Learners’ Perceptions towards Online Learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Study at a Center of Foreign Languages in Vietnam

Online learning is a revolutionary trend of educational technology today. Particularly, online learning has become the donminent alternative to traditional learning during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the new normal. Various studies have shown that online learning has varying effectiveness at all levels and types of education; however, it is worth noting that many learners are still struggling to accept the mode of online learning, and learner retention has been suggested as one of the greatest weaknesses in online education. The current study used a questionnaire with open-ended questions to examine online learners’ perceptions of online learning as well as to understand reasons for their retention in online courses. The results revealed that most of the learners, especially young learners still preferred traditional face-to-face learning to online learning due to various problems they experienced while doing online learning, such as lack of facilities and necessary interactions. However, the retention rates are relatively modest, indicating the perceived quality of online programs at a center of foreign languages in Vietnam.

An Appraisal Look into Shielded Online Education in Covid Era: Resilience Revisited

Education has been regarded as the backbone of human advancement in all areas of activities as the ultimate goal of education is to develop better citizens. Online Education has been known as the alternate approach to learning. The outbreak of Covid-19 virus has infected all nations in the world and debilitated all areas of human activities, hence, education was not an exception. The dominancy of online education in Iran experienced a breakthrough during Covid pandemic and like other activities, it witnessed a fragile stance, and, in a nutshell, reality was far from ideality. The present study aimed at depicting the adversities exerted during the implementation of Online Education in Covid pandemic era and the term Shielded Online Education could vividly justify online programs in higher education. Learners showed an astonishing accomplishment attending shielded fashion of online education in Iran in such a way that a new definition to the notion of resilience could be introduced. A resilience questionnaire before and after an online course in the second semester of the academic year 2020-2021 was conducted with 60 junior undergraduate EFL learners majoring at Translation in Islamic Azad University Tehran. The Resilience Questionnaire was collected from control group and the experimental one. The data obtained went through quantitative data analysis confirmed that shielded online courses outperformed significantly in enhancing the learners’ resiliency in Covid era and what was gained was far beyond what was expected. The education stakeholders, policymakers, teachers and syllabus designers could benefit from the findings of the present study which in turn could shed light on the ins-and-outs of the maneuverability aspects of better enactments of online courses through online education.

Examining the OPM: Form, Function, and Policy Implications

Online program management (OPM) is the merging of online education and outsourcing practices in higher education. OPM firms facilitate the development, delivery, and management of online programs for colleges and universities. Although OPM partnerships can help institutions offer online programs they otherwise would not be able to offer, such agreements raise concerns not seen with other types of outsourcing. To help others understand the phenomenon of online program management, we pulled together fragmented information from previous studies and literature, national datasets, websites, policies and regulations, and interviews with experts. Because previous writings use a range of definitions for the term OPM, we start by providing a working definition of an OPM agreement. Each side of the agreement is then examined in turn. For colleges and universities, we consider the reasons why they choose (or do not choose) to enter into an OPM partnership. Special attention is paid to reasons pertaining to organizational finances and nonprofit conversions. For OPM firms, we provide details about the organizations that participate in this rapidly changing market. Last, we offer policy perspectives while noting possible modifications of current regulations and providing caution about unintentional consequences of over-regulation.

Current Situation of International Education for International Students in China

Over the past decades, China has become the education hub for many international students due to its internalization policies, education standards, economic advantage and the technological advancement. However, due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic which also affected the educational sector, the closure of boarder necessitated the transition from in-person teaching to virtual teaching for international students unable to come to China due to restrictions. This paper focuses first on the concept of internationalization, internationalization mechanism of China and the management model of international students and second on the current situation of international students within and without China. The source of the data for this study consists of previous literature and survey data collected using an online questionnaire. The findings of this study reveal that international students experienced minor difficulties in transitioning and adapting to online classes, although the level of satisfaction of the students is low. Based on the findings of the study it can be concluded that the Chinese internationalization agenda and corporations can be further enhanced by establishing online programs for international students, which will require rigorous adjustment of the curriculum to accommodate more people around the globe among other considerations.

Development of Online Child Support Activities by Older Adults; An Action Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Japanese communities have been attempting a novel type of childcare support, wherein community-dwelling older adults form a specialized group (support group) that aims to provide child support activities. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the group gathered children and mothers in community spaces and conducted events. However, on-site support had to be halted due to the pandemic. In this study, we report a case of action research aimed at shifting the activities online. First, a suitable online support plan was explored by hosting several discussions with child-rearing mothers. A questionnaire survey was then conducted to determine the most-sought intervention contents (N=19). Finally, based on the results, an intervention was conducted. As a result of the discussions, the hosting of online programs was set as the main goal. Out of the ten activities studied, the three most popular activities were programming (n=17), English conversation (n=16), and science workshop (n=15). Based on the results, an online science workshop that built a Bottleium, a small aquarium using a bottle, was hosted. Eight children participated in the event. A post-activity survey revealed that all participants attended the online activity for the first time, and the parents were happy to have joined the activity that entertained their child during the quarantine period. Furthermore, focus group interviews were conducted with the support group; they reported being satisfied with the outcome and recognized the importance of their role as member of support group. The results suggest the positive effect of this project on both older adults and the children.

Promotion of Self-Management of Chronic Disease in Children and Teenagers: Scoping Review

Background: The scientific literature describes that self-management of chronic illness leads to improved health outcomes. Knowledge about interventions that promote self-management behaviors in children and teenagers has been poorly clarified. This study aims to map, in the scientific literature, the nature and extent of interventions that promote self-management of chronic disease, implemented and evaluated in contexts of health care provided to children and teenagers. Methods: The guidelines proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute were followed. The survey was conducted in June 2021, with access to international databases and gray literature, in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. Results: Interventions that promote self-management of children and teenagers can be developed through a local contact or through technological means of support for health care. The use of online supports, such as applications or communication platforms, should be parameterized with health professionals, according to the needs of users. Conclusions: The acquisition of self-management skills in pediatrics is a process supported by the family, health professionals and the community, in which the nurse, in partnership, can promote communication and health education through cognitive strategies, behavioral programs included in physical or online programs, adjusted to the patients’ needs.

Scanning for Cultural Competency in Online Urban Planning Programs

This article investigates online urban planning degree programs. The Covid-19 pandemic forced urban planning programs to pivot to online delivery instantly. However, there is little preexisting knowledge on online learning in place-making fields of study both in the literature and in practice. Meanwhile, working and learning from home is expected to continue as part of urban planning education and practice. The key tension of teaching urban planning online, as a traditional place-dependent field, is the starting point for our inquiry in this article. To understand the state of online urban planning programs, an internet search was conducted. A database of 176 higher education programs was created that identified only eight online programs including degree-granting and certificate programs in urban planning. These urban planning program results were concentrated in the western United States. Key challenges in online learning were identified through a literature review, including pedagogical efforts in skill transfer and multiculturalism. The eight-program curriculum strategies were analyzed through a qualitative case study analysis. A discussion on the tactics during the transition from in-person to online education in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at California State Polytechnic University Pomona is also presented. This article provides online urban planning program information for educators currently teaching online and for those interested in creating an online program. Online programs in place-specific fields such as urban planning have particular challenges in understanding communities without site visits, ethnography, or robust in-person community engagement. Online urban planning programs must make additional efforts to achieve a social, collaborative learning and practice environment.

DEVELOPING AND MEASURING SOFT SKILLS AFTER ONLINE TRAININGS

Working remotely has become a common approach for many companies in the past year. This raises several questions including the work-life balance and worker’s effectiveness in the home-office environment. Here also comes the question of the training of employees and how to develop them in the new working set-up. Online programs become more and more popular among the employers. They can be in the form of webinars, virtual classrooms, conferences, etc. A focus of this article is to outline the ways to measure soft skills after online trainings. I did a literature review which covers books and journals on soft skills measurement topic with the purpose to clarify the methodology for evaluation of the results after online courses. The article provides additional findings from the conducted survey among the regular employees in a technical company from the IT sector in Eastern Europe. The outcomes from it confirmed that reactions are what organizations usually measure and it is done by using feedback forms during or after the course which helps to improve the future sessions. Learning objectives should be defined in advance and can be measured during the training by carefully observing the participation of the trainees. Results could be measured on a later stage after careful consideration of the productivity of the employee and analysis of his/ her feedback, behavior and changes in the working process after the course. Kirkpatrick’s model will be the starting point of the discussion in the context of the following steps for evaluation – reaction, learning, behavior and results.

Virtual and Open Integration of Culture for Education (VOICE) with Science Teacher Candidates from Korea during COVID-19

Cultural competencies and confidence in teaching diverse students are needed to close achievement gaps between mainstream and minority students in science. In this study, an online teacher education program, Virtual and Open Integration of Culture for Education (VOICE), was designed to help retain teacher candidates’ science affinities and cultural competency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-two Korean teacher candidates were selected as culturally responsive instructors who were able to reduce their cultural bias and preferences about Korean culture and develop culturally responsive instruction. VOICE proceeded through (1) “collaborating,” by connecting seminar speakers worldwide; (2) “designing,” by creating culturally responsive science activities based on Korean culture; and (3) “performing,” by communicating with American students, teacher candidates, teachers, and parents. Pre- and post-survey results show that VOICE increased the teacher candidates’ cultural proficiency and interest in science. Guidelines for research on designing online programs to enhance teacher candidates’ science affinities and cultural competencies are provided.

Student Engagement and Factors Affecting Active Learning in English Language Teaching

Learning is the process of how students take information and relate it to their prior knowledge into something meaningful. Learning promotes continuous growth and change in students. Student engagement is considered one of the significant predictors of successful learning. In general, student engagement refers to the active participation in a series of academic and co-curricular or school-related activities and commitment to pursuing learning goals. Does student engagement associated with successful learning occur in any settings, offline or online programs? This paper presents some theoretical frameworks about student engagement. This paper concludes with some pedagogical implications for English language teaching techniques.