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Background: The existing literature has predominantly focused on instructor social presence in videos in an asynchronous learning environment and little is known about student social presence on webcam in online learning in the context of COVID-19. Objectives: This paper therefore contrasts students' and teachers' perspectives on student social presence on webcam in synchronous online teaching through co-orientation analysis. Methods: Data were collected through an online questionnaire with 14 statements that measured participants' perceptions of webcam use in three constructs in social presence (i.e., emotional expression, open communication, and cohesion). 154 students and 36 teachers from two higher education institutions in Hong Kong responded to the questionnaire, and their responses were analysed using the co-orientation model. Results and conclusion: Results reveal the perceptual gaps between teachers and students on the use of webcam to promote student social presence by showing how teachers were comparatively more positive about its impacts for learning and consistently overestimated students' preference for it. Through analysing individual constructs/items, this paper argues that using webcams in synchronous online learning could enhance student social presence only to a limited extent in that it may help improve emotional expression and open communication but not cohesion. Implications: The paper advises against the adoption of a clear-cut policy that webcams should be either recommended or not recommended for online learning. Instead, teachers should take into account students' perspective to find out the types of activities that are apt for using webcams in online learning, and reflective tasks and oral assessments were amongst the ones considered appropriate by students in the study.

Background: During the COVID-19 period, academics and higher education institutions have shown deep concern about academic integrity related to measurement and evaluation issues that have arisen in online education. Objectives: To address this concern, this paper examined the prevalence of cheating behaviour among university students before and during the pandemic by comparing self-reported cheating behaviours of students and academics' perceived levels of cheating behaviours of their students. Methods: A correlational design was employed aligned with study objectives. Results and Conclusions: The results indicate that although both groups reported a significant increase in cheating incidents in online education, instructors' perceived frequency of student cheating is remarkably greater than students' self-report cheating incidents. Contrary to the perceptions of instructors and stakeholders in education, students did not report a very drastic cheating increase in online education during the pandemic. The strongest predictive power for online cheating behaviours was the cheating behaviours in face-to-face education. Whereas the sensitivity of institutions and course instructors toward cheating behaviour was negatively associated with cheating behaviours in face-to-face education, this situational factor did not show a significant effect in distance education. Regarding individual factors, we found a significant relationship between cheating behaviours and gender, discipline, whereas no significant relationship was found in terms of student GPA. Consequently, in order to minimize the threats to the validity of scores associated with cheating, faculty should be supported through faculty development programs and resources so that they can develop authentic assessment strategies for measuring higher-order thinking skills.

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many teachers found themselves making a rapid and often challenging shift from in-person classroom teaching to teaching in an online environment. As teachers continue to learn about working in this new environment, research in cognitive and learning sciences, specifically findings from cognitive load theory and related areas, can provide meaningful strategies for teaching in this 'new normal'. Objectives: This paper describes 12 tips derived from contemporary research in educational psychology, focusing particularly on empirically supported strategies that teachers may apply in their online classroom to ensure that learning is optimized. Implications for Practice: These strategies are generalizable across age groups and learning areas, and are categorized into one of two themes: approaches to optimize the design of online learning materials, and instructional strategies to support student learning. A discussion follows, outlining how teachers may apply these strategies in different contexts, with a brief overview of emerging efforts that aim to bridge cognitive load theory and self-regulated learning research.

Background: Since about 2010 e-learning has been embedded in educational practice and has become, surely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasingly important. Objectives: Although much has been written about e-learning, little is known about crucial didactic and pedagogical design principles for e-learning. This review tried to fill that gap. Methods: Based on a systematic literature review, 42 studies (out of 1857 unique hits) were included that address e-learning design in higher education. Open and axial coding was used for analysis. Results and conclusions: There were two continuums distinguished as important for e-learning: (1) the active learning continuum and (2) the authentic learning continuum. Those continuums appear to be useful to give a visual representation of included studies through an active and authentic learning continuum. This resulted in four clusters with (slightly) different properties. These properties vary from a relatively low to a high level of authenticity, and from teacher to student centred. Analysis also revealed four crucial aspects for e-learning design: (1) content scaffolding, (2) process scaffolding, (3) peer-to-peer learning, and (4) formative strategies. In general, most of the e-learning approaches demand an educational design that facilitates authentic learning and self-regulation. Takeaways: To help practitioners in realizing e-learning design, this paper will provide some concrete suggestions and tips for e-learning design. Furthermore, this research shows that more well-founded research is necessary to gain more insight in didactic and pedagogical design principles for e-learning.

Background: It is important for institutions of higher education to maintain academic integrity, both for students and the institutions themselves. Proctoring is one way of accomplishing this, and with the increasing popularity of online courses--along with the sudden shift to online education sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic--digital proctoring has seen an increase in use. However, there are privacy and bias concerns related to digital proctoring, so it is important to critically examine its role in higher education--when it should and should not be used, and how it is perceived among those who interact with it. Objectives: In this paper, we: examine the features of and concerns about digital proctoring; analyse the results of a survey regarding student and teaching assistant (TA) attitudes towards digital proctoring; and present alternatives to digital proctoring and a framework for evaluating the need for a digital proctoring tool. Methods: We surveyed students and TAs in an online graduate computer science program, asking them to provide their agreement or disagreement with 20 statements related to digital proctoring. For each response option on each statement, we calculated overall percentages as well as percentages broken out by demographics. We compared these percentages to develop a picture of student and TA perceptions. Results and Conclusions: Students and TAs alike are generally tolerant of digital proctoring software and perceive some benefits to using it, including adding integrity to course grades and value to degree programs. However, they have some concerns in the areas of privacy, equity, and technical difficulties. Takeaways: Digital proctoring software should be used only when necessary, with thought devoted to its impact on students and TAs and any concerns they may have. There exist alternative methods for maintaining academic integrity in a course. The framework we have presented can help with determining the need for digital proctoring.

Background: The coronavirus pandemic has affected education worldwide. Estonian schools moved to distance learning on March 16. Objectives: This paper outlines the stages of unexpected and temporary changes affecting different stakeholders based on activity and content of the messages in the Facebook group 'Homeschooling with technology'. Also the applicability of the concerns-based adoption model was explored to explain these changes. Methods: The investigated timespan includes the week before the emergency situation and the weeks of the school term and school holidays during the emergency situation, with 52 days in total, divided into seven periods. The 872 messages were coded by two researchers and changes were examined. Results and Conclusions: Four stages were identified, from low exposure and involvement with the change to focusing on collaboration and skipping the consequence stage. Furthermore, the new changes in the educational system might focus people again on personal concerns. Implications: The results help capture the changes in teaching and learning situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic in order to learn from these changes and be prepared for such situations in the future.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of online learning motivation (OLM) in the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Bangladesh by observing and comparing direct lectures (DL), instructor-learner interaction (ILI), learner-learner interaction (LLI), and internet self-efficacy (ISE) as predictors of OLM and online learning satisfaction (OLS). Data were collected from 442 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 35 universities in Bangladesh. To test the hypotheses, the PLS-SEM approach was applied using SmartPLS 3.0. The study shows a significant mediating role of OLM between the independent variables and learning satisfaction. In addition, DL, ILI, and ISE are shown to be significant predictors of student satisfaction. The findings have a number of valuable implications for education policy makers, universities, instructors, and students. Moreover, the study suggests some new research perspectives to overcome the limitations of this research and to gain precise knowledge on students' learning motivation and satisfaction regarding other online classes for different categories of students (e.g., high school and college, professional, and PhD).

Background: The Covid‐19 pandemic disrupted higher education in many ways, such as the move to Emergency Remote Online Teaching and Learning (EROTL), often including a move to online assessments and examinations. With evidence of increased academic dishonesty in unproctored online assessment, institutions sought ways to ensure academic and institutional integrity and reputation. In doing this, many institutions selected and implemented online proctoring solutions. Objectives: This article maps considerations of online proctoring solutions in the nexus between ensuring academic and institutional integrity and reputation, and addressing stakeholder concerns regarding invasive surveillance and the impacts on student privacy. Methods: The study involved a PRISMA‐informed systematic review of three digital libraries, namely Clarivate's Web of Science, Elsevier's Scopus, and Springer's SpringerLink, for peer‐reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings. After screening, a final corpus of 27 articles was analysed. Results and Conclusions: The findings include evidence that, in the midst of the Covid‐19 pandemic, higher education institutions were largely influenced by cost, usability and efficiency in choosing online proctoring solutions to ensure academic and institutional integrity. Student privacy was either considered in terms of data protection and transparency, or not at all. This article aims to provide valuable insight into the criteria used to select online proctoring solutions to ensure academic and institutional integrity in online examination environments. Student privacy appears not to have the consideration it warrants. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Academic dishonesty increases in un‐proctored online learningCovid‐19 led HEIs to adopt online proctoring to ensure academic integrityConcerns remain regarding the impact of online proctoring on student privacyOnline proctoring has become an established feature in higher education What the paper adds: A thorough systematic review of online proctoring during the pandemicSituates the move to online proctoring in the nexus of integrity and privacyMaps institutional considerations for selecting online proctoring solutionsEvidence of the relative unimportance of student privacy in picking solutions The implications of study findings for practitioners: Online proctoring is not the only solution to address academic dishonestyOnline proctoring provides a scalable solution to ensure academic integrityIssues such as student anxiety, connectivity, accessibility, etc are relevantStudent privacy beyond data storage and transfer should always be considered [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergence of the COVID‐19 and the resulting global pandemic has ushered in far‐reaching changes for countries across the world, not least of which are changes to their education systems. With traditional location‐based exams no longer possible at universities, the uptake of online proctored exams (OPE) has occurred at a pace not seen prior to the pandemic. Students' experiences of online proctored exams during the pandemic are reasonably well‐understood in terms of digital access and ease of use of the technology. However, less is known about students' perceptions of digital confidence and competence to complete an online exam, both of which are important digital equity considerations. Objectives: This study investigates students' digital confidence and competence to undertake online proctored exams to determine whether issues of equity exist for students. Methods: This study reports the results of a survey (N = 761) of one university's students' experiences of end‐of‐semester online proctored exams in New Zealand. Results: Most students were positive about online exams, felt reasonably confident to complete an exam, and had the necessary digital access (i.e., devices, internet) and competence to succeed. However, digital inequalities were found between students' perceptions of digital competence based on ethnicity. While more time learning online equated to increasing self‐reported digital competence for most ethnic groups, this was not the case for Pacific learners. Takeaways: Perceptions of low digital competence can contribute to digital inequalities. Educators can support learners to develop positive perceptions of digital competence by teaching digital literacy skills. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Online proctored exams (OPE) have replaced many traditional exams because of the pandemic.Research on the use of online proctored exams during the pandemic suggests some acceptance among students.Apart from access related issues, little is known about digital inequalities associated with online exams. What this paper adds: Most participants were positive about OPE and felt reasonably confident to successfully complete them.Confident students were more likely to report that the exam software was easy to use.Perceptions of digital competence differed based on ethnicity.Marginalized groups were more likely to experience digital inequalities than other groups. Implications for practice and/or policy: Digital inequality is about more than issues of digital access (i.e., devices, internet).Provide differentiated technical support for students who express low digital competence.Teaching online exam digital literacy skills might increase perceptions of digital competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In a context where synchronous online teaching has become a new trend of instruction for online education due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, it is valuable and insightful to examine what factors contribute to teachers' satisfaction with synchronous online teaching. Objective: Informed by the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study investigated English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language (EFL) university teachers' synchronous online teaching satisfaction in China from social (i.e., subjective norms), institutional (i.e., facilitating conditions), and individual (i.e., self‐efficacy, attitudes toward use, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use) levels during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 250 in‐service EFL university teachers participated in this study. An online questionnaire was adaptively developed to measure teachers' perceptions of and satisfaction with synchronous online teaching. The structural equation modelling (i.e., path analyses) was performed to find out a model that can best represent EFL university teachers' synchronous online teaching satisfaction. Results and Conclusion: The results showed that facilitating conditions, self‐efficacy, attitudes toward use, and perceived usefulness are direct contributors to EFL university teachers' satisfaction with synchronous online teaching. Whereas, perceived ease of use, self‐efficacy, and subjective norms are indirect contributors through the mediation of attitudes toward use. Moreover, different from previous TAM research, facilitating conditions have been found to be the most significant direct factor positively contributing to satisfaction. The findings of this study are expected to shed light on how to enhance teachers' synchronous online teaching satisfaction. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The technology acceptance model (TAM) has been frequently adopted to examine teachers' acceptance of technology in various contexts over the last two decades.The TAM model identifies three key factors that contribute to people's intention of technology use: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of, and attitudes toward technology use.Although the TAM model has been extensively examined in various technology‐supported teaching contexts, there has been a lack of focus on livestream technology‐supported synchronous online teaching. What the paper adds: EFL university teachers' synchronous online teaching satisfaction during the COVID‐19 in China.Teachers' satisfaction with synchronous online teaching is a joint interplay of individual (i.e., self‐efficacy, attitudes toward use, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use), institutional (i.e., facilitating conditions), and social (i.e., subjective norms) factors.Facilitating conditions, self‐efficacy, attitudes toward use, and perceived usefulness are direct contributors, while perceived ease of use, self‐efficacy, and subjective norms are indirect contributors to teachers' synchronous online teaching satisfaction through the mediation of attitudes toward use.Different from previous TAM research, facilitating conditions have been found to be the most significant direct factor positively contributing to satisfaction. Implications for practice and/or policy: This study offers a diagnostic measure for schools and universities to understand the status quo of their teachers' perceptions of and satisfaction with synchronous online teaching.Universities are advised to provide teachers with readily accessible support and training to enhance their self‐efficacy for synchronous online teaching so that their satisfaction with synchronous online teaching can be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although research on mathematics learning programs has taken off in recent years, little is known about how different person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with such programs. When implementing a mathematics learning program in the classroom, it might be important to know whether students with specific characteristics need more encouragement to make use of this learning opportunity. Objectives: Using a supply‐use model, we analysed the predictive power of students' cognitive characteristics (prior mathematics knowledge), personality traits (conscientiousness), motivational‐affective characteristics (mathematics self‐concept and mathematics anxiety), and family background characteristics (socioeconomic status and migration background) for practising with an adaptive arithmetic learning program. Methods: We used longitudinal data from 203 fifth graders from seven non‐academic‐track schools in Germany. Practice behaviour, measured by completed tasks in the learning program, was recorded weekly for every student over a period of 22 weeks. Results and Conclusions: The results of our multilevel analyses showed that mathematics anxious students practised less with the program. We did not find any relationship with the other characteristics. Takeaways: Our results suggest that mathematics anxious students need more encouragement when practising with a mathematics learning program; otherwise, they do not get the chance to benefit from the use. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The use of mathematics learning programmes in mathematics education has recently intensified.It is important that students practice with such learning programmes regularly over a longer period of time in order for them to achieve learning success.Students differ in their mathematics learning behaviour. What this paper adds: Little is known about how person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with mathematics learning programmes.Students may differ in their use of a mathematics learning programme, which is why cognitive characteristics, personality traits, motivational‐affective characteristics, and family background characteristics may affect students' practice behaviour. Implications for practice: Mathematics anxious students practiced less with a mathematics learning program, and need more encouragement to benefit equally from the implementation in school.Teachers should keep in mind that after the initial enthusiasm, practice with a programme may decrease over time, especially after school holidays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Covid‐19 pandemic has created significant challenges for the global higher education community. Understanding of students' perception has important implications for the quality of the learning process, as it affects students' engagement in learning, helps educators rethink the principles of the learning design and further improve the developed programs. Objectives: Understanding of how rapid and necessary changes of learning caused by the pandemic are related to students' intrinsic motivation and awareness. Methods: There were 832 participants in this study. Quantitative and qualitative research methods employing relevant statistical techniques were used to research students' opinions regarding the distance learning process. Results and Conclusions: Our analysis showed that first‐year students were significantly less motivated during the learning process than older students, they saw distance learning as less valuable and less interesting than the others. Our research found several positive consequences of the pandemic: working according to students' own schedule in a relaxed environment, looking at the lecture again if necessary, feeling free to ask questions and communicate with teachers and saving travel time. Implications: Teachers should have more understanding for the first‐year students who are threatened when it comes to developing motivation to learn and help them cope with learning anxieties, encourage their self‐belief and give them extra support during the learning process. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Intrinsic motivation is an important predictor of learning success, satisfaction and outcome in higher education.The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid‐19) outbreak has rapidly shifted classrooms to the Internet and distance learning. What this paper adds: The paper provides empirical evidence on how different demographic factors can be linked to students' motivation for learning in a changed educational environment.The paper also analyse students' perceptions of distance learning in regards to the positive and negative aspects of educational environment. Implications for practice and/or policy: Previous students' online learning experiences influence positively motivation for learning in a changed educational environment.First‐year students were less motivated during distance learning than older students.Students with a higher academic performance have put more effort in distance learning than other students.Benefits of distance learning perceived by students were: (a) working by their own schedule; (b) re‐watching the lecture; (c) feeling free to ask question and (d) saving travel time.Negative traits were: (a) lack of motivation and study focus; (b) anxiety as the change was unexpected and (c) lack of social and socio‐emotional aspect of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus pandemic has affected education worldwide. Estonian schools moved to distance learning on March 16. Objectives: This paper outlines the stages of unexpected and temporary changes affecting different stakeholders based on activity and content of the messages in the Facebook group 'Homeschooling with technology'. Also the applicability of the concerns‐based adoption model was explored to explain these changes. Methods: The investigated timespan includes the week before the emergency situation and the weeks of the school term and school holidays during the emergency situation, with 52 days in total, divided into seven periods. The 872 messages were coded by two researchers and changes were examined. Results and Conclusions: Four stages were identified, from low exposure and involvement with the change to focusing on collaboration and skipping the consequence stage. Furthermore, the new changes in the educational system might focus people again on personal concerns. Implications: The results help capture the changes in teaching and learning situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic in order to learn from these changes and be prepared for such situations in the future. Lay Description: What is already known about this topicIn the emergency situation, even well‐experienced teachers were not sure what and how to teach.There are several models and there are different models on handling the changes in education.Concerns‐based adoption model (CBAM) looks at how change affects people.Emotions have changed from negative to neutral in social media during school closures What this paper addsPrevious studies have been based mostly on surveys, but this paper adds an in‐depth analysis of messages from social media.Four stages describing how changes affect people have identified.New changes brought back personal concerns and no impact concerns raised.CBAM model is applicable in explaining unexpected temporary changes Implications for practice and/or policyIn teacher training, curricula courses about distance learning methodologies and tools should be added.National guidelines about the management of distance learning situations should be prepared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current educational disruption caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic has fuelled a plethora of investments and the use of educational technologies for Emergency Remote Learning (ERL). Despite the significance of online learning for ERL across most educational institutions, there are wide mixed perceptions about online learning during this pandemic. This study, therefore, aims at examining public perception about online learning for ERL during COVID‐19. The study sample included 31,009 English language Tweets extracted and cleaned using Twitter API, Python libraries and NVivo, from 10 March 2020 to 25 July 2020, using keywords: COVID‐19, Corona, e‐learning, online learning, distance learning. Collected tweets were analysed using word frequencies of unigrams and bigrams, sentiment analysis, topic modelling, and sentiment labeling, cluster, and trend analysis. The results identified more positive and negative sentiments within the dataset and identified topics. Further, the identified topics which are learning support, COVID‐19, online learning, schools, distance learning, e‐learning, students, and education were clustered among each other. The number of daily COVID‐19 related cases had a weak linear relationship with the number of online learning tweets due to the low number of tweets during the vacation period from April to June 2020. The number of tweets increased during the early weeks of July 2020 as a result of the increasing number of mixed reactions to the reopening of schools. The study findings and recommendations underscore the need for educational systems, government agencies, and other stakeholders to practically implement online learning measures and strategies for ERL in the quest of reopening of schools. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The current educational disruption caused by COVID‐19 pandemic has led to a plethora investment and the use of educational technologies for Emergency Remote Learning.There are wide mixed perceptions about online learning for Emergency Remote Learning during the current pandemic.There is little to no research conducted to examine public perception about online learning for Emergency Remote Learning during COVID‐19.The research paper's significant contribution is to investigate the opinions and perceptions of people around the world on COVID‐19 and Online Learning related issues. What this paper adds: Twitter was selected for this study due to its wide application and the ease of collecting tweets.Machine learning techniques, including world clouds, sentiment analysis, cluster analysis, correlations analysis, and trends analysis, were applied to identify useful insights..The study revealed topics like 'covid', 'learning', 'online', 'distance', 'students', 'schools' and 'pandemic' as the most mentioned words worldwide with nearly half of the public sentiments being positive (48.9%) and neutral (36%).Reopening of schools has received lots of mixed reactions and online learning appears to be a sustainable option during these unprecedented times. Implications for practice and/or policy: Theoretically, this study corresponds to literature relating to COVID‐19, online learning, and Emergency Remote Learning by exploring word frequency, discussed topic, public sentiments, relationships between themes, correlation, and trend analysis.This study recommends that educational institutions, government agencies and other stakeholders should work together to ensure an efficient and effective online learning policies, implementation, and its utilization for Emergency Remote Learning (ERL) as we fight the pandemic.Also, schools need to consider providing further support for educators and students by delivering workshop trainings on the importance and effective use of the online learning system for Emergency Remote Learning (ERL).Further, counselling services are strongly recommended to be made available online for educators and students to increase their teaching and learning morale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of online learning motivation (OLM) in the COVID‐19 pandemic situation in Bangladesh by observing and comparing direct lectures (DL), instructor–learner interaction (ILI), learner–learner interaction (LLI), and internet self‐efficacy (ISE) as predictors of OLM and online learning satisfaction (OLS). Data were collected from 442 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 35 universities in Bangladesh. To test the hypotheses, the PLS‐SEM approach was applied using SmartPLS 3.0. The study shows a significant mediating role of OLM between the independent variables and learning satisfaction. In addition, DL, ILI, and ISE are shown to be significant predictors of student satisfaction. The findings have a number of valuable implications for education policy makers, universities, instructors, and students. Moreover, the study suggests some new research perspectives to overcome the limitations of this research and to gain precise knowledge on students' learning motivation and satisfaction regarding other online classes for different categories of students (e.g., high school and college, professional, and PhD). Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Previous studies have been designed to show direct lectures, interactions, and internet self‐efficacy as predictors of student satisfaction in pre‐ COVID‐19 situations.Most of the previous scholarly articles found a mixed result; whether a positive or negative relationship between predictors and the dependent variable. What this paper adds: This study is the first study to explore the mediating effect of online learning motivation on student's satisfaction during the COVID‐19 pandemic from the perspective of a developing country.It concluded, among othe things, that more attention should be paid to students' and instructors' trainings for online learning. Implications for practice and/or policy: Developing countries are implementing online education for the first time, so this study contributes to policymakers, faculties, and universities to design appropriate instruction methods, interactions, course, and curriculum design to cope up with the new normal.This study will contribute concern policymakers to initiate and design necessary training and development programmes to enhance online learning skills and better learning experiences/satisfaction in this pandemic situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global COVID‐19 pandemic turned the adoption of on‐line assessment in the institutions for higher education from possibility to necessity. Thus, in the end of Fall 20/21 semester Tel Aviv University (TAU)—the largest university in Israel—designed and implemented a scalable procedure for administering proctored remote examinations. This procedure is applicable to different kinds of examinations in diverse disciplines and to disparate degree levels. Objectives: This study aims to deepen the knowledge with respect to the design and adoption of remote proctoring at an institutional level Methods: First, based on lessons learned from the first semester of COVID‐19, we describe the development and implementation of an institution‐wide protocol for conducting on‐line proctored assessment. We show the large‐scale applicability of the protocol for administering examinations via Moodle with remote proctoring via Zoom. The accurately designed procedures that included careful consideration of all parties involved—academic staff members, students, administrative staff and proctors—enabled TAU to successfully assess the learning outcomes of its 25,000 students, while maintaining validity, compatibility and reliability of the assessment. Second, we report combined data from surveys of 4380 students and 188 faculty‐members (18% and 12% response rate respectively), conducted at TAU following these examinations. Results and Conclusions: With over 90% of the students experiencing at least one, and 80% of faculty‐members administering at least one proctored remote examination, these heterogeneous sources of data allow us to investigate a unique and complementary perspective of the process. Some of the significant findings consist of the over‐all perception of the students' integrity by both groups surveyed; the discrepancy in the groups' perspectives of the adequate form of learning‐assessment—with the instructors preferring proctored examinations and the students—formative‐assessment; and the influence of the pedagogical challenges on the perception of validity that outweighed other factors, for example, the pandemic‐related stress, the on‐line assessment challenges and other. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Proctoring exams remotely is challenging, due to technical, ethical and other concerns.Proctoring can be conducted remotely by a human, record and review later technology, automated algorithms to detect atypical behaviour.Different methods for remote proctoring in higher education have been implemented on small scale. What this paper adds: Review of studies examining various facets of remote proctoring before and during COVID‐19.A protocol for remote proctoring in a large‐scale university, based on the first post COVID‐19 semester.The perspectives of students and faculty members regarding testing with remote proctoring. Implications for future practice and/or policy: The protocol can assist higher education institutions in developing their own guidelines.The implementation should take into consideration ethical norms and constitutional limitations.Unlike automated process using algorithms, remote human proctoring is not widely opposed by students.Further research comparing remotely proctored exam performance with the f2f proctoring is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The contextual and interactive learning research was motivated by the need to enhance the healthcare training effect of caregivers of patients with suspected COVID‐19 infection during quarantine. However, there is a lack of effective approaches to integrating mobile contextual learning into interactive learning. Objectives: Therefore, this study developed a mobile augmented reality‐integration contextual interactive healthcare training system, and then investigated the effects of the proposed system on anxiety, learning effects, perceived support and self‐efficacies. Methods: To validate the effectiveness of the system, we conducted a quasi‐experiment with a sample of 91 caregivers of patients with suspected COVID‐19 infection. Results and conclusions: Results showed that the experimental group with the developed system was superior to the control group with e‐pamphlet instruction in mobile devices, in terms of learning effect, perceived support, self‐efficacies and reduction of anxiety during quarantine. Therefore, the mobile contextual interactive healthcare training system could be useful to improve caregivers' self‐efficacies as well as their ability to care for patients in the context of COVID‐19 infection prevention. Implications: This is one of the few studies of the effective approach for technology‐enhanced healthcare education in the COVID‐19 pandemic. Some corresponding suggestions are proposed: implementing mobile contextual interactive training activities to enhance caregivers' knowledge, skills and self‐efficacies; involving social interactions to relieve caregivers' anxiety; providing professional communications and support while facing difficulties in taking care of patients with suspected COVID‐19 infection. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The conventional printed materials or pamphlets on mobile devices are provided most in healthcare, with minimal interactions in the situation of the COVID‐19 Pandemic.Contextual interactive learning could contribute to the enhancement of caregivers' communication and self‐efficacy of learning, thereby reducing the patients' stress and anxiety, which compared with pamphlet‐based healthcare education.Previous studies have indicated that AR games have a beneficial impact on the physical activity and mental health of their players during the COVID‐19 pandemic, which helps them to decrease depression and anxiety. What this paper adds: A mobile AR‐integration contextual interactive healthcare training system is proposed to help caregivers with suspected COVID‐19 infection.The experimental results showed that the proposed system promoted the impact of the contextual interactive healthcare training on caregivers' anxiety, learning effects, perceived support and self‐efficacies. Implications of study findings for practitioners: The contextual interactive learning plays an important role in healthcare training. When the caregivers learn healthcare education content, more focus should be placed on the mobile AR‐integration contextual interactive healthcare training than conventional pamphlet‐based healthcare instructions.Relieving the anxiety of caregivers and avoiding them from infection is attainable with the use of AR‐integration contextual interactive healthcare training system.The proposed system of AR‐integration contextual interactive healthcare training could be extended to other healthcare aspects, such as the training of caregivers who provide care for ICU or infectious patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 outbreak came with an unprecedented opportunity to investigate how the new reality of social distancing and limited international travel will affect the organization of academic conferences. Objectives: Drawing on conceptualization of academic conferences as professional learning spaces, in this study, we examine the factors associated with the perceived value of purely virtual academic conferences and how such perceptions differ between participants from different research fields. The aim was to gain knowledge about factors that should be considered when designing a virtual conference. Methods: Survey data from participants of three different virtual conferences were collected (N = 311). Kendall's rank correlation and χ2‐analyses were performed. Results and Conclusion: Results show satisfaction with social interaction, the extent to which presentations met participants' topics of interest and the perceived importance of learning and getting an overview on the research topic to be related to the value rating. Researchers from different research fields differ significantly in their opinion about the most appropriate conference format regarding getting an overview on the research topic. For some researchers, virtual participation might be a valuable alternative to attending a conference in person. The study serves as a first attempt to understand how and for which target groups virtual conferences serve as a valuable learning event. Further research on this conference format is needed. Lay Description: What is already known about the topic: Prior to the pandemic only a few academic conferences were held purely virtual, thus scientific knowledge about this event format was rather scarce.Research on face‐to‐face conferences identified these events as platforms for networking and learning with a focus on social interaction.Mainly informal social interaction and networking is limited in the virtual space. What this paper adds: First insights how and for which target groups virtual conferences serve as a valuable learning event.Perceptions about the most appropriate conference format regarding certain conference aspects among researchers from different fields. Implications for practice: Formal interaction opportunities should be considered when designing a virtual conference.Virtual conferences are valuable events especially for those people, who focus on learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the global COVID‐19 pandemic, online learning became the only way to learn during this unprecedented crisis. This study began with a simple but vital question: What factors influenced the success of online learning during the COVID‐19 pandemic with a focus on online learning self‐efficacy? Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the structural relationship among self‐efficacy (SE) in time management, SE in technology use, SE in an online learning environment, and learning engagement. Methods: The participants of the study were 1205 undergraduates who were enrolled in a residential undergraduate program in South Korea in spring semester, 2020. The online survey was administered to collect data for this research and the survey results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results and Conclusions: SE in technology use had a significant but negative influence on learning engagement and had a positive impact on SE in an online learning environment. SE in time management had a significant positive impact on SE in an online learning environment and learning engagement. SE in an online learning environment also significantly influenced learning engagement. Implications: SE in technology use itself did not enhance learning engagement. In addition, indirect effects of SE in technology use and SE in time management on learning engagement through SE in an online learning environment were confirmed in this study. This indicates the influential role of SE in an online learning environment on learning engagement of online learners. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: COVID‐19 forced almost all students to learn online.Time management plays a major role in the success of online learning.Technology self‐efficacy is a requirement in online learning.The learning engagement variable explains learning achievement and attitudes. What this paper adds: Self‐efficacy (SE) in time management and SE in technology use enhanced SE in an online learning environment.SE in technology use itself did not enhance learning engagement.SE in time management and in SE an online learning environment significantly influenced learning engagement.SE in an online learning environment mediated the relationship between SE in technology use and learning engagement as well as between SE in time management and learning engagement. Implications for practice and/or policy: It is important to promote students' online learning self‐efficacy to enhance learning engagement in online learning.Practitioners should be aware that SE in technology use improves learning engagement through SE in an online learning environment.SE in time management should be promoted for successful online learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lockdown due to COVID‐19 in Italy resulted in the sudden closure of schools, with a shift from traditional teaching to the online one. Through an online questionnaire, this survey explores teachers' experience of online teaching, the level of risk factors (e.g., stress) and protective factors (e.g., locus of control) and their impact on satisfaction levels during the social distancing. One hundred seven high school teachers from Lombardy, an Italian region very affected by the COVID‐19 outbreak, participated. Results show that depression and stress are the main predictors of satisfaction levels for online teaching. In addition, coping, locus of control and self‐efficacy emerge as important protective factors. Finally, although there is great satisfaction with the online teaching experience, critical elements emerged. This study is relevant because it describes the critical elements of the online teaching experience, and identifies some protective factors and the main risk factors in teachers operating in an area strongly marked by social restrictions imposed by the pandemic. High school teachers emerge as a sub‐group of the general population with specific psychological reactions. Considering the results, it is possible to suggest providing high‐quality educational support and crisis‐psychological oriented services to teachers, and help to maintain the psychological well‐being. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: A little is currently known about online teaching experience in countries under conditions of imposed social distancing.There are no conclusive data on the risk and protective factors associated with online teaching satisfaction in an Italian region strongly affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic. What this paper adds: The current study explored online teaching experience and the relationship between online teaching satisfaction and some risk and protective factors during the COVID‐19 pandemic.Significant differences emerge on the general impression of the teaching experience, comparing males versus females.More than one third of the overall sample of high school teachers was little or not satisfied.Those with high levels of depression and stress are at risk from lower online teaching satisfaction. Implications for practice and/or policy: It is suggested to pay attention to the planning adequate and timely legislation, including assessment criteria, and high‐quality educational support, also to improve communication processes.It is also suggested to provide preventive and supportive interventions to teachers also in the form of stress management and skills life training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Virtual reality can be a useful substitute to improve nursing education outside of the hospital setting. In the wake of COVID‐19, an opportunity to compare a virtual reality activity for nursing students in the traditional classroom and in an online environment took place. Objectives: The goal of this study was to examine the effects of incorporating a virtual reality activity into the traditional classroom and in an online environment to enhance nursing education. Methods: Fifty nursing students participated in an exploratory descriptive study. Twenty‐five students participated face‐to‐face while in the traditional classroom setting and 25‐students participated in an online environment using a communication platform. Through a virtual reality activity, nursing students successfully created a tour which demonstrated identifying infectious sites in a hospital room setting. Results and Conclusions: Results of the pre‐and post‐test showed students' positive perceptions and performances in both traditional classroom and online settings. However, the study revealed a statistical difference between the two group perceptions towards the use of the virtual reality tour creator. Nursing students who were in the traditional classroom group found that the use the virtual reality tour creator was easier. Implications: Designing a meaningful virtual reality activity has a positive impact of the student learning experience. Students may benefit from a more through orientation to the technology prior to engaging in the activity. A carefully constructed activity can enhance student learning outside of the hospital room. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Virtual reality can be applied to nursing education with a positive impact on the student learning experience.Nursing students perceived the virtual reality learning activity useful to substitute for in‐hospital training. What this paper adds?: Virtual reality learning activities can help promote nursing performance in both the traditional classroom and online settings.Students can have similar academic performance between the classroom and online modes despite having different experiences. Implications for practice and/or policy: Virtual reality integration might be implemented by pre‐training to make sure students are comfortable with the technology before jumping into course activities.The instructional design and delivery of a virtual reality learning activity greatly influenced the students' learning experiences, rather than the use of virtual reality technology itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID‐19 epidemic crisis, students from higher education institutions around the world are forced to participate in comprehensive online curriculums. In such a scenario, it is worth investigating how students perceived their learning outcomes and satisfaction based on this method of teaching and learning online. This study aims to explore the role of six factors, namely, system quality, course design, learner‐learner interaction, learner‐instructor interaction, learner‐content interaction, and self‐discipline, on university students' perceived learning outcomes and their effect on student satisfaction with online curricula during the COVID‐19 epidemic. A structural equation modelling technique was used to assess survey questionnaires obtained from 457 validated students at a Public University in China. The results demonstrated that these determinants had a positive effect on satisfaction and learning outcomes, whereas learner‐instructor interaction had no significant effect. Furthermore, the strongest determinant that affected not only students' satisfaction but also their learning outcomes was the learner‐content interaction. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Online teaching can support students' learning in COVID‐19 epidemic.Various determining factors affect students' learning outcomes and satisfaction towards online learning. What this paper adds?: This study investigates six determinants on students' learning outcomes and satisfaction towards online learning.Learner‐content interaction yielded a stronger effect on university students' learning outcomes and satisfaction.Learner‐instructor interaction has no significant effect. Implications for practice and/or policy: System quality, course design, learner‐learner interaction, learner‐content interaction, and self‐discipline, had a positive impact on university students' perceived learning outcomes and satisfaction in COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rapid spread of COVID‐19 forced many countries to adopt severe containment measures, transferring all didactic activities into virtual environments. However, the integration of technology in teaching may present difficulties, especially in some countries, such as Italy. Objectives: The present study analyzed how the two main factors of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), namely perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, combined with online teaching self‐efficacy, were associated with the intention to use technology to teach. We posited a moderated moderation model in which perceived usefulness represented the main predictor, with self‐efficacy and perceived ease of use as moderators of intention to use technology to teach. Method: The model was tested through multiple regressions, using the PROCESS macro on SPSS 26 with a sample of 178 upper secondary school teachers in Italy. Results and conclusions: Regressions showed that each variable significantly predicted the intention to use technology. In addition, a moderation effect of self‐efficacy on the perceived usefulness of using technology was found for medium and high‐level of perceived ease of use of technology. Implications: The present study provides targeted implications for distance education policy and practice to promote its adoption (or the blended modality) in Italian upper schools. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The spread of COVID‐19 forced schools to transfer didactic activities into virtual environments. However, distance education presented difficulties in its implementation among teachers.Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and online teaching self‐efficacy played a crucial role in behavioural intention to use technology.Little was know about the relationship between these factors in fostering technology for distance teaching. What this paper adds: Based on the TAM model, our findings add a new way in which these variables can interact to promote the behavioural intention to use technology in teaching.The greatest level of behavioural intention to use was found when perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and online teaching self‐efficacy presented high levels.A moderation effect of online teaching self‐efficacy on the perceived usefulness of using technology was described for medium and high level perceived ease of use of technology.High levels of self‐efficacy represented a key factor in promoting the use of distance teaching per se. Implications for practice and/or policy: Interventions and training courses should be implemented to promote perceived usefulness, online teaching self‐efficacy and to provide teachers with easy and straightforward technologies.These training courses may be particular crucial in encouraging teachers to manage distance education (or blended modality) if the spread of COVID‐19 may require a new period of lockdown and closure of schools.Teacher training on these topics is more necessary in countries where that integration of technology into teaching is low, such as in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid‐19 pandemic has caused a massive transformation in K‐12 settings towards online education. It is important to explore the factors that facilitate online teaching technology adoption of teachers during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to compare Learning Management System (LMS) acceptance of Finnish K‐12 teachers who have been using a specific LMS as part of their regular teaching before the Covid‐19 pandemic (experienced group) and teachers who started using it for emergency remote teaching during the pandemic (inexperienced group). Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology framework, a self‐report questionnaire was administered to 196 teachers (nexperienced = 127; ninexperienced = 69). Our findings showed no difference between the two groups of teachers in terms of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, LMS self‐efficacy and satisfaction. However, the experienced group had higher behavioural intention to use LMS in the future, reported receiving higher online teaching support and displayed higher online teaching self‐efficacy in terms of student engagement, classroom management, instructional strategies and ICT skills. For the experienced group, the most significant predictor of satisfaction with LMS was performance expectancy whereas for the inexperienced group, it was the effort expectancy. In terms of behavioural intention to use LMS in the future, the most significant predictor was the performance expectancy for both groups. Further, support was also a significant predictor of behavioural intention for the inexperienced group. Overall, our findings indicate that teachers should not be regarded as a unified profile when managing technology adoption in schools. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Covid‐19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented shift towards online education in K‐12 schools.Learning Management Systems (LMS) are common platforms for online teaching.Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology is a prominent framework for studying teachers' technology acceptance. What this paper adds: Acceptance of LMS during Covid‐19 pandemic differs among teachers with and without prior LMS experience.The impact of performance expectancy and effort expectancy on LMS satisfaction is different for the experienced and inexperienced teachers.Performance expectancy has the most influence on behavioural intention to use LMS regardless of prior experience.Support is a significant predictor of behavioural intention to use LMS only for the inexperienced teachers. Implications for practice and/or policy: LMSs can be designed with less complex features for the inexperienced teachers.Support can be faded as the teachers gain experience in using LMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency remote teaching refers to the unanticipated, involuntary shift to a virtual learning environment due to, for example, a natural disaster or political instability. The sudden nature of this transition creates additional challenges to effective learning. In this article, we investigate one such challenge, namely the potential for teacher–student miscommunication. We report on a study involving 674 language learners and 61 language teachers. The participants were asked to rate a number of education‐related ١problems that could potentially arise in the context of emergency remote teaching. Learners rated these concerns in terms of the extent to which they had actually experienced them, while teachers were asked to rate the extent to which they perceived these to be concerns for their students. The results showed that teachers believed that students required additional training on using learning management systems, that students did not take online teaching seriously, and that emergency remote teaching would encourage students to cheat. Students disagreed with these statements (ds = 0.53–0.65). We discuss the implications of these teacher–learner discrepancies in light of the need for explicit guidelines and clearer expectations of students during online learning and assessment. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Understanding students' perceptions about the learning process is important.Improving the fit between learner perceptions and the learning environment facilitates better learning. What their paper adds: Teachers underestimate their learners' skillfulness in technology.Teachers do not think that students take online learning seriously.Teachers think that online learning will encourage students to cheat.Students disagree with all of these three points. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Teachers should set explicit guidelines and clearer expectations of students during online learning and assessment, to avoid subjectively labelling students as unserious or lazy.Teachers should try to ensure that learners' expectations match the actual expectations of the online course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]