Online and Distance Education Commons^™

A Qualitative Case Study On How The Transition To Remote Learning Affected Elementary Language Arts Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Matthew B. Bergman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emergency remote learning (or remote learning) altered K-12 instruction and occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. Mandatory lockdowns and social distancing efforts transformed face-to-face instruction into a new pedagogical model called emergency remote learning or remote learning. In this qualitative case study, I aimed to understand how third-grade language arts instruction was affected during the transition to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of general education teachers, learning support teachers, school administrators, and residential care providers. Additionally, the researcher used Moore’s (1997) transactional distance theory to investigate which strategies (methods, materials, and technologies) …

Effects Of Covid-19 On Elementary And Secondary Music Education, Colette Stefaniak

Student Theses

This paper will highlight several key effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on elementary and secondary music education. The 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic drastically changed music education for both elementary and secondary institutions. Changes made to music curriculums to adapt to an online teaching environment have had both positive and negative effects on post-pandemic music education. This paper will discuss how the 2020 pandemic has created a different learning environment for elementary music classrooms, music ensembles, and private lessons.

Comparing The Experience Of Pre-Service Teachers In The First And Final Semesters In Online Learning Using A Focus Group Study, Suyatno Suyatno, Sibawaihi Sibawaihi, Wantini Wantini, Dzihan Khilmi Ayu Firdausi, Lilis Patimah

The Qualitative Report

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, online learning has become the innovation and an alternative virtual education adopted by universities, due to campus closures. The sudden adoption of the innovation without prior preparation and training causes the ineffective implementation of online learning in most institutions. Based on this description, insufficient information is available regarding the experiences of the student population, which are the most affected by online learning in higher education. Therefore, this study aims to explore the experiences of pre-service teachers regarding their numerous abilities to provide a good online learning program. Using a qualitative focus group study design, data …

The Reality Of Teaching English Virtually: Esl Teachers' Perspectives And Experiences During The Covid-19 National Pandemic, Natalia Guerrero

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the dilemma ESL teachers experienced as the educational system shifted from the usual modus operandi of in-person lessons to the uncharted virtual learning environment (VLE). ESL teachers, in one of the largest urban districts in Louisiana, accumulated additional roles and responsibilities that were unique to the teachers of the English learner (EL) population enrolled at their schools.

Data collected to answer the research questions were the product of single and focus group’s interviews with five ESL elementary and middle school teachers in Freedom District. State and district emergency response to COVID-19 guidelines, along with instructional artifacts, were …

Now What?, David L. Hart Jr, Rebecca J. Armstrong

FDLA Journal

NOW WHAT?

David Hart, Ph.D. and Rebecca Armstrong, Ph.D.

Making the decision to pursue an advanced degree is certainly commendable. To add to one’s knowledge base is ambitious and the results of such a commitment are monumental. However, it goes without saying that in that scheme, life’s challenges are ever-present, and along with other given responsibilities, the concept of time becomes a faded memory. If that is not enough, COVID-19 presented all degree-seekers with issues that seemed insurmountable. Many decided that virtual learning programs would provide an environment that allowed for success in the academic arena despite the forces that …

The Virtual Classroom: What Can Be Learned From The Covid-19 Lockdown, James L. Nations

Senior Theses

This paper seeks to examine the teaching practices utilized during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in higher education. This forced switch to the virtual classroom forced many professors to make innovative changes to adapt to this change in teaching modality. These changes can now be examined and evaluated for potential future application. By reviewing the current literature, performing an analysis of grades from Fall 2017 through Summer 2022, and interviewing select professors at the University of South Carolina, this paper seeks to illuminate some of the potential issues that arise when adapting in-person curriculums to the virtual classroom as well as …

The Future Of Early College: An Interview With Dr. Leon Botstein, Dumaine Williams

Early College Folio

The first public, tuition-free Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) opened in Brooklyn in 2001. Today, an entire network of Bard Early Colleges operates in partnership with public school systems to offer students affordable access to higher education in a cohesive, engaging environment. Simultaneously, alternative takes on early college (Early College High Schools, dual enrollment, early entrance) have proliferated across the United States, providing even more opportunities for younger students to earn college credit.

In December 2022, the author, Dean of Bard Early College, sat down with Bard College President Leon Botstein to examine how the pandemic made new demands …

Lessons We Learned From Avatars: Cultivating Meaningful Preservice Teacher Online Experiences During Covid-19 And Beyond, Kristin M. Murphy, Janna Jackson Kellinger

Pedagogy and the Human Sciences

Like flight simulators used to train airline pilots prior to flying an actual airplane, mixed reality simulations provide an opportunity to interact with avatars in order to practice newly learned behaviors in an online environment. As teacher educators, we have used mixed reality simulations as a part of our coursework for the past five years. In this article, we discuss implications and lessons learned for teacher education practice and research in the online environment during COVID-19 and beyond based on our experiences using mixed reality.

The Importance Of Data Privacy And Security During Emergency Remote Learning, Emma Antobam-Ntekudzi

Publications and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic forever changed the world. The virus’ rapid spread forced federal and local governments to enact quarantine mandates. On March 11, 2020, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2022) announced COVID-19 as a pandemic. Two days later the United States declared an official nationwide emergency. Institutions were required to shut down and persons deemed non-essential participated in quarantine. Remote working became the standard, thus affecting all aspects of individual lives and institutions, especially education. Primarily in-person universities and colleges across the world scrambled to address the COVID-19 health concerns, comply with local shutdown rules, and attempt …

Preparing Undergraduates For The Post-Pandemic Workplace: Teams Of Education And Engineering Students Teach Engineering Virtually, Kristie S. Gutierrez, Jennifer Kidd, Min J. Lee, Krishnanand Kaipa, Orlando Ayala

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

When schools and universities across the world transitioned online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ed+gineering, a National Science Foundation (NSF) project that partners engineering and education undergraduates to design and deliver engineering lessons to elementary students, also had to shift its hands-on lessons to a virtual format. Through the lens of social cognitive theory (SCT), this study investigates engineering and education students’ experiences during the shift to online instruction to understand how they perceived its influence on their learning. As a result of modifying their lessons for online delivery, students reported learning professional skills, including skills for teaching online and …

The Impact Of Student Learning Pathway Choices During The Covid-19 Pandemic On Academic Achievement, Lauren A. Canfield

Doctor of Education Dissertations

In the fall of 2020, students chose the learning pathway that best suited their situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning pathways were face-to-face, virtual synchronous, and virtual asynchronous. Because of this, in the fall of 2021, all students demonstrated learning loss. The learning loss, however, was not congruent among students. This quantitative study sought to determine if a student’s learning pathway choice during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their academic achievement as measured by grade point average, end-of-course exam scores for Algebra I, and qualification for Tier 2 academic interventions in a multi-tiered system of support. This study was conducted …

The Impact Of Technology, Engagement, And Student Readiness On Student Learning In Blended Synchronous Learning Environments, Kirsten Passyn, Susan Wright

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The authors investigate technology, engagement, and student readiness as determinants of student learning in a blended synchronous learning environment. The experiment was conducted in two sections of a principles of marketing course where in-person and remote students simultaneously completed short concept quizzes using a mobile polling app. In-person students achieved higher quiz scores than remote students. GPA is a predictor of scores in both environments, and the effect is more pronounced for lower GPA students in remote locations. Student surveys identify focus and engagement as primary challenges to remote learning. Technology issues are secondary.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The I Promise School, Katherine Haver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will research the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the I Promise School in Akron and the social emotional learning of the students who attend there. Data will be collected through a survey sent to I Promise School faculty and staff members. Questions asked will be about how online learning affected the teachers' connections with their students, how social emotional learning strategies where incorporated online, and what challenges are now being faced as students return to in person learning? The goal of this project is to learn about the effects of COVID-19 in the I Promise School, so …

Exploring Correlates Of Student Preferences For Virtual Or In-Class Learning Among Neurodiverse Adolescents Using A Single-Case Design Methodology, Taryn A. Myers, John D. Ball, Mindy Gumpert, Mary Roberts

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study is to explore several correlates of adolescent students’ preferences for at-home virtual or in-class in-person learning in a single case of a school that serves students with learning differences. Correlates of interest were the Big Five personality traits (Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) and the students’ self-reported learning engagement. Participants were recruited from a single independent school for students with neurodiversity and special learning needs, where they had high exposure to computer-/internet-assisted learning. Twenty-seven students responded to questionnaires measuring preferred learning modes, personality traits, and learning engagement. Despite teacher reports …

Treating A Viral Culture: Using Cultural Competency And Social Informatics To Design Contextualized Information Literacy Efforts For Specific Social Information Cultures, Rachel N. Simons, Aaron J. Elkins, Shengnan Yang (Ed.), Xiaohua Zhu (Ed.), Pnina Fichman (Ed.)

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This chapter proposes a novel theoretical framework, Social Information Cultural Competency (SICC), that may be used for designing contextualized information literacy efforts. The SICC approach leverages the frameworks of social informatics, cultural competency, and psychosocial understandings of information behavior to encourage information professionals to develop more nuanced understandings of specific social information cultures. After defining this approach, the chapter then applies the SICC framework to a case study considering information literacy interventions addressing a social information culture engaged in sharing COVID-19 misinformation through social media. As part of this case study, the chapter discusses three current information literacy approaches to …

Non-Traditional Adult Learners After Covid-19: Applying National Standards For Online Teaching In Human Service Education, Chaniece Winfield, Kathryn Hughes, Jessica L. Huffman

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of higher education increased its attention on quality distance learning for traditional and non-traditional adult learners. While the world saw an increase in online education enrollment as a result of the pandemic, non-traditional adult learners have historically relied on this method of education delivery to support their success in the collegiate setting. As the field of human service education supports the offering of distance learning instruction, it is vital for human service educators to consider the National Standards for Quality Online Teaching when educating adult learners. The authors of this article provide an overview …

Evaluating Healthcare Student Learning Performance During The Initial Year Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study, Maria D. Garcia-Villarreal

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a mass interruption to daily life lasting almost an entire academic year. Return to normalcy was hard won and phased over the following academic year. Neither time-period offered “traditional” learning experiences in academic institutions. The extent to which the operational shut-down affected academic institutions and their learners is just now beginning to be elucidated. Human resource development (HRD) is uniquely positioned to apply established and newly developed theories and applications to the study of this phenomenon. One particular case lends itself to observation. A major academic medical center launched a technology-driven state-of-the-art simulation education center mere …

Doctoral Students’ Experiences Of The Pandemic And Their Perceptions Of Grit, Josie Bryant

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The pandemic has significantly changed societal structures and individuals’ lives. The early tragedies and stress of the pandemic affected health, relationships, families, education, work, travel, and immigration. Students who entered doctoral programs in 2020 chose a unique time to pursue an already arduous goal amidst unprecedented challenges. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explored doctoral students’ experiences during the pandemic and sought to understand their perspectives of grit. The study aimed to offer first-hand insight into the pandemic’s effects on doctoral students, and add critical contributions to understanding the necessary actions, support systems, and policies for a life in a …

Assessing Asian American And Pacific Islander (Aapi) Teachers’ Workplace Wellness, Fiona Tang, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott, Deja Anderson

Fall 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Teachers have many instructional, behavioral and classroom management, and administrative responsibilities (Cormier et al., 2021; Hilger et al., 2021; Roeser et al., 2022). There is limited research on occupational therapy's role in teacher wellness. This study aimed to assess the challenges and barriers that Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) teachers face, the causes of burnout, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AAPI teachers' wellness. This study used a mixed methods research design, including an online survey and semi-structured interviews, focused on the challenges, barriers, strengths, and needs that AAPI teachers face in public, middle, and high schools …

Creating A Culture Of Learning: Intrinsic Motivation And Its Practical Value In The Wake Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Paige Hennen

Senior Honors Theses

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, students of all ages were required to rapidly transition to the demands of virtual learning, resulting in general amotivation. These changes have led to poor academic performance, due to the decreased efficiency of learning processes as these students learn to cope with the instability caused by the pandemic as well as school-related changes. Intrinsic motivation, especially when cultivated within the learning process, plays an important role in student academic success and acts as an influence on holistic success in adulthood. Thus, educators must cater to the needs of this generation's students by implementing …

A Phenomenological Study Of Secondary Teachers’ Experiences With A Mandated Transition To And From Synchronous Online Instruction, Susan P. Lyman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand secondary teachers’ experiences with an unexpected transition between in-person teaching and virtual modalities for secondary educators in New York public schools. The theory that guided this study was Schlossberg’s transition theory which provided a lens through which to understand the shared experiences of making an unplanned transition from face-to-face teaching to online platforms. The study was qualitative and followed a phenomenological research design. The setting for this study was multiple public school districts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, New York. The sample was 10 secondary public school teachers …

Deaf And Hard -Of -Hearing Students' Experience Of Distance Education During Covid-19: Advantages And Barriers, Nourah Ibrahim Albash Ph.D., Maryam Hafez Turkestani Ph.D.

International Journal for Research in Education

This study investigated the deaf and hard-of-hearing students' experience of distance education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 during the 2020 academic year. The authors followed a phenomenological approach, conducting an in-depth interview with 10 female teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Qualitative data revealed four main themes, which show students' experience of distance education. It was found that there is a general satisfaction among teachers in relation to the experience of distance education. Findings also revealed a set of advantages to the distance education experience (i.e., creating fun and increasing motivation, saving time, considering individual differences, and …

The Influence Of Course Format, Student Characteristics, And Perceived Teacher Communication And Behavior On Instructional Outcomes Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth E. Graham, Heather L. Walter, Tang Tang

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Two studies examined instructional format (intact vs. hybrid and remote vs. online), classroom climate, student characteristics (engagement and communication apprehension), perceived teacher communication and behavior (teacher competence, clarity, caring), and their influence on instructional outcomes, including cognitive learning, communication satisfaction, and intent to persist in college pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. The findings highlight the important role teacher characteristics (caring, clarity, competence) played in instructional outcomes. This study also revealed that high levels of engagement signals students’ willingness to participate in the learning process. Students are a driving force in their own cognitive learning, communication satisfaction, and intent to persist …

The Relationship Between Technology Readiness And Online Professional Development, Scott Farrell Ringkamp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to determine if there is a relationship between technology readiness and grades, the number of attempts taken, or the time it took to complete an online professional development. Because of the pandemic, much educator professional development has shifted online. When this occurred, many teachers were unprepared to make this shift. To study the relationship, the researcher surveyed 73 staff members of an LEA in central Pennsylvania using the Technology Readiness Index 2.0 instrument. Then, the researcher computed a correlation coefficient between each participant’s Technology Readiness Index score and their grades, number of …

The Shift In The Authority Of Islamic Religious Education: A Qualitative Content Analysis On Online Religious Teaching, Maemonah Maemonah, Sigit Purnama, Rohinah Rohinah, Hafidh 'Aziz, Abda Billah Faza Muhammadkan Bastian, Ahmad Syafii

The Qualitative Report

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people’s social behavior in various fields, especially education and religion. Religious learning activities through social media have increased along with the shift from offline to online learning. Restrictions on physical activity encourage increased online activity. Religious education and teaching began to shift from traditional face-to-face to online teaching. Educational institutions no longer monopolize Islamic religious education. This study examines the shift in religious education authority due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study has analyzed videos of popular religious studies broadcast on social media, YouTube, and Facebook using a qualitative content analysis method. This study finds …

Experience Of A Medical School In The Philippines On The Sudden Shift To Online Learning Amidst Covid-19, Raymundo S. Baquiran, Kirk C. Plata

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institutions to adapt to a full online learning environment. Medical schools in particular were disrupted by this shift since the majority of the learning objectives, skills, and necessary competencies are learned through classroom and hospital face-to-face activities.

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences of a medical school in the country as it navigated the sudden shift to full online learning vis-à-vis a framework on the barriers and solutions to online learning.

Method

This is a descriptive paper written from the perspective and observations of an administrator who participated in …

Virtual Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katie B. Kelley

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Student motivation and the impacts of the school environment on it have been heavily researched. However, motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been studied in detail due to the recency of events. To understand how the pandemic impacted student motivation, this study applied the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in understanding how motivation functions through three pieces: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 1985). This current study examines students’ perceived motivation in virtual and hybrid instruction during a pandemic from students’ perspectives. It used surveys from a similar study with the addition of qualitative questions about instructional strategies (Edwards, 2009). …

Graduate Student Perceptions Of Academic Advising During A Global Pandemic, Carson L. Perry

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Magnifying the historical challenges faced by graduate students, the COVID – 19 global pandemic caused significant disruption to graduate education and forced abrupt changes to personal, professional, and academic aspects of life. Though high attrition rates plague many graduate programs, advising is recognized as crucial to graduate student persistence and success. This qualitative phenomenological study explored graduate student perceptions of advising during the COVID – 19 global pandemic. The sample consisted of eight individuals who were enrolled as full-time graduate students during the 2019 – 2020 and 2020 – 2021 academic years. Four components of Situated Learning Theory, as identified …

Educators Synchronously Using Multiple Platforms And Devices For Teaching And Learning During Covid-19 Lockdown, Nyarai Tunjera, Agnes Chigona

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The 21st century coupled with the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic is indeed imposing new demands on teaching and learning. Higher education institutions affected extensively educational institutions are mandated with the responsibility of inclusiveness and preparing students for realities of the current and unknown future. There has been heightened attention to educational technologies to mitigate the COVID-19 instigated disruptions. To ensure inclusiveness during future pandemics, there is a need to pay attention to the forms of digital technologies that students have access to (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, as well as applications they are using) in their areas. The article reports the use …

Virtual And Viral: Shifts In Signed Language Interpreter Education During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mark A. Halley, Dawn M. Wessling, Stephanie N. Sargent

Journal of Interpretation

While online education has become more prevalent throughout the years, nothing prepared signed language interpreter educators for the likes of the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed educators in the United States and internationally to not only determine if practices had changed to keep up with the demands of the pandemic, but to learn how these practices were implemented. This study delves into the question of how interpreter educators adjusted their pedagogical approaches during the global pandemic. Responses showed a variety of adaptations to meet the needs of students, and a primary theme was the adeptness of educators in overcoming technology frustrations, …