The Views of Students Towards Foreign Language Literacy Through Synchronous Distance Education

The process of education has been affected mostly by the COVD-19 pandemic process, and distance education methods are getting popular. In line with this situation, the aims of this study are to examine the opinions of prep-class university students on foreign language literacy via synchronous distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic process, to analyse their experiences, and to make forward-looking suggestions. This research has been designed as a case study which consisted of 78 university students (43 male, 35 female) studying at the preparatory classes comprised of different faculties of a state university in Turkey during 2019- 2020 academic year. The data of the study were collected with a questionnaire form consisting of open-ended questions. The data obtained from the research were subjected to content analysis, and the findings were supported by direct quotations from students’ statements. The results showed that comfortable learning atmosphere at home and easy time management are appreciated whereas technical problems and distraction factors affect learning process negatively. Practical applications like online dictionaries increase motivation and transform learning process into a fun activity. On the other hand, decreased participation and lack of face-to-face language practice opportunities cause low motivation and affect the language learning process adversely. In terms of acquiring language skills, it has been found out that SDE slows down skill training, time allocated for speaking practice is not sufficient, and traditional teaching methods are preferred; however, reading is thought to be relatively more appropriate for SDE compared to other language skills. Last but not least another positive finding of the study is that lecturers’ time management skills, professional knowledge, and technological competence are appreciated by the students.

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Live Synchronous Distance Education for Allied Health Students Following Program Expansion to a Rural Campus

Background & Purpose: Distance education (DE) is a means to meet allied health workforce needs in rural locations where healthcare worker shortages are apparent. Five allied health programs were expanded to a rural campus teaching synchronously using distance education technology. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to explore perceptions of allied health students and faculty at two campus locations. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative information were collected through a survey of students and faculty (physical therapy, physician assistant, and medical imaging [diagnostic medical sonography, radiography, magnetic resonance imaging] programs). Both campuses served as live and distance sites depending on instructor location and area of content expertise. For example, morning courses may be taught live from one campus, and afternoon classes taught live from the other campus. Only one program, physical therapy, offered labs by distance education. Response distributions were compared for questions by campus using Cochran-Armitage trend tests and analyzed de-identified qualitative comments using constant comparisons to establish themes. Results: Student (n=121) and faculty (n=19) mostly agreed distance education technology was effective for teaching and learning. Significant differences were found in student opinions about receiving a similar educational experience between the two campuses. More students at the Main campus somewhat or strongly disagreed (n=34, 37%) it was similar compared to the Rural campus (n= 5, 17%, p=0.024). There were no comments specifically related to the physical therapy lab experience. Open-ended comment themes included training, purposeful engagement of both campus locations, and setting clear expectations. Conclusions: Although differences in learning experiences exist between the main and rural campus locations; the results indicated using distance education technology is an effective means to deliver the curriculum. Both students and faculty commented about the lack of experience with the educational technology before implementation. Synchronous, distance education offers the opportunity for program expansion and effective delivery of curriculum content. Using the results of this study can enhance future education in allied health professions using synchronous distance education technology.