Search Results (127)

Objective of the Study: This cross-sectional study examined the perceived psychological well-being of administrative/technical employees and researchers/lecturers at the University of L’Aquila (Italy) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was carried out in two different periods of 2022: April 2022, when remote working was still mandatory, and December 2022, when the pandemic emergency had ended and, in Italy, remote working had become voluntary for two days a week and exclusively for administrative staff. Materials and Methods: Perceived psychological well-being was investigated using the GHQ-12 (Global Health Questionnaire, short-form with 12 items), a self-administered questionnaire created on Google Forms and sent via email to all the employees of the University of L’Aquila. Statistical analysis was conducted using means, standard deviations, and frequency tables for the descriptive analysis of socio-demographic data, while the t-test or Wilcoxon test and the Χ² test were used to verify the statistical difference and association between categorical variables. Results: Overall, 365 employees, including 118 administrative/technical and 247 research/teaching staff, participated in the survey in April 2022 when remote working was mandatory. Among them, 219 (52.8%) were female and 196 (47.2%) were male. In December 2022, 266 employees engaged in voluntary remote working, including 184 (69.2%) women and 82 (30.8%) men, took part in the study. The most represented age group was 50–59 years old (36.3% of study participants). During mandatory remote working, 83.4% of lecturers reported a perceived level of psychological distress ranging from moderate to severe versus 69.5% of technicians. The percentage of self-reported psychological distress was higher among the technicians forced to work from home (n. 118–42.9%) vs. the technicians working from home on a voluntary basis (n. 157–57.1%), with GHQ score being >14 in 65.5% of enforced remote workers vs. 62.3% of voluntary remote workers. During mandatory remote working, there was a significant difference in the GHQ-12 score between administrative and research staff, particularly related to items such as loss of self-confidence, emotional pressures, and diminished productivity. Moreover, from the comparison between the group of administrative staff engaged in mandatory remote working and those in voluntary remote working for specific GHQ-12 items, a statistically significant difference emerged concerning the perception of not being able to overcome difficulties; the GHQ-12 score was higher in the first group. Significant differences in the overall GHQ-12 score were evident between male and female lecturers, as the latter reported higher levels of perceived stress during mandatory remote working. Discussion: The results confirm that remote working could be associated with a better psychological state of administrative university staff, especially in the case of voluntary remote working. During mandatory remote working, a difference was observed between teaching and administrative staff, with higher stress in the first group and among women. Therefore, our sample appears fragmented in the self-assessment of psychological well-being during remote working, possibly due to profound differences in the organization of work activities between lecturers and administrative employees. Additionally, the increased perception of stress by female lecturers compared to males may reflect gender disparities, as women working from home during the pandemic experienced an increased workload including domestic activities. Conclusions: Remote working is a type of working that has both advantages and disadvantages. An advantage is undoubtedly a better work–life balance; however, the risks of technostress, workaholism, increased sedentary behaviour, and social isolation are negative aspects. This study provides an indicative overview of the psychological state related to remote working in a university setting during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study might therefore serve as a starting point for further research on the impact of remote working on self-reported psychological well-being, especially in the university environment. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic had various effects on the social, personal and educational spheres that made it necessary to rethink how to respond to new emerging needs. In Spain, a massive closure of schools occurred, which led to a transition from face-to-face teaching to emergency remote teaching. This led to the implementation of pedagogical measures to ensure continuity in the teaching process. The aim of this research is to explore the impact of the pandemic on the educational and personal trajectories of students from their own experiences of attending a poorly performing school in the province of Malaga (Spain). The methodology was qualitative, and the information was collected through a focus group. The most relevant results indicated that the students, in response to the pandemic situation, developed resilience strategies to cope with the lack of technological devices, connectivity problems, difficulties in managing their emotions and the absence of interactions with their peer groups. The main conclusions include the need to build resilient and inclusive educational spaces as key pillars for educational transformation. Full article

The home confinement of the population in Spain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted face-to-face teaching and led teachers of all educational levels to perform their activities remotely. This represented a radical change in daily tasks. The goal of this study is to analyse and understand the emotions teachers experienced while performing Emergency Remote Teaching during home confinement. We performed a descriptive quantitative analysis and a comparison of the means (ANOVA) related to the independent sociodemographic variables (age, gender, and educational stage). The study sample consisted of 4589 teachers from the Basque Country, and represents the largest study with these characteristics conducted in Spain. The results obtained in the research show that, despite suffering great stress, teachers also felt pride in the work they had done. The study concludes that the teachers in the group who suffered the most negative feelings were women, primary school teachers, and middle-aged educators. Full article

Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) aims to swiftly adapt conventional face-to-face educational methods to alternative (typically virtual) formats during crises. The recent COVID-19 pandemic accentuated the vulnerability of traditional educational systems, revealing limitations in their ability to effectively withstand such unprecedented events, thereby exposing shortcomings in the adopted ERT strategies. The goal of this study is to discuss the establishment of resilient, sustainable, and healthy educational systems in non-crisis times, which will enable teachers and students to make a smoother and less stressful transition to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) when necessary. A comprehensive hybrid approach, combining quantitative (interviews) and qualitative (online survey) methods has obtained data from 276 professors in 29 countries. These data have been used to identify a range of challenges related to ERT and their perceived level of difficulty. The methodological and social challenges (overshadowed by technical issues at the beginning of the crisis) identified in this research—such as the lack of personal contact or poor feedback from students—have been found to be the most demanding. From the collected insights regarding the perceived level of difficulty associated with the identified challenges, the present study aims to contribute to making higher education systems more robust in non-crisis times. Full article

This research explores the barriers, concerns, and obstacles undergraduate STEM educators face when implementing high-impact teaching practices (HIPs), the application of which may improve student learning outcomes. Because our study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, our results also shed light on the unique challenges of utilizing HIPs in asynchronous online-learning environments. Thirteen undergraduate instructors were interviewed about their current teaching practices in order to identify barriers to or support for adopting HIPs. Data collected through semi-structured interviews revealed administrative and financial restraints as barriers to effective teaching which have been found in previous research. A number of new and unique obstacles emerged out of teaching remotely or online during the pandemic, including a heightened concern over the instructor’s ability to connect with students and engage in the best teaching practices. This research extends our current understanding of barriers and concerns about adopting HIPs in undergraduate STEM courses because of the unique perceived threats that emerged during the pandemic. We identify strategies to equip faculty with the support they need to provide equitable learning experiences, including access to consultants who support curriculum development and implementation in the classroom, ongoing educational coaching, and increased access to professional-development opportunities and a community of inquiry to discuss teaching strategies. Full article

During COVID-19, the traditional educational landscape witnessed the rapid and unprecedented adoption of modern communication methods to facilitate remote learning and academic interactions. Various online education platforms have enriched content deliveries, paved the way for learners across the globe, and enriched the learning environment for learners and facilitators who design, deliver, and try their best to make it exciting and engaging. Apart from this, even the traditional mode of education encourages the use of blended and hybrid learning so that deliverables are improved. Advancement in the usage of hybrid, innovative smart classes is encouraged by higher educational institutions. This study delves into the paradigm shift in higher education brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, explicitly focusing on the transformation of communication methods. It also focuses on the various effective communication methods (online and physical classes) that higher education institutions adopt. This study considers secondary data and argues on online learning skills, classroom learning/flipped classroom method, problem-based learning, cooperative learning, assessment evaluation techniques, the four-quadrant approach, and outcome-based teaching–learning pedagogy for all higher education programs. Furthermore, the research considers the long-term impact of these modern communication methods on the future of higher education. It explores whether adopting these technologies will persist or evolve as institutions transition back to in-person learning and whether a blended approach to education will emerge. In conclusion, this research provides a timely assessment of the transformation of communication methods in higher education post-COVID-19, shedding light on the opportunities, challenges, and potential pathways for the sustainable integration of modern communication methods in the academic realm. Full article

This systematic review of qualitative evidence contributes to the understanding of individual factors that influenced Emergency Remote Teaching and the use of educational technology by lecturers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A coding scheme aimed at identifying these key factors was developed using a comprehensive theoretical framework based on the model of triadic reciprocity. A narrative synthesis of 49 studies revealed that lecturers had unique starting points for the transition, which were influenced by factors such as prior experience with educational technology and online teaching, their attitudes and beliefs towards it, and their technological knowledge. Despite varying levels of preparedness and different attitudes, lecturers were able to leverage their pedagogical knowledge, adaptability, and motivation to continue education under extraordinary circumstances. On the other hand, a lack of experience in educational technology integration, negative attitudes and beliefs towards it, and insufficient technological knowledge hindered the transition to Emergency Remote Teaching. Lecturers therefore actively sought out appropriate educational technologies that would cater to their needs and those of their students. The initial autodidactic effort required that lecturers learn new technologies, along with how to effectively use them for teaching. A significant proportion of the use of educational technology was aimed at augmenting conventional teaching practices and providing students with an interactive learning environment, in terms of social embeddedness and personalized learning pathways. However, many lecturers attempted to replicate the pre-pandemic classroom in an online setting by substituting conventional teaching practices in an online classroom. This systematic review suggests the need to implement institutional onboarding measures for lecturers to level the “unique starting points” to ensure technology-enhanced learning in emergencies. This can be achieved by equipping lecturers with digital competence and pedagogical knowledge and by fostering self-efficacy, thus preparing them for future scenarios that require rapid adaptation and for digital transformation in general. Full article

Sustainability education, a multidisciplinary field demanding a profound understanding of intricate scientific, engineering, social and economic systems, necessitates innovative approaches. Laboratory experimentation plays a pivotal role in engineering and scientific education. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic heightened the importance of remote learning and home-based study in pedagogical practices. However, engineering education has faced challenges in adapting to novel teaching methodologies. A significant challenge during lockdowns was the effective delivery of laboratory experiences in virtual spaces. Virtual and remote laboratories, while not substituting the hands-on experience of physical labs, offered promising avenues to enhance learning during the disruption of in-person education. While most teaching activities transitioned seamlessly to online formats, laboratory sessions presented unique logistical challenges, including cancellations of fieldwork. Additionally, concerns arose regarding disparities in student achievement based on income levels. This study seeks to provide an overview of the implementation status of virtual and remote laboratories during the lockdown period in education. Its goal is to offer practical insights to improve the quality of learning experiences at home and in online settings. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on education and resulted in huge changes. This research paper investigates on the factors driving change for future learning by studying the training of teachers during the COVID-19 crisis and their perceptions regarding the future of teaching. The study employed the methodology of opportunistic or emergent sampling to collect data from teachers aged 30–50 years who had experience in conducting online classes in different schools in KSA. The study suggests that effective virtual education depends on careful instructional design, audience consideration, and a systematic implementation model that produces various forms of teaching tailored to educational objectives. The research findings can guide future decisions about implementing online teaching, and the dimensions identified in this research can be compared with previous studies to derive key learning axes for future schools. The pandemic transition presents an opportunity to develop sustainable paradigms for future generations. Full article

Educational learning spaces encompass a spectrum, from traditional classrooms to contemporary online platforms and immersive virtual reality settings, fostering versatile teaching methods like collaboration, project-based, and experiential learning. Our study delves into modern higher education environments, particularly the shift from conventional to innovative spaces. Our focus centers on the benefits and challenges intrinsic to these emerging learning spaces, intending to enlighten educators, policymakers, and researchers. Our exploration commences by revealing the limitations entrenched within traditional learning environments, emphasizing the vital need for inventive solutions to meet evolving educational demands. We further investigate diverse learning scenarios, ranging from hybrid and remote setups to the integration of online platforms and virtual tools. Through this lens we navigate complexities introduced by these novel modalities, including potential reductions in face-to-face interactions and heightened demand for adept instructional and technological support. Lastly, our inquiry underscores the disparities between traditional and contemporary learning spaces, accentuating the potential for innovative settings to elevate higher education quality. Here, we illuminate the anticipated merits of such spaces, notably heightened student engagement, enriched collaboration, and amplified creativity. Concurrently, we explore technology’s pivotal role in shaping learning environments and ultimately influencing pedagogical methodologies. Our future research will explore how Artificial Intelligence can improve higher education. Full article

This paper explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning technology developments within UK higher education, informed by the perspectives of the institutional Heads of E-Learning. Using a mixed-methods research design, drawing on Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA) technology-enhanced learning (TEL) survey data (2018–2022) and panel discussions with institutional Heads of E-Learning, the paper discusses the key changes arising from the pandemic and the likely long-term impact they will have on technology adoption and usage within UK higher education. The UCISA data highlight an increased level of investment in TEL services in the period from 2020 to 2022, with UK higher education institutions supporting an extended core set of centrally managed tools. Interview data indicate that advances in technology provision and staff support are being used to help deliver more flexible and inclusive learning designs. However, the carrying forward of innovative practices from the emergency remote-teaching phase is far from certain, and contingent on instructional competencies (capability) and the capacity of teaching staff to support these developments. We conclude that institutions will need to commit to offering incentives and ongoing professional development to their teaching staff to support sustained innovation in their teaching and course delivery methods. Full article

A decade ago, massively open online courses (MOOCs) were heralded as the solution to universal, global access to higher education. While they failed to reach this vision, primarily because of teaching-by-telling and learning-by-listening (a PDF of the residential classroom), MOOCs provided the foundational models and infrastructure for emergency remote learning in the pandemic. Reports of remote learning’s death post-pandemic are greatly exaggerated, since the world is now irreversibly hybrid—and will stay that way because many people and organizations value the new opportunities this presents. From now on, when students leave the shelter of classrooms to interact with the world beyond schooling, they must have skills for adept performance both face-to-face and across distance. Colleges, universities, and regions that force all teaching and learning to be face-to-face are dooming their graduates to reduced agency in every other aspect of life. As discussed in recent reports from Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, innovative approaches to digital learning were developed during the pandemic that are now improving campus-based learning. Insights from these approaches offer the opportunity for student engagement at scale, taking advantage of strengths of online instruction such as collapsing time, bridging space, personalizing via rich datastreams, using AI-based instructional assistants and learning partners, delivering content and experience across universities, and sustaining online learning communities after formal instruction ends. Combined, these advances can enable next-generation massive digital hybrid learning, a means to achieve the aspirational vision of universal global access to higher education. A coalition of higher education institutions could begin to realize this vision, an essential step in enabling all learners to survive and thrive in our increasingly turbulent, disruptive global economy and civilization. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions of higher education into an emergency remote teaching practice. In this study, the researchers utilized a convergent triangulation mixed-methods study design to investigate the technological challenges and growth that faculty experienced in seven schools at the University of Mississippi Medical Center as a result of the transition to emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative data were collected through an anonymous online survey that asked faculty to rate their competency in each of the 14 technology-related tasks twice—once for the pre-pandemic period and once for the current period. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted virtually or in person. One hundred faculty participated in the quantitative survey. A significant difference between faculty self-rated competency levels in the pre-pandemic period and the current period was observed, suggesting technology knowledge growth from the forced transition. Qualitative interviews of 19 faculty revealed five overarching themes: inconsistency in instructional support, pandemic-induced technological growth, power of togetherness, maintaining continuity through flexibility, and resilience against adversity. This study provided faculty with the experience to perform effective self-reflection and gain insights into their pedagogical practices. Future research should focus on professional development that can help faculty remain up-to-date on technology utilization and establish a contingency plan to better prepare for the unknown. Full article

The unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic forced most teachers across the globe to switch their teaching from traditional face-to-face to online without having received adequate preparation and knowledge related to online teaching. To better comprehend teachers’ willingness to conduct emergency remote teaching during the worldwide crisis, the current study was designed to examine teachers’ intentions and, in particular, the factors affecting their behavioral intentions to teach online, by contextualizing the research in the English language teaching settings in China. The research model was developed based on an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) by adding subjective norm, self-efficacy, technological complexity, and facilitating conditions into the original TAM. The data were obtained from a total of 287 respondents including 228 (79.4%) female teachers and 59 (20.6%) male teachers via online questionnaires. The questionnaire was developed by adapting previously validated instruments and then refined by two educational technology experts in order to better suit the current study. The empirical findings, using structural equation modeling (SEM), showed that the extended TAM was valid in predicting English language teachers’ intentions to teach online during the pandemic normalization. At the same time, the findings suggested that teachers’ intentions were influenced significantly by attitude, facilitating conditions, and self-efficacy; language teachers’ attitude toward online teaching was significantly affected by both its perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use; perceived usefulness had a significant association with perceived ease of use and subjective norms; and perceived ease of use was significantly impacted by self-efficacy and facilitating conditions. Perceived usefulness was not suggested as a significant determinant of English language teachers’ intentions to adopt online teaching. Despite some limitations, the study has several implications from the perspective of theory and practice. The more factors with a higher influence should be determined from different perspectives in future research. Full article

Despite the significant research on the effectiveness and challenges of emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the global COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have focused on the systematic facilitation of positive emotions by classroom teachers. This study aimed to identify the strategies that teachers of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) used during the ERT period, by interviewing 18 university English teachers in Hong Kong. Our results suggest that one traditional learning theory, the constructionist approach, played an unexpectedly important role in facilitating positive student emotions, as well as encouraging learning. Cognitively demanding tasks helped divert students’ attention away from the negative emotions they faced and towards their learning. Interactions also played an essential role in helping students learn and in reducing negative emotions. These results shed light on the significance of positive emotions in an online or ERT environment, with significant implications for university teachers who want their teaching to systematically promote positive emotions. Full article