by J. Biggs and C. Tang, Maidenhead, England,
Open University Press, 2007, 360 pp., £29.99, ISBN-13: 978-0-335-22126-4

Teaching for quality learning at university

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic forced universities around the world to shut down their campuses indefinitely and move their educational activities onto online platforms The universities were not prepared for such a transition and their online teaching-learning process evolved gradually We conducted a survey in which we asked undergraduate students in an Indian university about their opinion on different aspects of online education during the ongoing pandemic We received responses from 358 students The students felt that they learn better in physical classrooms (65 9%) and by attending MOOCs (39 9%) than through online education The students, however, felt that the professors have improved their online teaching skills since the beginning of the pandemic (68 1%) and online education is useful right now (77 9%) The students appreciated the software and online study materials being used to support online education However, the students felt that online education is stressful and affecting their health and social life This pandemic has led to a widespread adoption of online education and the lessons we learn now will be helpful in the future

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hbe2.240

Opinion of students on online education during the COVID-19 pandemic

Crisis requires society to renew itself, albeit in a disruptive way. The current Covid-19 pandemic is transforming ways of working, living, and relating to each other on a global level, suddenly and dramatically. This paper focuses on the field of education to show how higher education institutions are undergoing radical transformations driven by the need to digitalize education and training processes in record time with academics who lack innate technological capabilities for online teaching. The university system must strive to overcome this situation to be competitive and provide high-quality education in a scenario of digital transformation, disruptive technological innovations, and accelerated change. To achieve these goals, this paper explains some barriers and challenges that universities encounter, as well as technological resources and methodologies they have used in the current scenario to transform higher education to face Covid-19 disruption. The discussion and conclusion synthesize significant insights that can be applied to the digitalization of education in the foreseeable future.

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The Transformation of Higher Education After the COVID Disruption: Emerging Challenges in an Online Learning Scenario

Emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) forced the worldwide higher educational institutes to adopt distance learning mode. Further, remote electronic exams (E-exams) were considered as mode of assessment. Objectives: This cross-sectional study evaluated the students' experience of remote E-exams during the COVID-19 pandemic among Medical Sciences students in Jordan. Materials and Methods: A survey of 29 questions was prepared on Google forms and distributed among students at Faculties of Medical Sciences (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Applied Medical Sciences) at Jordan University of Science and Technology. The questions include students' demographics, stress experience, and factors contributing to stress as well as behavioral changes related to remote E-exams. Responses were analyzed using descriptive, cross tabulation and Chi-square tests. Results: Among 1019 respondents, 32% reported more stress with remote E-exams. This was associated with academic major and gender. Among students with more stress during remote E-exams, the exam duration, mode of questions navigation and technical problems (exam platform and internet connectivity) appeared as the main factors related to stress in 78%, 76% and >60%, respectively. Other factors include concern regarding the teaching methods, exam environment and students' dishonesty. Remote E-exams had negative impact on students' dietary habits (increase consumption of caffeine and high energy drinks, high sugar food, fast food), sleep (reduction in sleeping hours, more consumption of insomnia medications), physical activity (less exercises) and smoking habits (increase). Conclusion: Results suggested a negative impact of E-exams on students within Medical Faculties. Robust exam platform and remote mock E-exams are recommended to reduce students' potential stress. A stress-free environment is very essential to encourage students to adopt remote E-exams, particularly if the pandemic will take longer. Various awareness programs about students' habits related to dietary, sleep quality, physical activity and smoking are highly valuable for students' health benefits. This is of particular importance since the current students at Faculties of Medical Sciences are the future health care providers.

Stress and behavioral changes with remote E-exams during the Covid-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study among undergraduates of medical sciences.

Effect of pandemic based online education on teaching and learning system.

The whole educational system from elementary to tertiary level has been collapsed during the lockdown period of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) not only in India but across the globe. This study is a portrayal of online teaching-learning modes adopted by the Mizoram University for the teaching-learning process and subsequent semester examinations. It looks forward to an intellectually enriched opportunity for further future academic decision-making during any adversity. The intended purpose of this paper seeks to address the required essentialities of online teaching-learning in education amid the COVID-19 pandemic and how can existing resources of educational institutions effectively transform formal education into online education with the help of virtual classes and other pivotal online tools in this continually shifting educational landscape. The paper employs both quantitative and qualitative approach to study the perceptions of teachers and students on online teaching-learning modes and also highlighted the implementation process of online teaching-learning modes. The value of this paper is to draw a holistic picture of ongoing online teaching-learning activities during the lockdown period including establishing the linkage between change management process and online teaching-learning process in education system amid the COVID-19 outbreak so as to overcome the persisting academic disturbance and consequently ensure the resumption of educational activities and discourses as a normal course of procedure in the education system.

Online Teaching-Learning in Higher Education during Lockdown Period of COVID-19 Pandemic

The significance of peace education is universally recognized for a safe and prospering future for the world at school level as peace education aims at equipping the future citizens with necessary knowledge, attitude and skills so that they would acknowledge and respect all kinds of diversity and understand human dignity. This paper is based on an empirical research aiming how far guiding principles and practices of peace education followed in secondary schools of Mizoram. The concept of peace education, guiding principles of peace education and practices on peace-related activities being followed in the secondary schools of Mizoram were explored. The study revealed that peace education was not being taught as a separate subject. Peace education component was infused in the existing curriculum and also was being taught through co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Besides, teachers must reflect in their behavior all the guiding principles of peace. They should encourage the students for critical thinking, reasoning, develop awareness on societal problems and issues, broaden their outlook, concentrate on studies, and to be associated with various activities. In Mizoram, students’ unions and church organizations used to play a prominent role in shaping and moulding the character of the people starting from the early stage of life which ultimately benefits the society and the nation. However, in the context of rapid change in social structure and modernization process, there is need for inculcating the values of peace for which schools have to play important role .

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1274779.pdf

Guiding Principles and Practices of Peace Education Followed in Secondary Schools of Mizoram.

The challenges of 21st century skills require equipping children with essential dispositions and reflective skills as a relevant dimension of education. Reflection is a valuable skill that can produce considerably high level learning and is also very important to the planning process. It includes describing, analyzing and evaluating our thought-process, assumptions, beliefs and actions. Reflection is a significant human activity in which facilitator and practitioner revisit their experience, ponder it and evaluate it. Different academicians identified different types of reflections to strengthen their teaching practices but, they unanimously suggested that reflective teaching practices are inevitably vital to effective instruction. One can start reflective teaching by asking ‘what and why’ questions. Reflective teaching is an approach that enables teachers and teacher educators to understand how they use their knowledge in classroom situations and how they combine theory and practical in a more effective manner. A reflective teacher can get input from different sources such as senior faculty members, students, colleagues to improve his/her teaching by using reflection. This paper provides some insights on few moot questions such as, “what is reflection”, “what is reflective teaching”, “why is reflective teaching important”, “why should teachers be reflective”, and “what is meant by being a reflective teacher”?

Reflective Teaching as a Strategy for Effective Instruction

The postgraduate course of teacher education is based on research-based approach in teacher education in which all students will conduct a research and submit the dissertation as a part of their studies. Every teacher educators of this department are allotted one or two M.Ed. students to conduct research. The paper aims to study the teacher educators' and M.Ed. students' perceptions about research-based approach in teacher education and how theory and practice linked in teacher education. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are used for the study. Seventeen M.Ed. second semester students and 25 teacher educators were selected as the sample of the study. Data were collected through a questionnaire, interviews and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The study indicates that teacher's educator appreciates the approach particularly based on research in the teacher's education. It is found that two-year M.Ed. programme was ideal for conducting research. The approach based on research in the teacher's education: students read educational research, learn research methods and research process, learn about research findings, and understand their relevance for practice.

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Research-Based Teacher Education from Stake Holders Point: A Case Study

Assessing students' online learning is a vital constituent of the effective teaching-learning process in a virtual mode. This study addressed teachers' preparedness, challenges and effective practices for students' assessment in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online assessment at times of uncertainty has become arduous for university teachers as it is not in practice in Indian higher educational institutions (HEIs). This research reports a study of the Adamas University, teachers drawn-out through semi-structured interviews of individual teachers. The researchers employed a case study research method to attain the objectives of the study using thematic analysis for the qualitative data. Thirty-one faculty members were selected as a sample of the study. The study findings indicated that the University teachers used multiple online assessment techniques, some common, some extremely unique, viz. blogs and peer tutorial videos. The preparedness or readiness varied considerably as some were instead sceptical, whereas some were amusingly non-challant. The study found that teachers faced many problems while assessing students' performance during online classes, which were not just tech-based, but also due to their distressed state of mind. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100579

Tushar Gupta

Papers

Online Teaching-Learning in Higher Education during Lockdown Period of COVID-19 Pandemic

Guiding Principles and Practices of Peace Education Followed in Secondary Schools of Mizoram.

Reflective Teaching as a Strategy for Effective Instruction

Research-Based Teacher Education from Stake Holders Point: A Case Study

Online assessment techniques adopted by the university teachers amidst COVID-19 pandemic: A case study