Zoom In, Zoom Out: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Classroom

Comparing quantitative outcomes of synchronous online versus in-person interprofessional symposium

Healthcare and educational practices changed due to COVID-19. Interprofessional education (IPE) events during the pandemic were canceled or presented through online platforms. Fortunately, IPE using online platforms had been growing during the decade prior to the pandemic. However, few publications document quantitative outcomes of online IPE, and most report qualitative outcomes of student reactions. The purpose of this study was to determine if student outcomes from an online IPE symposium were similar to the positive outcomes from prior in-person IPE symposia. A Community of Inquiry (CoI) model within a synchronous Zoom platform was developed with intentional design supporting cognitive, instructional, and social presence; interprofessional socialisation; and collaboration. Utilising a standardised instrument, student attitudes about healthcare teams were assessed comparing pretest and posttest. Students who participated in the online IPE displayed similar improvements in attitudes towards interprofessional teams at posttest. Hence, this study supports the use of a brief, synchronous, online IPE symposium.

Real-Time Online Demonstration for Skills Education for First-Year Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

Few studies have investigated first-year nursing students' perspectives after they received real-time online demonstration (RTOD) for fundamental nursing skills education.

METHOD

A mixed-methods study was conducted with prospective second-year nursing students after they completed a one-semester RTOD class in their first year. With permission from the original authors, an online questionnaire, the Self-Structured Questionnaire (SSQ), was administered to 277 students in undergraduate and higher-diploma programs, followed by two focus group interviews with 13 students. Survey and focus group data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, respectively.

RESULTS

Regarding students' barriers in administrative, individual, and technological areas, three themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) learning quality; (2) connection; and (3) impediments.

CONCLUSION

RTOD contributed to fundamental nursing skills education. However, there was room for improvement. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(1):43-47.].

Effectiveness of the forced usage of alternative digital platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic in project communication management

The COVID-19 pandemic social distancing forced a shift from Face-to-Face (F2F) to virtual work sessions, applying innovative digital tools. These tools have previously been neglected, mainly due to a conservative approach or prioritization. Consequently, their effectiveness was never tested in depth. While applying these innovative digital tools during the COVID-19 pandemic was clearly preferable to shutting down organizational activity, managers and workers recognized the advantages of these alternatives and tended to apply them in the post-COVID-19 period. However, in this post-pandemic period, which is free from social distancing limitations, a relatively full space of choices was introduced again, which raised the question whether these alternatives should be kept. Therefore, this study examines whether digital communication tools can adequately substitute F2F sessions in project management. We conducted an experiment with participants ( n = 269 ) , asking them to perform project-oriented tasks on four platforms: as individuals, in an F2F group meeting, on Zoom, or using WhatsApp. The results indicate that while an F2F meeting is more effective than individual work, Zoom and WhatsApp are not. These findings appear surprising and may contradict the concept of group empowerment. The use of digital sharing platforms did not affect the tasks' performances nor create synergy. This raises the issue of whether these digital means are here to stay, should be discarded, or must be upgraded.

Online case-based learning in medical education: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Case-Based Learning (CBL) in medical education is a teaching approach that engages students as learners through active learning in small, collaborative groups to solve cases from clinical patients. Due to the challenges afforded by the COVID-19 pandemic, small group learning such as CBL, transitioned quickly to include technology-enhanced learning to enable distance delivery, with little information on how to apply pedagogical frameworks and use learning theories to design and deliver online content.

METHODS

To extend understanding of online CBL a scoping review protocol following the PRISMA-ScR framework explored the literature that describes the use of online CBL application in medical education and the outcomes, perceptions, and learning theories. A literature search was conducted in January 2022 followed by a subsequent review in October 2022. After peer review using the PRESS guidelines, the CASP appraisal tool was used to assess the rigor of each study design.

RESULTS

The scoping review identified literature published between 2010 and 2022 (n = 13 articles), on online CBL in the field of medical education with 11 observational studies describing student and facilitator perceptions and two randomized controlled studies. Positive perceptions of online learning included a flexible work-life balance, connection with learners, and improved accessibility. Negative experiences of online CBL included poor internet access, a distracting learning environment, and loss of communication. In the studies that collected student performance data, results showed equivalent or improved outcomes compared to the control. The CASP appraisal tool highlighted the deficiencies in most study designs, lack of framework or learning theory, and poor reproducibility of the methods to answer the research questions.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review identified literature to describe the academic outcomes, and student and facilitator perceptions of online CBL in medical education. However, the CASP tool uncovered deficiencies in study descriptions and design leading to poor quality evidence in this area. The authors provide recommendations for frameworks and learning theories for the future implementation of online CBL.

Fostering Graduate Students' Interpersonal Communication Skills via Online Group Interactions

This paper presents a study that examines the effect of a graduate course titled "Selected topics in interpersonal communication skills" on the students' interpersonal communication skills as part of their 21st century skills. Subject to the COVID-19 constraints, the course was taught online in the winter semester of 2021 to 46 students, who practiced in four groups. The students, who were studying at the Technion a science and technology research university for a research-oriented graduate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) subject, attended synchronous bi-weekly 1-h lectures and 1-h practice sessions. The two research questions were as follows: (1) Did the interpersonal communication skills of the participants change following their participation in the course, and if so, how? (2) What was the effect of online learning on the students' interpersonal communication skills of (a) written and oral communication, (b) peer evaluation and feedback, and (c) self-reflection? Research tools included students' self-presentations, questionnaires, peer assessments, and reflections during the course. Analyzing the data quantitatively and qualitatively, we found that the graduate students improved their interpersonal communication skills and benefited from exposure to a variety of knowledge and research fields, contributing to a sense of pride in their university affiliation. The students suggested adding a practical component on providing constructive feedback and rendering the course mandatory to all the graduate students in the university. The contribution of this research is the creation and favorable assessment of an online course that develops interpersonal communication skills among graduate students from a variety of STEM faculties.

Visualization and Semantic Labeling of Mood States Based on Time-Series Features of Eye Gaze and Facial Expressions by Unsupervised Learning

This study is intended to develop a stress measurement and visualization system for stress management in terms of simplicity and reliability. We present a classification and visualization method of mood states based on unsupervised machine learning (ML) algorithms. Our proposed method attempts to examine the relation between mood states and extracted categories in human communication from facial expressions, gaze distribution area and density, and rapid eye movements, defined as saccades. Using a psychological check sheet and a communication video with an interlocutor, an original benchmark dataset was obtained from 20 subjects (10 male, 10 female) in their 20s for four or eight weeks at weekly intervals. We used a Profile of Mood States Second edition (POMS2) psychological check sheet to extract total mood disturbance (TMD) and friendliness (F). These two indicators were classified into five categories using self-organizing maps (SOM) and U-Matrix. The relation between gaze and facial expressions was analyzed from the extracted five categories. Data from subjects in the positive categories were found to have a positive correlation with the concentrated distributions of gaze and saccades. Regarding facial expressions, the subjects showed a constant expression time of intentional smiles. By contrast, subjects in negative categories experienced a time difference in intentional smiles. Moreover, three comparative experiment results demonstrated that the feature addition of gaze and facial expressions to TMD and F clarified category boundaries obtained from U-Matrix. We verify that the use of SOM and its two variants is the best combination for the visualization of mood states.

Massive Distance Education: Barriers and Challenges in Shifting to a Complete Online Learning Environment

The global pandemic has dramatically changed how the world functions and impacted all sectors of society including all educational institutions. Government and educators respond with immediate online teaching and learning for all students. Massive distance education has been drawn into the picture to provide non-stop learning in most countries worldwide. This study focuses on examining different orders of barriers educators have encountered during the Covid-19 pandemic. The barriers to massive online teaching and learning included the first-order barrier (technological or external barrier), the second-order barrier (internal barrier or teachers' and parents' beliefs), the third-order barrier (design thinking barrier), and the 2.5th order barrier (the classroom management barrier). Both teachers and students are suffering from unstable or limited internet connectivity and it directly hinders students' rights in the massive online education. Teachers are facing the need for sudden pedagogical redesign while parents are enduring the burden of providing all kinds of support for their children's online learning at home. Some learners are experiencing videoconferencing fatigue and struggling with overwhelming resources and an excessive amount of technology time. This study also identifies a group of forgotten learners, the videoconferencing refugees, who have limited access to the Internet and lost their learning opportunities. From a global perspective, shifting to massive online education may be possible with all four orders of barriers being overcome.

Change Management and Innovation Practices during Pandemic in the Middle East E-Commerce Industry

This study highlights the appropriateness of innovation management principles to successfully manage radical change in the e-commerce industry during the COVID-19 period. The study focuses on transforming delivery platforms in the context of popular e-commerce organizations in the U.A.E. We conducted the study through interviews, and the results reflect the development of three major themes (shifting consumer behavior, implementation of innovation, and innovation for effective change management) since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the transition stage, critical aspects concerning product delivery have emerged to stabilize logistics performance with sustainability. The study suggests that firms need to be faster and more flexible to address the market uncertainty through innovative practices. Similar organizations can use this study to develop mechanisms to improve their delivery systems. Additionally, the study also argues that collaborative innovation significantly contributes to the enhancement of consumers’ well-being and boosts economic growth.

Video Conferencing Dysmorphia: Assessment of Pandemic-Related Body Dysmorphia and Implications for the Post-lockdown Era

Background: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to global effects on human interaction and mental health. The most drastic changes are seen in ways people continue to stay connected with each other. Video-conferencing applications like Zoom gained popularity and have become the primary means of communication for social or work events and meetings. These applications have also in many places replaced face-to-face healthcare visits and have penetrated school-based learning. The long-term implications of this digital technology on self-esteem and body image require further study.

Main Body: Video-conferencing applications have led to people being more conscious of their appearance and this has resulted in increased cases of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). There is increased focus on body appearance and cosmetic procedures to fix minor defects. Although the treatment for BDD is like depression, it requires the personalization of therapy specific to the needs of the patient.

Conclusion: In this review, we aim to highlight the impact of the pandemic on body image and the long-term implications of virtual conferencing. The review also highlights available pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment approaches in the management of body dysmorphic disorder related to virtual video conferencing.

Validation and Factorial Invariance of the Life Skills Ability Scale in Mexican Higher Education Students

The objective of this study was to validate the Life Skills Ability Scale through internal consistency and construct validity in the context of higher education in Mexico. In study 1, the reliability and factor structure of the scale were evaluated with a sample of 525 higher education students (Mage = 19.94 years, SD = 3.85). In study 2, the factor invariance of the instrument was analyzed based on sample gender, which consisted of 707 higher education students (Mage = 20.03 years, SD = 4.19). The results showed adequate reliability and construct validity with a second order model and an eight-factor structure (teamwork, goal-setting, time management, emotional skills, communication, social skills, leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making). Likewise, there was measure equivalence between men and women. In conclusion, the Spanish version of the Life Skills Ability Scale in a Mexican context is a reliable and valid instrument that allows the assessment of life skills in higher education students.

It’s a Man’s World: A Qualitative Study of Gender and Sexuality amongst Australian Gay Men

Currently, research explicitly examining masculinity and internalized homonegativity is sparse, and even sparser studies are those using qualitative methods. To address this, this study aims to explore: how gender norms are constructed and experienced amongst gay men; and how gender and sexual identity are experienced in relation to masculine norms amongst gay men. A sample of 32 self-identified gay men aged 22–72 years (M = 34.34, SD = 12.94) participated in an online semi-structured interview on masculinity and homosexuality. The study used Zoom to facilitate the online interviews as it offered privacy, accessibility, ease of use, and voice recording, among other benefits. Thematic analyses revealed gay men’s understandings of masculinity, femininity, and sources of pressure to conform. Furthermore, gay men emphasize the conflict experienced between heteronormative gender and sexuality norms, which highlights the term homosexual male as an oxymoron.

Thai undergraduate science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) creative thinking and innovation skill development: a conceptual model using a digital virtual classroom learning environment

Qualitative and quantitative research methods were undertaken to examine and develop a digitally based virtual classroom learning environment (VCLE) for Thai undergraduate students' creative thinking and innovation enhancement in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEM/STEAM) disciplines. The research methodology was divided into two phases, including the synthesis and then the design of the VCLE. Also, in addition to the study's authors, nine experts were used for the model's development and another ten for its assessment (19 total). From their in-depth interviews and subsequent content analysis, their input of the proposed STEAM-ification process was synthesized and the data analyzed. The results revealed that the VCLE design should begin with a face-to-face, classroom learning environment in which the 'gamification' mechanisms were introduced and examined. This was then reinforced by moving the gamification process online outside of the classroom. Furthermore, five VCLE STEAM-ification steps were found to be particularly useful for enhancing creative thinking and student innovation. These included investigation, discovery, connections, creativity, and reflection. Moreover, we identified the gamification process as consisting of three main components. These were the 'game mechanics,' the 'game dynamics,' and 'player emotions'. The ten experts agreed that the VCLE STEAM-ification creativity and innovation (C & I) process was appropriate at an 'excellent' level ( x ¯ = 4.68, S. D. = 0.47), which has great potential in the development of Thai undergraduate student C & I skills. Also, when undertaken correctly, innovation and motivation to learn are also outcomes from both VCLE and gamification applications. Thus, when students undertook study with the VCLE STEAM-ification format, they were found to achieve higher levels of creativity and innovation than students who studied using the traditional teaching plan. These results were found to be statistically significant at the .01 level.

Classroom Management Strategies to Improve Learning Experiences for Online Courses

Hybrid classrooms (taught simultaneously to both in-person and online students) have become increasingly common in the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and they have offered multiple benefits and challenges. We offer several recommendations to improve student engagement and classroom experience in such classrooms, especially for online learners who may face greater barriers to participation. These recommendations were constructed based on survey responses from students in a microbiology classroom who were categorized as in-person or online learners depending on their chosen modalities. Briefly, increasing familiarity, encouraging but not mandating camera use in online small groups, tailoring active learning activities for the online population, and enabling access to lecture recordings and transcripts were identified as strategies that would promote student engagement and improve student outcomes. As online learning will likely play an important role in higher education in the future, educators will need to continue to rethink and adapt some familiar classroom strategies to resonate with a virtual audience. In any case, lessons learned in a hybrid course can be applied to a range of teaching modalities, to provide students with a more engaging and supportive learning environment.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Consumer Purchasing Behavior

With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing importance of e-commerce, the study of online consumer behavior is of particular relevance. The purpose of this study was to form a methodological approach to assess the relationships and the level of influence of the factors activating the purchasing behavior of online consumers against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research methodology was based on the transformation of Cattell’s questionnaire and the implementation of correlation analysis. To determine the predisposition of online consumer behavior at the time of making a purchase decision, this study used the questionnaire method. The survey was conducted among online shoppers in the top 10 countries in terms of e-commerce market growth. The scientific contribution is the proposed methodological toolkit to assess the purchasing behavior of online consumers, which identifies the most influential factors in their purchasing behavior and provides an opportunity to assess the dynamics of their activity during the study period, to identify key trends and determine changes in their behavior. The research revealed what changes in online consumer buying behavior are typical in the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of consumer awareness and experience has increased. Online consumers have become more experienced, which has influenced the activity of their buying behavior. This study proved the shifting influence of online consumer purchasing behavior factors during the pandemic. The increasing importance of the speed of decision making by consumers when purchasing goods and services online was determined.

One Year of Online Education in COVID-19 Age, a Challenge for the Romanian Education System

The study tried to analyze the implication of one year of online education in the Romanian education system. To achieve this goal, the authors of this study analyzed all the levels of education, primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education, and even the early childhood system, but also one of the smallest Romanian universities, considered representative for grade 1 universities representing 60% of the Romanian universities. The study is based on four online questionnaires for investigation, first with more than 2500 respondents from the primary and secondary Romanian education system, and the other three applied to more than 800 students and professors from the University of Petroșani. The investigation took place during 29 January 2021 and 11 February 2021. The authors had investigated the main feature of a standard online or a classical e-learning solution, such as the meeting solution or the video conference software, the collaborative work, such as homework or projects, and the testing method or the quizzes from both perspectives of the students and of the professors. The study results could influence the expected future hybrid educational system because these results were not covered in the previous literature but proved to be necessary for relevant knowledge strategies to be implemented in the new pandemic and also in the future context.

University Students’ Perception, Evaluation, and Spaces of Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria: What Can We Learn for Post-Pandemic Educational Futures?

The COVID-19 pandemic caught societies worldwide unprepared in 2020. In Austria, after a lockdown was decreed on 16 March 2020, educational institutions had to switch to a patched-up distance learning approach, which has been largely maintained to date. This article delivers empirical insights from an interdisciplinary mixed-methods research study that investigated university students’ perceptions of and experiences with distance learning as well as their educational (home) spaces during the pandemic in Innsbruck, Austria. It combines results from a quantitative survey conducted with 2742 students in early 2021 with a qualitative multi-method and longitudinal research study that accompanied 98 students throughout four data-collection phases in 2020. Results show a significant improvement since spring 2020 with both teachers and learners adjusting to the distance learning formats and the use of digital tools, yet students urgently desired a return to face-to-face teaching and university life, particularly for its social benefits. Strikingly, more than half of the participants wanted to maintain the option of overall distance education after the pandemic. Based on the perspectives of students, it is appropriate to demand significant changes in post-pandemic education adapted to the era of the post-digital, for which this article gives short-term as well as medium-term recommendations.

Impact of COVID-19 on Educational Sustainability. Initial Perceptions of the University Community of the University of Cádiz

This research analyses the impact of COVID-19 on the Spanish university system during the period of home lockdown put in place by the government of Spain between 15 March and 21 June 2020. This period did not involve a change to online teaching. Instead, it involved emergency remote teaching, wherein the content of face-to-face teaching was taught through non-classroom training using media, devices and tools available at that time. The main objective of the paper is related to the perceptions of students and teachers on emergency remote teaching regarding the face-to-face model. We applied statistical techniques of descriptive and inferential analysis over a sample of 2778 students and 221 teaching staff from the University of Cádiz. We also analysed the methodologies used, as well as the acquisition of skills, competencies and knowledge by the students in this situation, in order to detect whether this type of action can achieve sustainable education. This term refers to education that is capable of maintaining the continuous quality of the training of each student, who should acquire the required knowledge and competences regardless of unforeseen events. However, according to the results of this research, the sudden transition to e-learning, based on available technological and computer-based methods, did not guarantee sustainable education or its quality. This study establishes different possibilities for improving non-face-to-face teaching in this kind of situation. The results show greatly concerning levels of training and evaluation, as well as worse acquisition of skills. Both teachers and students declared a preference for face-to-face teaching. This perception should prompt the educational authorities to solve the existing problems in e-learning education, improving the transition and guaranteeing the sustainability of non-face-to-face education. This research highlights the areas for improvement in e-learning education in the ongoing situation, the general uncertainty in the transition, the lack of communication and the completion of a fair evaluation system. The results show that the methods used in this period must be improved to achieve sustainable teaching and learning during a pandemic. The results also emphasize the uncertainty in the educational community about the entire process. This study will help the educational authorities to improve the change of paradigm in higher education in the future.

Models for Administration to Ensure the Successful Transition to Distance Learning during the Pandemic

Lack of guidelines for implementing distance learning, lack of infrastructure, lack of competencies, and security-related problems were the challenges met during the pandemic. These challenges firstly fall on the administration of a higher education institution. To assist in solving the challenges of the pandemic for the administration of a higher education institution, the paper presents several models for the organization of the processes of distance learning. These models are as follows: a conceptual model of distance learning, a model of strategic planning of distance learning, a model of the assessment before the start of distance learning, a model of the preparation for distance learning, and a model of the process of distance learning and remote work. Student profile, lecturer profile, organizational environment, assessment, and planning of the infrastructure of information and communication technology (ICT), assessment and planning of the virtual learning environment, and assessment of distance learning competencies of participants of the study process are also considered. The developed models are based on five main processes of instructional design, i.e., analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The models provide guidelines for the administration of higher education institutions on the preparation and delivery of distance learning during the pandemic. The models were validated by 10 experts from different higher education institutions. The feasibility of the data collection instrument was determined by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient that is above 0.9.