Do virtual schools deliver in rural areas? A longitudinal analysis of academic outcomes

The need for technology-based media is vital in the era of 21st-century education. Here, augmented reality media is a medium predicted to provide a more realistic experience successfully and in line with the developmental phase of elementary school students. For this reason, this study aims to analyze the need for augmented reality media development and develop an initial design for augmented reality media development in STEAM learning in elementary schools. This research used the R&D method with two of the four stages of R&D research. These stages are preliminary studies and initial design development. The subjects of this study were seven teachers and 129 students of a public elementary school in East Java, Indonesia. The instruments of this research were questionnaires and interviews. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and interpretive analysis. The results of this study revealed that teachers and students needed media that can represent material in-depth, increase interest and motivation, and provide experiences, such as STEAM-based augmented reality learning media. Meanwhile, the initial design development results of STEAM-based augmented reality learning media were in the form of six types of designs, containing Batik, Wayang (puppet), Gamelan, Borobudur Temple, Kereta Kencana (golden chariot), and Keris.

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Augmented Reality Media Development in STEAM Learning in Elementary Schools

During the COVID-19 crisis, universities worldwide were forced to shift from face-to-face instruction to online instruction. This shift exposes learners to challenges they have never encountered, and numerous studies have revealed a variety of barriers preventing learners from achieving learning goals in an online learning environment. Accordingly, there is an increasing need to understand the factors that contribute to learner success. This study therefore analyzed the key success factors that could assist learners in learning more efficiently in an online learning environment. The participants of this study were 105 Thai learners who were in their second year of an undergraduate degree. To reach the objective of this study, two distinct data collection procedures were used: a questionnaire for learners to identify the factors effecting learners' success in an online course and a focus group interview. The result indicated that teacher support, interaction during learning, and technological support are all critical for the success in online learning.

Key Success Factors in an Online English Learning Environment From Tertiary Learners' Perspectives

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen an increasing use of video conferencing software as e-learning platforms. Students and faculty members face many challenges in using these platforms as part of the teaching and learning process, including technical problems. This paper reviews these challenges and offers solutions to improve the experience. A descriptive-analytical approach was used, with the researchers collecting data from the literature and from questionnaires distributed to 32 faculty members and to 104 students of higher education institutions in the Sultanate of Oman. This paper suggests improvements to enhance the experience of e-learning platforms, from the user perspective in the higher Education Institutions-Sultanate of Oman.

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Recommended Improvements for Online Learning Platforms Based on Users’ Experience in the Sultanate of Oman

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the largest interruption in education around the world, affecting some 1.6 billion students. Classroom education stopped, to be replaced by online e-learning platforms. In higher education, e-learning is made available through recorded lectures, with online platforms becoming a significant part of the overall system. This study aims to identify the quality of online learning platforms, applying a set of criteria from the perspective of faculty members and students in higher education institutions in the Sultanate of Oman. The descriptive approach is used and the researchers collected data through a questionnaire directed at 32 faculty members and 104 students. The results show that e-learning programs are generally of high quality, from the perspective of the participants, but with statistically significant differences according to the type of program.

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Ghaith Abdulsattar A. Jabbar Alkubaisi

Papers

The Quality of Selected Online Learning Platforms and Their Effect on Education in the Sultanate of Oman