A study of Web‐based learning (WBL) environment in Malaysia

Perceptions and Expectations of Academic Staff in Bucharest towards the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Dental Education

Dental education was severely challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. The evaluation of the viewpoint of the dental teachers of the Faculty of Dentistry at "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, Romania, on these exceptional circumstances' consequences was the objective of this paper. A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2022, on the academic staff who reported their perceptions of the emotional and educational impact of the pandemic by completing a Google Forms questionnaire. Although a significant emotional impact of the pandemic was reported by over a third of the participants (31.2%), most of them being teachers of fifth-year dental students (p = 0.019), the perceived stress had an impact on the teaching performance in few of them (14%), the quality of sleep remaining unaffected in most of them (53.7%), whereas the level of anxiety was low (57%). An educational impact regarding the techno difficulties during the online transition was mentioned by few respondents (16.1%), with male teaching staff facing the fewest problems (p = 0.024), as well as low levels of difficulties in transmitting academic information (11.9), with men also being the most unaffected (p = 0.006). More than half of the participants (59.1%) rather see digital and/or virtual education during the pandemic as having adverse effects on the educational system, the most sceptical being teachers of the fifth (p = 0.001) and sixth years (p = 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic affected the academic staff of the Faculty of Dentistry at "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, Romania, not only at a personal level but also at a professional, pedagogical one, due to the introduction of the online teaching system followed by the hybrid one. Age group, gender, and teaching year differentiated the degree of emotional and educational impairment.

Knowledge construction in chemistry through web-based learning strategy: a synthesis of literature

Smartphones and computer-based technology have revolutionized different development sectors including education. The current review describes the existing literature on Web-Based Learning (WBL) as a novel methodology applied in teaching and learning, and its potential effectiveness in teaching and learning chemistry. Further, the study intends to reflect on how the WBL could be applied in the Rwandan context of teaching and learning chemistry as the country adopted the competency-based curriculum (CBC) in 2015. This review is a narrative overview in which much of the existing literature such as books, articles, and other online literatures related to the study were reviewed. The literature was obtained from different electronic databases including Scopus, ERIC, ISI web of knowledge, academia, web of science, digital library, and google scholar.

The Impact and Evaluation of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Teaching of Biology from the Perspective of Slovak School Teachers

The closing of schools due to COVID-19 was a critical incident that should have caused a rethinking of education in our country. Among the many changes that this crisis has brought, one is fully remote teaching. Our research focuses on a comparison of the changes between on-site and remote forms of biology teaching, the opinions and feelings of teaching staff across all the institutional levels, and their opinions regarding the usage of online teaching tools in the future. The research shows that teachers have used both time-tested teaching aids and modern technology to generate an environment that would be as close to on-site teaching as possible. Similarly, the teachers with longer teaching experience had felt a greater degree of stress during the remote teaching period. Teachers of primary and tertiary schools agree that they can imagine having a combined form of education in the future but that the practical classes of biology must be completed on-site. On the other hand, most secondary school teachers want to preserve only the on-site form of teaching. Our study provides information on the current state of coping with the pandemic situation in Slovakia from teachers’ perspectives.

Web-based discussions in teaching and learning: Secondary school teachers' and students' perception and potentiality to enhance students' performance in organic chemistry

The current work explores the secondary school teachers' and students' perception on web-based discussions in teaching and learning and its potentiality to enhance students' performance in organic chemistry. A mixed approaches typically interviews and achievement tests were applied for collecting qualitative and quantitative data respectively for triangulation purpose. A total of 138 senior five students and 4 teachers were purposively selected from the two secondary schools at Kicukiro District in Kigali city, Rwanda. Discourse and interpretive approaches were used to analyze qualitative data, while t-test was used for analyzing quantitative data obtained from pre- and post-test scores. The results from this study revealed that applying web-based discussions is the teaching method that potentially and effectively enhances students' performance in organic chemistry with 0.10 learning gains and an effect size of 0.43 (df = 137 and p < .05). In addition, students and teachers have been expressed positive perceptions to the application of web-based discussions in teaching and learning. Therefore, teachers and students are recommended to access a universal chemistry network and conduct web-based discussions for increasing students performance in organic chemistry.

The experiences, challenges, and acceptance of e-learning as a tool for teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic among university medical staff

BACKGROUND

e-learning was underutilized in the past especially in developing countries. However, the current crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the entire world to rely on it for education.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the university medical staff perceptions, evaluate their experiences, recognize their barriers, challenges of e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigate factors influencing the acceptance and use of e-learning as a tool teaching within higher education.

METHODS

Data was collected using an electronic questionnaire with a validated Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for exploring factors that affect the acceptance and use of e-learning as a teaching tool among medical staff members, Zagazig University, Egypt.

RESULTS

The majority (88%) of the staff members agreed that the technological skills of giving the online courses increase the educational value of the experience of the college staff. The rate of participant agreement on perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and acceptance of e-learning was (77.1%, 76.5%, and 80.9% respectively). The highest barriers to e-learning were insufficient/ unstable internet connectivity (40%), inadequate computer labs (36%), lack of computers/ laptops (32%), and technical problems (32%). Younger age, teaching experience less than 10 years, and being a male are the most important indicators affecting e-learning acceptance.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the challenges and factors influencing the acceptance, and use of e-learning as a tool for teaching within higher education. Thus, it will help to develop a strategic plan for the successful implementation of e-learning and view technology as a positive step towards evolution and change.

Integrative Factors of E-Health Laboratory Adoption: A Case of Indonesia

Around the world, the adoption of digital health applications is growing very fast. The use of e-health laboratory systems is increasing while research on the factors that impact users to use e-health laboratory systems in Indonesia has not been done much. The objective of this study is to analyze the behavioral factors of e-health laboratory users. This study includes a survey conducted on Indonesian users, and data analysis was carried out thoroughly. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model, this research framework explores a combination of variables consisting of task-driven, technology-driven, human-driven, and adoption variables to form the model proposed in this study. This model was verified using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method for factor analysis, path analysis, and regression. A total of 163 respondents were collected to evaluate this research model empirically and the level of this study were individuals. These three problems are all essential in affecting usage intentions in adopting an e-health laboratory system. Specifically, task technology fit, information quality, and accessibility show a direct effect on both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use factors perceived by the user, and have an indirect influence on the adoption of an e-health laboratory system through these two factors. The design of an online laboratory system affects perceived ease of use and personal innovativeness factors affect the perceived usefulness that users feel when adopting a laboratory system, while task technology fit and personal innovativeness factors do not affect the perceived ease of use. However, overall technology characteristic and perceived usefulness followed by design are the main predictors of adopting an e-health laboratory system on e-health systems in Indonesia.

International students’ university preferences: how different are Malaysian and Chinese students?

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to determine factors that influenced international university preference, looking at country of origin (COO), that is the COO of the course and program modes (PMs). This study specifically focusses on differences in perceptions across students from Malaysia and China.

Design/methodology/approach

– Conjoint analysis was used to examine the relative importances and part-worth scores of these attributes on international university preferences.

Findings

– PM and country of design (COD) had a major influence on Malaysian and Chinese students’ preferences for international universities. Online distance learning was the least preferred option, while offshore campuses were more acceptable to Malaysian students compared to Chinese students. Malaysian students preferred to study in the UK, while Chinese students favored Australia. Malaysian students were also found to be more cost sensitive compared to Chinese students, while the latter were more motivated by job prospects offered by an institution.

Research limitations/implications

– Limitations include the specific sample, pre-university students only from developed countries (Malaysia and China), which limits the generalizability to students from other countries.

Practical implications

– This study offers insights in the effect of COD and PM on students’ preferences for international universities, as well as other previously studied university-level attributes in a higher education setting. With a better understanding of factors affecting these preferences, higher educational institutions are better placed to implement a suitable marketing strategy to attract more international students.

Originality/value

– This study examines the impact COD, Delivery Mode (DM) and other university level attributes have on Malaysian and Chinese pre-university students ' preferences for international universities. COD and DM were found to be extremely important factors that dominated the students ' preferences. The study highlights the need to focus on different university attributes in different markets and to consider COD and DM issues in order to gain a larger market share of international students.

A palliative cancer care flexible education program for Australian community pharmacists

OBJECTIVE

To implement and evaluate a flexible palliative care education program for Australian community pharmacists.

DESIGN

After identifying pharmacists' education needs, the program content and format were developed. This included identifying expert writers to create modules, assigning education and palliative care specialists to review content, and designing Web hosting of materials. The program was comprised of 11 modules and 79 activities.

ASSESSMENT

An average of 28 responses was posted for each of the 20 noticeboard activities. Of the 60 pharmacists who began the program, 15 contributed to the discussion group, with an average of 3 posts each. Participants' responses to an online questionnaire indicated the program addressed their education needs and improved their knowledge and confidence in providing palliative cancer care.

CONCLUSION

A program that pharmacists could access at a time and place convenient to them via the Internet was developed. Pharmacists indicated the program positively impacted their practice.