsi que d’analyser leur influence sur le perfectionnement professionnel. Une analyse thématique réalisée à partir de cinq entrevues avec des enseignants de cégeps a permis d’élaborer un modèle logique (Fretchling 2007). Les résultats suggèrent que les MARI implantés dans un collège prennent surtout la forme de cours magistraux ou d’activités pédagogiques conjointes. Pour les enseignants impliqués, le perfectionnement (pédagogique, interculturel ou technologique) résulte des imprévus et des partenariats durables inhérents aux MARI

Programming and Problem Solving I

This Grants Collection for Programming and Problem Solving I was created under a Round Eleven ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process. Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: Linked Syllabus Initial Proposal Final Reporthttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/compsci-collections/1020/thumbnail.jp

Quality Improvement Programs’ Contribution to Successful Clinical Practice Changes

There is a great deal of healthcare literature on the importance of QI programs and the significant contributions they make toward patient safety and patient satisfaction; however, documentation of outcome measures and predictors of success remains challenging. This study examined the experiences of physician participants who attended a state supported South Texas medical school’s CSE course to gain an understanding of QI education, demonstrate the need for formal QI education, and determine if a change in clinical practice occurred as a result of attending a structured QI course. Kirkpatrick’s (1967) four-level evaluation model was used as a framework to guide the study in two key areas. The model was used to examine the experiences of the CSE physician participants to gain a better understanding of quality improvement, and it was used as a self-assessment instrument to determine baseline data of the physicians’ knowledge to help identify if a change in clinical practice occurred after graduating from the CSE course. Thirteen one-on-one interviews were conducted through self-evaluation questions. Participants shared their experiences and perceived outcomes about their own understanding of the quality principles learned in the CSE course and the framework in which they continued the CSE project’s implementation for their department or division. An adopted framework from Labov’s (1972) structural analysis and Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model (1967) was used to help determine the effectiveness of the program and ways in which improvements could be made within the CSE physician graduates’ clinical practice. Through their shared experiences, the participants demonstrated the need for QI education and its ability to change clinical practice behavior. Results also revealed positive physician learner experiences. These positive experiences helped change how the physicians practiced within a clinical scope, helped shape the culture for the organization, and helped produce a progressive culture of self-development. Some of the physician learners expressed concerns in time management, funding, and support of leadership. In this study, the participants’ experiences were important to the success of QI initiatives within a healthcare system. If the system wants to practice effective QI efforts that provide a deep impact on clinical practice changes, the clinic leaders and administrators within the institution need to remain a fundamental component of the equation and most importantly of the education. The participants expressed a need to feel supported by their respective institution both monetarily and with designated protected time for QI initiatives. The participants often shared dual responsibilities as both administrators and clinicians, allowing them to provide a meaningful frontline perspective, which was instrumental in the change in clinician behavior. In addition, providing a QI course to all faculty, staff, and administrators established the tone and culture for the institution’s current and future goals

Intentions to Use Virtual Worlds for Education

Virtual worlds are becoming increasingly sophisticated, showing potential as an effective platform for a variety of collaborative activities, including learning. This study examines students’ intentions to use the virtual world Second Life (SL) for education, and explores factors associated with their intentions. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and extended factors, a research model is proposed. The model is tested through a survey administered to business school students who participated in Second Life in upper level MIS courses. Results suggest that perceived ease of use affects user’s intention to adopt SL through perceived usefulness. Computer self-efficacy and computer playfulness are also significant antecedents to perceived ease of use of virtual worlds. Implications for educators are presented