scholarly journals An Observational Study of Engineering Online Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadnaz Asgari ◽  
Jelena Trajkovic ◽  
Mehran Rahmani ◽  
Wenlu Zhang ◽  
Roger C. Lo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Sudden Change ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Face To Face Instruction ◽  
Online Format

Although online education has become a viable and major component of higher education in many fields, its employment in engineering disciplines has been limited. COVID-19 pandemic compelled the global and abrupt conversion of conventional face-to-face instruction to the online format. The negative impact of such sudden change is undeniable. Urgent and careful planning is needed to mitigate pandemic negative effects on engineering education, especially for vulnerable, disadvantaged, and underrepresented students who have to deal with additional challenges (e.g. digital equity gap). To enhance engineering online instruction during the pandemic era, we conducted an observational study at California State University, Long Beach (a minority-serving institution). 110 faculty and 627 students from six engineering departments participated in our surveys and answered quantitative and qualitative questions to highlight the challenges they experienced during the online instruction in Spring 2020. In this work, we present the results of these surveys in detail and propose solutions to address the identified issues including logistical, technical, learning/teaching challenges, assessment methods, and hands-on training. As the pandemic continues, sharing these results with other educators can help with more effective planning and choice of best practices to improve the online engineering education during COVID-19 and beyond.

scholarly journals An observational study of engineering online education during the COVID-19 pandemic

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0250041
Author(s):  
Shadnaz Asgari ◽  
Jelena Trajkovic ◽  
Mehran Rahmani ◽  
Wenlu Zhang ◽  
Roger C. Lo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Educational Stakeholders ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Face To Face Instruction ◽  
Online Format

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled the global and abrupt conversion of conventional face-to-face instruction to the online format in many educational institutions. Urgent and careful planning is needed to mitigate negative effects of pandemic on engineering education that has been traditionally content-centered, hands-on and design-oriented. To enhance engineering online education during the pandemic, we conducted an observational study at California State University, Long Beach (one of the largest and most diverse four-year university in the U.S.). A total of 110 faculty members and 627 students from six engineering departments participated in surveys and answered quantitative and qualitative questions to highlight the challenges they experienced during the online instruction in Spring 2020. Our results identified various issues that negatively influenced the online engineering education including logistical/technical problems, learning/teaching challenges, privacy and security concerns and lack of sufficient hands-on training. For example, more than half of the students indicated lack of engagement in class, difficulty in maintaining their focus and Zoom fatigue after attending multiple online sessions. A correlation analysis showed that while semi-online asynchronous exams were associated with an increase in the perceived cheating by the instructors, a fully online or open-book/open-note exams had an association with a decrease in instructor’s perception of cheating. To address various identified challenges, we recommended strategies for educational stakeholders (students, faculty and administration) to fill the tools and technology gap and improve online engineering education. These recommendations are practical approaches for many similar institutions around the world and would help improve the learning outcomes of online educations in various engineering subfields. As the pandemic continues, sharing the results of this study with other educators can help with more effective planning and choice of best practices to enhance the efficacy of online engineering education during COVID-19 and post-pandemic.

scholarly journals HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS EMERGENCY ONLINE INSTRUCTION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE CONTEXT OF TURKEY

2021 ◽  
pp. 123-132
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Valizadeh ◽  
Fatemeh Soltanpour
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Assessment Procedure ◽  
Technological Infrastructure ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Online Format

This mixed-methods study aimed at investigating the Turkish higher education learners’ attitudes towards Emergency Online Teaching (EOT) under the Covid-19 pandemic in order to discover the benefits and drawbacks of it. The participants were 251 higher education learners who received the EOT during the Covid-19 crisis in Turkey. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered by means of a questionnaire in August 2020. Quantitative data were obtained via closed-ended questions with the response on a Likert-scale format. Qualitative data were acquired through open-ended questions. The results showed that the hurried shift to an online instruction by universities in Turkey was not fully satisfactory and the majority of the respondents (74.1%) preferred face-to-face learning to the online format, however, the participants also stated that they felt safer during this pandemic disease thanks to the availability of distant online education. The drawbacks they mentioned included inadequate technological infrastructure or facilities, lack of sufficient teacher-student and peer interaction, lack of learners’ attention and concentration, tediousness of online lessons, learners’ inadequate engagement in class activities, as well as the absence of comprehensive assessment procedure.

scholarly journals Previous Studies on The Impact of Online Education in EFL and ESL contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 177-186
Author(s):  
Ali Hashemi
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
The World ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Role Players ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
The Impact

Unexpected Covid-19 global outbreak in the world, has had a broad effect on people’s life and their daily activities. Globally, education at all levels as an important part of people’s lives has been influenced due to the pandemic of Covid-19. Teachers and students, as the key role players of education, have felt the impacts of online education both negatively and positively. Hence, this article aimed to collect and analyze perception of EFL and ESL learners and teachers toward online education during Covid-19 pandemic and put effort into finding some solutions for the negative effects of online learning. The selected previous studies about this topic were chosen from different published articles in multiple countries in EFL and ESL context. As a result, the article found that online education had a negative impact on the majority of the learners and teachers, although there were some positive impacts too. 

scholarly journals A CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO ONLINE TRAINING FOR ONLINE TEACHERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanford Gold
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Specialized Training ◽  
Faculty Work ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
Pedagogical Training ◽  
Face To Face Instruction

This article examines the pedagogical role of the teacher in online education. Specifically, the transition from in-class room instruction to online instruction is a complex one involving specialized training in the technical aspects of delivering quality educational materials (or environments) to the students, and specialized training in how to foster knowledge acquisition within this new environment. The article focuses on the pedagogical training that an online instructor needs to become an effective teacher.The article investigates a two-week faculty development pedagogical training course aimed at preparing teachers to operate effectively within an online educational environment. In attempting to orient the teacher to the online environment, the course used a constructivist instructional methodology within an online context. Several types of collaborative exercises were employed such as virtual field trips, online evaluations, interactive essays, and group projects. The sample (N=44) represented veteran college teachers with little online teaching or studying experience. Tenured faculty (30%) and Instructors (25%) composed the majority of the class. The group had well over 13 years classroom teaching experience (53%), and over three-quarters are currently teaching in higher education institutions. Hypotheses were tested through online data collection and surveys to find out the effects of the pedagogical training on the participants. One important finding of the study concludes that teachers exposed to the course significantly changed their attitudes toward online instruction seeing it as more participatory, and interactive than face-to-face instruction. Another major finding is that after the course, teachers saw the online medium as more of an extension of their faculty work. That is, faculty were more willing to use the online medium as an extension of their duties.

scholarly journals Education's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Reveals Online Education’s Three Enduring Challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Openo
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
Student Support ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment ◽  
Authentic Assessments

Closed campuses, working remotely, and physical distancing have changed the way we work, teach, learn, shop, attend conferences, and interact with family and friends. But the Covid-19 pandemic has not changed what we know about creating high-end online education. Two decades of research has shown that online education often fails to fulfill its promise, and the emergency shift to remote instruction has, for many, justified their distrust and dislike of online learning. Low interactivity remains a widely recognized short-coming of current online offerings. Low interactivity results, in part, from many faculty not feeling comfortable being themselves online. The long-advocated for era of authentic assessments is needed now more than ever. Finally, greater support is needed for both underrepresented students and for faculty to move beyond basic online instruction to create a strong continuum of care between the teaching and learning environment and the student support infrastructure. For those who have been long-term champions of online education, it has never been more important to confront the three biggest challenges that continue to haunt online education – interactivity, authenticity, and support. Only by confronting these challenges squarely can instructors, educational developers, and their institutions take huge steps towards better online instruction in the midst of a pandemic and make widespread, high-quality online education permanently part of the “new normal.”

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: THE FREQUENCY AND VARIETY OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO ONLINE INSTRUCTORS

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Heather Herman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Learning Development ◽  
Printed Materials

Online education is no longer a peripheral phenomenon in higher education: over one-third of faculty have taught or developed an online course. As institutions of higher education expand their online education offerings, administrators need to recognize that supporting faculty through the use of incentives and through effective faculty development programs for online instruction is important to the improvement of the quality of educational programs. This quantitative study used an online survey to investigate the types and frequency of faculty development programs for online instruction at institutions with an established teaching and learning development unit (TLDU). The average TLDU offered about fifteen different types of faculty development programs, the most common being websites, technical services, printed materials, and consultation with instructional design experts.

Problems of Development of Small and Medium Russian Towns

2019 ◽  
pp. 24-29
Author(s):  
V V. Kafidov ◽  
V. N. Filippov ◽  
I. P. Filippova
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Fundamental Factor ◽  
New Buildings

The presented study addresses the problems of development of small and medium towns in Russia. Aim. The study aims to examine a town as a socio-economic environment where its residents exist and as the fundamental factor for the development of society.Tasks. The authors identify key problems in the development of small and medium Russian towns, which interferes with the historical appearance and has a negative impact on the living environment.Methods. Problems in the development of small and medium towns in Russia are examined using theoretical methods: systematic approach, statistical analysis, social and philosophical analysis.Results. The study identifies the main negative effects of the existing model of development of small and medium Russian towns, such as destruction of their historical and cultural appearance, distortion of the overall architectural motif, increased load on communications, and congestion of the transport infrastructure.Conclusions. At the current stage, efficient development of small and medium towns in Russia is impossible within the framework of the existing infill development. This chaotic process cannot be stopped without a new conceptual approach and changes in the legislative and normative framework of urban development. The only factor that determines the boundaries of the existing approach to urban development is the lack of physical space for new buildings in urban areas. The authors formulate proposals that would help to solve the problems of development of small and medium towns in Russia. 

scholarly journals In the Same Boat, but not Equals: The Heterogeneous Effects of Indirect Taxation on Child Health in Punjab-Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiz Ur Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Nasir
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Income Group ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Indirect Taxation ◽  
Nutrition Survey ◽  
Lower Income Group ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Heterogeneous Effects ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe 2011 National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan revealed that 51% of the country’s population was consuming less than 2,100 calories a day. In the backdrop of rising food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition in Pakistan, this study aims to measure the effects of indirect taxation on health outcomes of children (<5 years). More specifically, the impact of the incidence of General Sales Tax (GST) in the province of Punjab has been estimated on a child’s height and weight. The proponents of the uniform GST argue that the tax would not affect children because most food items consumed by children are exempted from the GST. However, the opponents believe that households, especially those belonging to the lower-income group, would reallocate resources away from children in the face of higher GST. To study these effects, we utilized three different waves (2007–08, 2011 & 2014) of Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys (MICS). The results show that the tax incidence, and not the GST rate, has a significantly negative impact on children’s height-for-age Z-score (HAZ). No effect was found on the weight-for-age-z-score (WAZ). These results are robust to different specifications and exhibit considerable heterogeneity across different income groups. These findings suggest that the exemption of certain food items for children from the GST may not eliminate the negative effects of this tax on a child’s health. Thus, our study raises concerns about the long term welfare consequences of GST.

scholarly journals Transvaginal Hybrid-NOTES procedures—do they have a negative impact on pregnancy and delivery?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Thomaidis ◽  
Niklas J. Weltermann ◽  
Claudia S. Seefeldt ◽  
Dana C. Richards ◽  
Axel Sauerwald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Male Partner ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Desire For Children ◽  
Pregnancy And Delivery ◽  
Hybrid Notes ◽  
Type Of Delivery

Abstract Purpose We conducted a retrospective observational study in order to identify negative effects of NOTES procedures (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery) with transvaginal specimen removal on pregnancy and delivery. Methods From the total population of 299 patients in our NOTES registry, we tried to contact the 121 patients who were of reproductive age (≤ 45 years) at the time of a transvaginal NOTES procedure. They were interviewed by telephone regarding their desire for children, post NOTES-operation pregnancies, and type of delivery using a structured questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed and compared with current data. Results We were able to contact 76 patients (follow-up rate: 62.8%) with a median follow-up of 77 months after surgery (33–129 months). Twenty of 74 participating patients had a desire for children (27.0%). One of them and another's male partner were diagnosed as infertile. Regarding the remaining 18 patients, 14 became pregnant, and three of them became pregnant twice. Considering these 17 pregnancies, there was one miscarriage (5.9%) and one twin birth (5.9%). On average, childbirth occurred 44 months after the NOTES procedure. With regard to the type of delivery, 10 vaginal births (58.8%) and 7 caesarean sections (41.2%) occurred. Thus, the rate of fulfilled desire for children was 77.8%. Compared with the literature, no difference to the normal course could be detected. Conclusion There is no sign that the transvaginal approach in Hybrid-NOTES, with removal of the specimen through the vagina, has a negative effect on conception, the course during pregnancy, or the type of delivery.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Newly Developed Extruded Products Supplemented with Plants in a Form of Microwave-Expanded Snacks

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 2791
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Lisiecka ◽  
Agnieszka Wójtowicz ◽  
Marek Gancarz
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Total Phenolic ◽  
Extrusion Cooking ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Texture Profile ◽  
Fresh Plant Material ◽  
Extruded Products

The following research focuses on the possibility of applying fresh plant material as a carrot pulp to supplement newly developed extruded products in the form of pellets and microwave-expanded snacks. Fresh carrot pulp, as a valuable vegetable ingredient, was used in the amount of 2.5 g/100 g to 30.0 g/100 g in a potato-based recipe. The snack pellets were processed via extrusion-cooking, using a single-screw extruder with a plasticizing unit L/D = 18, and the use of variable screw speeds. The produced pellets underwent microwave expansion to limit the fat content, so as to produce ready-to-eat (RTE) snacks. The pellets and snacks were tested for nutritional value, as well as for selected quality features: physical properties, structure, pasting characteristics, and texture profile, and PCA analysis and a correlation matrix were performed on the obtained results. Microwave expansion of pellets increased the total phenolic content, the antioxidant activity, water absorption index and lightness of snacks, but decreased the bulk density and setback values of the expanded products when compared to pellets. Generally, we found that it was possible to use up to 30.0 g/100 g of fresh carrot pulp with a positive effect on nutritional value, and without negative effects on the physical properties of extruded products. Both the extrusion-cooking and microwave expansion can minimize the negative impact on plant materials, due to the short processing time.

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