Students' Acceptance of the COVID-19 Impact on Shifting Higher Education to Distance Learning in Poland

Effects of a Mobile App on Nursing Students' Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making

BACKGROUND

Clinical decision-making is a crucial skill for undergraduate nursing students to develop. This study assessed the effects of a mobile clinical decision-support (mCDS) app on clinical reasoning and decision-making in undergraduate nursing students and their perceived acceptance of the app.

METHOD

Following the technology acceptance model, a randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design was conducted. Students in the experimental group used an mCDS app (Medscape) for sepsis and cardiac tamponade scenarios, and students in the control group used traditional tools. Outcomes included perceived usefulness, ease of use, attitudes, clinical reasoning, clinical decision-making skills, satisfaction, and behavioral intent to use the app.

RESULTS

Students in the experimental group had significantly higher posttest clinical reasoning scores (p = .04) and cardiac scenario clinical decision-making scores (p = .01) compared with students in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Integrating mCDS apps into clinical nursing education enhances students' clinical reasoning and decision-making. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(12):835-843.].

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education: Assessment of student performance in computer science

The COVID-19 pandemic had radically changed higher education. The sudden transition to online teaching and learning exposed, however, some benefits by enhancing educational flexibility and digitization. The long-term effects of these changes are currently unknown, but a key question concerns their effect on student learning outcomes. This study aims to analyze the impact of the emergence of new models and teaching approaches on the academic performance of Computer Science students in the years 2019-2023. The COVID-19 pandemic created a natural experiment for comparisons in performance during in-person versus synchronous online and hybrid learning mode. We tracked changes in student achievements across the first two years of their engineering studies, using both basic (descriptive statistics, t-Student tests, Mann-Whitney test) and advanced statistical methods (Analysis of variance). The inquiry was conducted on 787 students of the Lublin University of Technology (Poland). Our findings indicated that first semester student scores were significantly higher when taught through online (13.77±2.77) and hybrid (13.7±2.86) approaches than through traditional in-person means as practiced before the pandemic (11.37±3.9, p-value < 0.05). Conversely, third semester student scores were significantly lower when taught through online (12.01±3.14) and hybrid (12.04±3.19) approaches than through traditional in-person means, after the pandemic (13.23±3.01, p-value < 0.05). However, the difference did not exceed 10% of a total score of 20 points. With regard to the statistical data, most of the questions were assessed as being difficult or appropriate, with adequate discrimination index, regardless of the learning mode. Based on the results, we conclude that we did not find clear evidence that pandemic disruption and online learning caused knowledge deficiencies. This critical situation increased students' academic motivation. Moreover, we conclude that we have developed an effective digital platform for teaching and learning, as well as for a secure and fair student learning outcomes assessment.

Ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that the rapid transition to emergency remote teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for healthcare teachers in many ways. This sudden change made them face ethical dilemmas that challenged their values and ethical competence.

RESEARCH AIM

This study aimed to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the ethical dilemmas healthcare teachers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This was an inductive qualitative study using a hermeneutic approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed thematically.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

Healthcare teachers (n = 20) from eight universities and universities of applied sciences in the Nordic and Baltic countries participated.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

This study was based on the research ethics of the Norwegian National Research Ethics Committee for Medicine and Health Sciences and approved by the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research.

FINDINGS

Healthcare teachers faced several ethical dilemmas due to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis revealed three main themes: How should I deal with students' ill-being, and what can I as a teacher do?; What can I demand from myself and my students, what is good teaching?; How do I manage the heavy workload and everyone's needs, and who gets my time?

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of healthcare teachers' continuous need for pedagogic and didactic education, especially considering new technology and ethical issues. During the pandemic, the ethical consequences of remote teaching became evident. Ethical values and ethical dilemmas should be addressed in healthcare education programmes at different levels, especially in teacher education programmes. In the coming years, remote teaching will grow. Therefore, we need more research on this issue from an ethical perspective on its possible consequences for students and healthcare teachers.

M-Learning in education during COVID-19: A systematic review of sentiment, challenges, and opportunities

The flexibility and relatively low cost of mobile devices make educational systems more accessible for learners and educators worldwide. When incorporated with the internet, it creates a better learning environment than the conventional classroom lecture. Many studies have been done to shed insight into the existing state of mobile learning (M-learning) studies. However, further research is needed into this topic at a specific time, i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to retrieve, review, investigate, and critically assess the existing literature on M-learning that was conducted during the COVID-19 concerning our research theme. This study considered publications from four databases, narrowed our initial search results of 4056 articles down to 83 that are relevant to our research questions, and did an in-depth analysis based on the systematic review protocol. The findings explored the major focusing areas of M-learning applications, the regional sentiment of M-learning users, the determinants and perceptions of M-learning, as well as the benefits, challenges, and opportunities associated with M-learning. This systematic literature review (SLR) was performed to apportion a contribution toward an improved understanding of the basic principles that underpin the rethinking of M-learning applications for policymakers, online course designers, and blended learning facilitators.

Swiss medical schools' experiences with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic in light of international experiences

BACKGROUND

During the pandemic, all universities had to switch to digital learning and teaching (DLT), the experiences were diverse. The advantages and obstacles of DLT are well reported in research. To ensure a sustainable DLT implementation, the requirements of institutions, educators and students should be aligned.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims at identifying and describing the experiences made at the Swiss medical schools after having to switch from on-site to on-line teaching; in particular, the experienced issues, requirements, and solutions were investigated and compared to international literature.

METHODS

We conducted a literature review to derive themes and subthemes regarding the central aspects of the transition from on-site to on-line teaching. Also, we conducted semi-structured interviews with people responsible for the medical curricula at the Swiss Medical Schools. We used a purposive sampling method and invited eleven curriculum managers at the seven Swiss Medical Schools. The interviews were conducted in English, audio-recorded and transcribed. Subsequently the data was analysed with the software NVivo. We used a qualitative, deductive, content analysis to explore faculty experiences.

RESULTS

Twenty-four articles met the eligibility criteria and were included for full text screening. Of the included articles, 15 reported on DLT in general and nine articles reported on DLT during the Pandemic. The thematic analysis of the interviews resulted in four overall themes, requirements, obstacles, facilitators and advantages. Curriculum managers reported that institutions were relatively unprepared for the quick transition from onsite to online at the onset of the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research reports a lack of institutional structures, communication, digital competences and literacy, teaching strategies, as well as a theoretical foundation for DLT implementation. A conceptual framework for DLT adapted to the Swiss universities beyond the current situation is needed.

A new conceptual model to investigate the role of hospital's capabilities on sustainable learning

The health-care industry is in a state of constant flux, with new challenges and opportunities emerging regularly. Hospitals, as the cornerstone of health-care delivery, must adapt and embrace change to provide optimal patient care. One crucial aspect that plays a significant role in the success of hospitals is sustainable learning. Sustainable learning refers to acquiring knowledge, skills, and competencies that enable health-care professionals to adapt to changes, implement best practices, and deliver high-quality care. Sustainable learning, a concept gaining prominence, emphasizes the ability of hospitals to learn from experiences and adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining quality health-care delivery. This article aims to investigate the role of hospital capabilities in sustainable learning and explore how hospitals can foster an environment that promotes continuous learning and development. Another goal of the paper is to test the relationships between cultural capabilities, structural capabilities, knowledge management capabilities, Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, top management support, application capabilities, and sustainable learning. The Partial Least-Squares (PLS) algorithm was performed using SmartPLS 3.0 to attain this goal. The results successfully support the study goals. This study verified that cultural capability, structural capabilities, knowledge management capabilities, IT infrastructure, top management support, and application capabilities positively affected sustainable learning. This investigation contributes to hospital, management, and education research by developing an integrated paradigm for sustainable learning. In conclusion, the new conceptual model presented here provides a robust framework for investigating the role of hospital capabilities in sustainable learning. By understanding and improving their capabilities, hospitals can not only adapt to change but also thrive in an ever-changing health-care landscape.

The sudden transition to remote learning in response to COVID-19: lessons from Malaysia

Higher education students are frequently required to assess lecturers with a convenient, fast, and anonymous learning management system. Following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia (UiTM) adopted a remote teaching and learning approach. This study examined how lecturers' professionalism, course impression, and facilitating conditions at UiTM affected undergraduate and graduate students' remote learning pre- and mid-pandemic. The higher prediction accuracy of the model demonstrated that students' remote learning activities were highly related to lecturers' professionalism, course impression, and facilitating conditions. The structural model demonstrated that the t-statistics of all measurement variables were significant at 1%. The strongest predictor of students' enjoyment of remote learning pre- and mid-pandemic was lecturers' professionalism. In the importance-performance matrix, lecturers' professionalism was in the quadrant for 'keep up the good work'. Facilitating conditions and course impression did not require further improvement even during the pandemic. The influence of remote learning was demonstrated in the students' graduation rates and grades. The results also presented theoretical and practical implications for the UiTM hybrid learning plan post-pandemic.

Factors influencing the adoption intention of using mobile financial service during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of FinTech

Access to financial services is regarded as one of the most pressing issues confronting communities worldwide sequel to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, FinTech applications such as mobile financial service (MFS) play an essential role in building resilience during the pandemic. Hence, the aim of the study is to investigate the role of MFS platforms in economic resilience by empirically evaluating the determinants that influence the intention of Bangladeshi users toward adopting MFS platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, through an extension of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Using the core structures of the UTAUT, the theoretical model was constructed based on the consumption attributes of financial services such as perceived value, as well as additional situational factors from the extended valence framework, including risk and trust. To test the model, data was obtained from 227 potential MFS users in Bangladesh with the aid of a structured questionnaire survey. Subsequently, the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach was used to analyze the data. The findings showed that social influence, perceived trust, and perceived value are strongly related to the intention of users to adopt MFS platforms, whereas, perceived risk, performance expectancy, and effort expectancy were observed to influence users' perceived value of the MFS platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, the study results indicated that the users' perceived risk did not influence their intention to adopt MFS platforms during the pandemic. Therefore, the suggested adoption of the MFS framework during and after the pandemic could contribute to the existing research on the adoption of information technology (IT) through the expansion of the UTAUT, in which the performance and effort expectancy of users influence their intention to indirectly adopt MFS through perceived value. Finally, the significant policy implications and future research directions are further addressed.

Students' adoption towards behavioral intention of digital learning platform

The purpose of this research was to investigate students' behavioral intentions toward a digital learning platform. In the framework of Thai education, an empirical study evaluated and applied the adoption model. The recommended research model was tested using structural equation modeling with a sample of 1406 students from every part of Thailand. According to the findings, the best facilitator for students' recognition of using digital learning platforms is attitude (ATT), followed by internal factors such as perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU). Furthermore, technology self-efficacy (TSE), subjective norms (SN), and facilitating conditions (FC) are peripheral factors that enhance comprehension of a digital learning platform's approval. These results are consistent with past research, with the exception that PU is the only factor that has a negative influence on behavioral intention. Consequently, this study will be useful to academics and researchers by bridging a research gap in the literature review whilst also demonstrating the practical application of an impactful digital learning platform relating to academic accomplishment.

Well-being variations on students of health sciences related to their learning opportunities, resources, and daily activities in an online and on-crisis context: a survey-based study

BACKGROUND

Universities' training process intensely relies on face-to-face education. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted it and forced them to reinvent their process online. But this crisis seems not to be the last we will face, and we take it as a lesson to prepare for future crises. These critical contexts are especially challenging because they imply changing teaching strategies, and students may not have the technology access or the living conditions to connect as they need. They also lived through a pandemic where the virus and the life changes added stress to their learning process and threatened their well-being. So, this study aims to analyze how well-being variations reported by Health sciences students relate to their learning opportunities, access conditions, and daily activities.

METHOD

We surveyed 910 Health sciences students from six different Chilean universities at the end of the first semester of 2020, the first in pandemic conditions. Respondents answered online questionnaires about 1) Remote teaching activities, 2) Learning resources availability, 3) Daily life activities, and 4) Well-being changes. We performed descriptive analysis and Structural Equation Modelling.

RESULTS

Live videoconference classes were the most frequent teaching activity; only a third of the students had quiet spaces to study online, and most had to housekeep daily. More than two third reported some well-being deterioration. The structural equation model showed a good fit.

CONCLUSION

Results show an online learning scenario that tries to emulate traditional learning focusing on expositive strategies. Most students reported that their well-being deteriorated during the semester, but tutorials, workplace availability, and social support were protective factors.

Have we failed them? Online learning self-efficacy of physiotherapy students during COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

The use of online learning systems during COVID-19 pandemic created concerns about students' ability to successfully navigate the online learning environment. This study aims to capture the experience and changes in self-efficacy of physiotherapy students in Jordan.

METHODS

A mixed methods online survey was used. Physiotherapy entry-level students in public universities completed the online learning self-efficacy (OLSE) and the academic self-efficacy (ASE) scales. A free-entry text box was used to document the factors that augmented or reduced the perceived level of self-efficacy.

RESULTS

A statistically significant decrease in OLSE (t = 6.043, p < 0.001) and in ASE (t = 3.960, p < 0.001) was identified. Four main qualitative themes were identified, namely: availability of time, resources and learning skills; social and psychological stress; educators' skills and access; and accepting the need for a change.

CONCLUSION

Contrary to expectations, the findings indicated a decrease in self-efficacy. This has implications in light of the new direction to formalise online learning in Jordanian higher education institutes post COVID-19 pandemic. Training educators as well as students on best online learning practices could increase students' perceived efficacy.

The effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the education system in Nigeria: The role of competency-based education

Covid-19 revealed the strengths and weaknesses in the global education atmosphere in both developed and developing countries. To that effect, this current study explored the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on Nigeria's education system and in the process provided a distinctive solution to the challenges facing the sustainability of education in the country. However, the closure of schools for over six months at the onset of the covid -19 pandemic, and the inability of schools to engage learners in educational activities while at home also revealed the poor state of the education system in the country, which led to the discovery of the unavailability of distance online education, web-based learning system and ICT infrastructure in the Nigerian education environment. Covid-19 incidence impacted the stability of the academic calendar, caused teachers attrition, increased the rate of students dropout, and lack of interest in digital education. These outcomes resulted in the exploration of students' and teachers' perceptions, attitudes, literacy, competency, and willingness to engage in distance online education. A cross-sectional approach was applied through an online survey to obtain data from n = 82 learners across the three levels of institutions. And SPSS was used to analyze the demography data, while SMART PLS was used for structural equation modeling (SEM). The study outcome satisfied the objectives of the study that the lack of student-teacher digital competencies influences their perception and acceptability of web-based learning approach and use of smart learning and teaching devices.

Personality Traits and Academic Motivation as Predictors of Attitudes towards Digital Educational Technologies among Russian University Students

In the modern era of digitalization, the development and implementation of digital educational technologies (DETs) have constantly been at the center of numerous discussions among teachers, psychologists, sociologists, physicians, etc. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has simultaneously made DETs an integral part of contemporary social life around the world. However, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention was paid to the study of the motivational and personality characteristics of university students, which would make it possible to predict their attitudes towards DETs and the effectiveness of their use in learning. The present study involved 173 Russian university students (61% - females) of various specialties (natural sciences, medicine and psychology), aged 17 to 26 years. Their attitudes towards DETs were measured according to The University Students’ Attitudes towards DET Questionnaire developed by the authors. To reveal their educational motivation, The Academic Motivation Scales by Gordeeva et al. were used. Their personality traits were identified using The NEO Five-Factor Inventory (adapted in Russian by Biryukov and Bodunov). For statistical analysis, the descriptive statistics methods, Mann - Whitney U test, and multiple regression analysis were used. The results of the study have shown that the scales of academic motivation have a greater impact on attitudes towards DETs among the university students as compared to personality traits. However, there is a specificity of these impacts in the students of different specialties, particularly in psychological students. The findings of this study indicate that taking into account such psychological factors as students’ academic motivation and personality traits can contribute to the optimal implementation of DETs in the educational process in blended and online formats.

Acceptance of online distance learning (ODL) among students: Mediating role of utilitarian and hedonic value

Nowadays, the teaching methods are changed from offline to online primarily for the advent of the internet facility. The Industrial Revolution 4.0 ("Education 4.0") stresses offering online courses at the university level. The study aims to find out the factors influencing students' intentions to admit to online distance learning courses. In addition, the study wanted to establish the utilitarian and hedonic value construct in mediating the association between attitude and intention. Based on an intensive literature survey, an extended Technology Acceptance Model was proposed including some cognitive and technology-specific factors to test empirically. This is a quantitative study with an exploratory and descriptive scope and cross-sectional design. The information was gathered by applying the convenience sampling method from 293 Malaysian students who participated in anonymous surveys. The obtained data were analyzed using structural equation modeling applying AMOS 21 version. The study reveals that hedonic value, utilitarian value, perceived ease of use, and attitude except for perceived usefulness, affect behavioral intention to accept online distance learning courses except for perceived usefulness construct. The antecedents of utilitarian value are perceived fees, attitude, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use, whereas the antecedents of hedonic value are perceived fees, attitude, and perceived usefulness, except for perceived ease of use. Finally, self-efficacy affects perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude towards joining online distance learning courses. This study's conclusions will benefit all stakeholders in the education system who are considering or have already adopted e-learning.

Remote and In-Person Learning: Utility Versus Social Experience

The massive transition from in-person to remote teaching increased the impact of technology on the everyday life of the universities. Without the face-to-face component, learning and teaching became a completely different experience for students and teachers. Recording the attitudes and perceptions of the undergraduate students on the new situation became necessary for the faculties to support them effectively. This research collected quantitative and qualitative data from 336 students of all the years of studies. The students preferred in-person teaching and reported higher engagement, learning, and understanding during classroom teaching. More senior students, who had developed face-to-face ties with their colleagues before the pandemic, found it easier to continue their interactions remotely. They were interested in matching learning with the duties and needs at the particular period of their life, despite their beliefs concerning the effectiveness of in-person teaching. The first-year students found it challenging to develop relationships remotely, and they were the most frustrated. Overall, students in the first years of their studies perceived remote teaching as dissatisfactory compared to the more senior students. Similar to other publications, the respondents of this study challenged the effectiveness of remote teaching and the concomitant transition from in-person to remote social relationships.

Empirical research of emerging trends and patterns across the flipped classroom studies using topic modeling

This study presents topic modeling based bibliometric characteristics of the articles related to the flipped classroom. The corpus of the study consists of 2959 articles published in the Scopus database as of the end of 2021. In addition to the bibliometric characteristics of the field, research interests and trends were also revealed with the study, which was based on the topic modeling-based bibliometric analysis method. According to the results of the study, an increase in the number of publications has been observed since 2015. Nearly one-third of the studies are of United States origin. According to the findings of the topic analysis in which the research interests and trends in the studies were revealed, the articles in this field were gathered under 16 topics. Considering the number of publications of the topic, it was seen that the three most voluminous topics were "Performance and perception", "Nursing education" and "Effectiveness and motivation", respectively. It is thought that the results of the study will provide a general perspective to the researchers in this field and provide important outputs in the context of monitoring the issues that may become prominent in the future.

An ounce of prevention or a pound of cure? Multi-level modelling on the antecedents of mobile-wallet adoption and the moderating role of e-WoM during COVID-19

During the COVID-19 epidemic, personal safety has received increasing attention, leading to behavioral changes. Mobile-wallet (m-wallet) makes it easier for people to keep social distance, which helps stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Evolving Internet technology has brought about changes in consumer lifestyle. The current situation of COVID-19 has created a business environment to shift from traditional ways and adopt e-commerce solutions worldwide. Grounded in technology acceptance model (TAM) theory, this study’s objective is two-fold: First, this study intends to examine perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived severity of COVID-19, insecurity and discomfort as the predictors of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU). Second, the current research intends to test the moderating effect of electronic words-of-mouth (eWOM) on the relationship between attitude and usage intention. Using survey methods, 226 usable responses were collected through a mall intercept survey in Pakistan. Data were analyzed using partial least square (PLS). The results revealed that PEOU and PU positively influence attitude toward M-wallet. This study has found that attitude positively influences the usage intention in adopting M-wallet. The results also support the moderating role of eWOM. These findings contribute to the marketing literature in several ways, particularly in Pakistan. This is the first study to use eWOM as a moderating variable in the TAM theory. In addition, this study adds to the current body of knowledge by considering eWOM as a multi-dimensional construct novel in m-wallet literature.

Students' perspective on online learning during pandemic in higher education

This research provides an insight into the students' perspective on online learning during the pandemic. We conducted this research in one of the universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). A quantitative research design was employed, and cross-sectional research method was used. An online survey form was administered by using Google survey forms on Likert scale (N = 405). The online survey and use of social media tools were adopted owing to the pandemic. The Google survey form was disseminated among the students by means of teachers through social media tools using convenient sampling technique. Chi-square results showed highly significant association among the variables. Regression analysis found that lack of technology, learning skills, and disconnectedness of internet, marking and grading issues, and mental growth are the predictors of the bad educational performance of the students. It is, thus, concluded that the students' educational performance is badly affected due to the online learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in AJK. It is suggested to the higher educational institutions to take the radical measures of preparedness during any such crisis to ensure the smooth online educational and learning environment to the students.

The era of E-learning from the perspectives of Jordanian medical students: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

Online learning is becoming a crucial part of the educational process worldwide, especially after the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This study was designed to assess medical students’ perception toward online learning and their perceived preparedness and barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An electronic-based, cross-sectional survey was used to recruit eligible students in Pharmacy, Doctor of Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine programs at various Jordanian universities (public and private). Descriptive and linear regression analysis were conducted using S.P.S.S. software. The perception score was calculated based on a 5-point Likert scale.

Results

A total of 939 students agreed to participate in this study. The prominent category was females (n = 691, 73.6%), the median age of students was 22.0 years (IQR = 2.0), and around 56% of the students study in private universities (n = 520, 55.6%). More than half of the students reported that their experiences were unsatisfactory or very unsatisfactory (n = 510, 54.3%). The majority of students preferred face-to-face communication with their professors and colleagues and considered it more effective (n = 682, 72.6%). The median of the mean perception score was 2.4 (IQR = 1.1). Regarding challenges and barriers, more than 70% reported weak internet connection, E-learning boredom, and lack of motivation (n = 723, 77.0%).

Conclusion

This study reported inadequate satisfaction and perception towards the current experience in E-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also discussed the barriers and challenges hindering this transition, such as weak internet connection and the lack of motivation, indicating a need for implementing new pedagogies to enhance students’ experiences regarding online education.

Distance Learning Support Measures for Teachers in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic made higher education institutions switch to distance learning in a very short period of time. The situation was challenging not only for universities themselves but also for the students and teachers. Some universities did not have the means, in terms of infrastructure, for a smooth transition to distance learning. Some teachers were not prepared for the extensive usage of ICT in their work. The pandemic developed dynamically, and it made it extremely difficult for both governments and universities to plan and implement firm solutions on how to conduct the teaching process. The presented paper focuses on the situation of Polish higher education institutions between March 2020 and March 2022. It reviews legal acts and ordinances introduced in the stated period, which focused on the sustainability of the teaching process, countermeasures for the spread of COVID-19 and the implementation of distance learning. The case of the University of Economics in Katowice, Poland, is used to show the correlation between governmental legal acts and those introduced by the university as part of the COVID -19 spread prevention and teaching process support.

Health Behaviours among Nursing Students in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(1) Background: An individual's health status can be perceived as a consequence of their health behaviours. This research aimed to determine the intensity of health-promoting behaviours and to identify factors determining the health behaviours of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: This study included 894 nursing students from six universities in Poland, and it was conducted between 20 March and 15 December 2021. A diagnostic survey was applied as the research method, and the data were collected using the Health Behaviour Inventory and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. (3) Results: Nearly half of the students participating in the study (48.43%) declared that the intensity of their general health behaviours was low. A positive and significant correlation (r = 0.426) was found between general health behaviours and satisfaction with life. A regression model demonstrated general satisfaction with life to be a predictor of taking up health-related behaviours (18%; β = 0.34), as well as in terms of proper eating habits (4%; β = 0.15), prophylactic behaviours (6%; β = 0.21), positive mental attitudes (26%; β = 0.44) and applied pro-health practices (10%; β = 0.25). (4) Conclusions: Most nursing students showed low levels of health-promoting behaviours. More research is needed on health behaviours and their determinants among nursing students, as it may be important in explaining the mechanisms of health behaviour formation.

The Impacts of COVID-19 on Distance Education with the Application of Traditional and Digital Appliances: Evidence from 60 Developing Countries

Educational disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic during school closures have become a remarkable social issue, particularly among the developing countries. Ample literature has verified the adverse effects of the long-lasing epidemic on school education. However, rare studies seek to understand the association between the severity of COVID-19 and distance learning, an alternative education pattern, and foster policy designs to promote educational transition, particularly targeting the post-crisis phase of the COVID-19. By combining four data surveys, this article empirically examines the impacts of COVID-19 on children's distance education with the application of various appliances across 60 developing countries. The results suggest that, after controlling socio-economic, geographic, and demographic variables, a higher level of mortality rate of COVID-19 contributes to more households participating in distance education. In particular, this positive term is larger for distance education by using TVs and radios compared with the usage of digital appliances. To explore the potential channel of the above linkage, this article argues that the positive association between mortality rate and the use of traditional appliances is weakened through higher levels of stringency in lockdown measures. Timely policies are, therefore, recommended to guide towards distance learning with economic and technological supports to guarantee a wave of inclusive educational recovery in the ongoing post-COVID-19 era.

Attitudes towards Digital Educational Technologies among Russian University Students before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated the digitalization of education around the world. There has been a lot of recent research on university students’ attitudes towards digital educational technologies (DET) in different countries, but much fewer studies examine how these attitudes change during the pandemic. The purpose of the present exploratory study is to compare the attitudes towards DET among Russian university students majoring in psychology before the start of the pandemic and at its different stages. A mixed method research design was used. The quantitative part of the study included The University Students’ Attitudes toward DET Questionnaire developed by the authors, and the qualitative part of this study included percentage and thematic analyses of answers to additional multiple choice and open-ended questions. The main findings of the study confirm significant changes in attitudes towards DET at the very beginning of the pandemic, and their relative stabilization later. Additional analysis based on the literature review revealed that the advantages and disadvantages of DET listed by Russian university students and students from other countries, generally coincide. The data obtained will be useful in the development of digital competence among university students.

Trends in education during the pandemic: modern online technologies as a tool for the sustainability of university education in the field of media and communication studies

The involuntary shutdown at universities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impossibility of full-time teaching forced university teachers to look for other ways of communication strategies through Internet platforms with students and in everyday academic activities. The aim of this study is to reveal the attitudes and perception of university teachers in the field of Media and Communication Studies in Slovakia during two years of online home learning (2020 and 2021) when the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic took place. The aim was to show changes in the perception of the situation in terms of existing positives and negatives during this period as well as to point out a possible trend in the communication strategies used to ensure the sustainability of the education system. Due to the lockdown, the survey was only conducted in electronic format using online questionnaires. The participants were university teachers from the field of Media and Communication Studies. As this is a progressive field the study of which is carried out at the intersection of the interests of several scientific disciplines, it can be assumed that the conclusions can easily be transferred to social, economic, humanities and arts disciplines. When communicating and teaching students in 2020 and also in 2021, online teaching through systems such as Zoom or Google Meet and individual consultations by e-mail, chat and social networks dominated. As the results of the study indicate, modern online technologies contribute to the sustainability of the educational process during an emergency and will become an integral part of university education even after the end of the pandemic situation.

Learning Outcomes of a Hybrid Online Virtual Classroom and In-Person Traditional Classroom during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper explores the effects of using a hybrid virtual/traditional classroom, a blended teaching and learning approach, on undergraduate learning outcomes during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to investigate the prominent problems that appeared in the process of online teaching and learning and to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduates’ learning outcomes in public universities in China. The field of specialization of the subjects of this study is under the rubric of social science and higher education. We designed and conducted a pilot survey to identify students’ perspectives on the key issues and experiences of the use of distance-learning through an online virtual classroom in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we applied a binary logistic regression model to real data from two different economics course exams to measure the short-term impacts of using the two different learning environments on the undergraduates’ performance outcomes. The results indicate a statistically significant negative impact of using virtual classrooms on undergraduate learning outcomes. By contrast, in-person traditional classrooms had more desirable learning outcomes. Moreover, the hybrid approach proved to be more effective than the use of online virtual classrooms alone.

Emergency e-learning acceptance in second-cycle institutions in Ghana: a conditional mediation analysis

This paper investigates the determinants that will influence students' acceptance of the electronic learning (e-learning) system of education after the COVID-19 emergency. Specifically, the paper assesses the attitudes and intentions of students in second-cycle institutions to accept e-learning after the pandemic, using constructs derived from the health belief model and technology acceptance model. Also, we test if there is any significant difference in the attitudes and intentions of students in public and private institutions. Using data collected from 370 students in upper and lower levels of a second-cycle institutions in Ghana, we found that student attitude is significantly influenced by perceived usefulness and moderately affected by perceived severity, whereas, student's intention is moderately affected by the perceived severity but substantially influenced by the student's attitude towards usage. Also, the results revealed that students' attitudes and intentions to use e-learning are moderately affected by the severity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, there were no significant differences in the attitudes and intentions of the sampled students in public and private second-cycle institutions in Ghana, regarding their acceptance and usage of e-learning after the COVID-19 emergency. Given the study's findings, the paper concludes that students' attitudes and intention to use e-learning are the main determinants that will influence the students' acceptance of the e-learning system of education in second-cycle institutions in Ghana after the COVID-19 emergency. The paper contributes to knowledge by providing evidence of students' acceptance of the e-learning system of education after the COVID-19 emergency in the context of a developing country like Ghana.

Social Capital Resources in Coping with Distance Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Content Analysis of the Statements of Teachers Working in Poland at Different Educational Stages

The article aims to show social capital resources in coping with distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic of Polish teachers working at different educational stages. The sample consisted of 1104 women (91.2%) and 107 men (8.8%) who described their remote professional experiences as valued positively during the pandemic. The collected verbal material was analyzed with quantitative content analysis based on theory-driven categories of social capital: Relationships, trust, commitment, and fulfilling obligations. Then, the frequency of words belonging to the categories in each participant's utterance was assessed. The results indicate that when describing positive experiences (situations and events) during distance education, teachers referred mainly to social capital resources in terms of relationships and fulfilling obligations. The results indicate that teachers working in secondary schools in Poland put less emphasis on building social capital during distance education, especially in terms of relationships, than teachers working with younger children.

Explaining student loyalty towards using WhatsApp in higher education: an extension of the IS success model

Purpose

Recent years have documented the growing interest in using WhatsApp in higher education. However, the determinants of students’ satisfaction and loyalty towards WhatsApp groups have received less attention. This study aims to extend the Delone and McLean information system success model by incorporating social and emotional factors to investigate the drivers of satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through questionnaires completed by 308 undergraduate students. The partial least squares technique was used for data analysis.

Findings

The findings reveal that information quality, trust in members and social usefulness play crucial roles in shaping students’ satisfaction and loyalty to WhatsApp groups. System quality has no significant effect on satisfaction. Furthermore, emotional connection negatively moderates the relationship between social usefulness and satisfaction.

Practical implications

The findings of this study will be useful for educators and practitioners seeking to integrate WhatsApp into their pedagogical repertoire. The results demonstrate the importance of considering the social and emotional needs of students in addition to the quality of the information provided.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to integrate system characteristics, particularly with social and emotional factors. Furthermore, this study extends the literature on WhatsApp use in higher education by testing the drivers of students’ satisfaction and loyalty.

Factors Affecting Medical Students’ Continuance Intention to Use Mobile Health Applications

Background

With the dramatic growth in smartphones, mobile health applications (apps) in the field of healthcare or medicine, which are characterized by strong operability, flexibility and interactivity, provide a supplementary approach to medical learning. The aims of this study were to awaken medical students to pay more attention to the learning function of mobile health app and gain deeper insight into our understanding of the factors influencing medical students’ mobile health apps continuance intention for enhancing practical utilization.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a self-designed questionnaire administered to medical students at Chongqing Medical University. Data were collected from 450 participants from March to April 2019. SPSS V.25 was used for the descriptive statistical analysis of the results. Smart PLS 3.2.7 was used to construct a structural equation modelling framework to estimate the influencing factors of medical students’ continuance intention to use mobile health apps.

Results

The external characteristics of mobile health apps had a positive influence on perceived ease of use (β = 0.378, P < 0.001). Perceived ease of use had a positive impact on perceived usefulness (β = 0.573, P < 0.001). Perceived ease of use (β = 0.195, P = 0.011), perceived usefulness (β = 0.450, P < 0.001) and subjective norms (β = 0.255, P < 0.001) had a positive impact on attitude towards using mobile health apps. Additionally, perceived usefulness (β = 0.202, P < 0.001) and attitude (β = 0.730, P < 0.001) had a remarkable influence on continuance intention. Furthermore, the mediating effect of attitude between perceived usefulness and continuance intention was significant (β = 0.329, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Both perceived usefulness and attitude have a significant effect on medical students’ mobile health apps continuance intention. So, we suggest apps providers and developers evoking and maintaining users’ interest in mobile health apps and perfecting apps’ features from various aspect. Also, more attention should be paid on social relationship to introduce medical students to familiarize mobile health apps and strengthen adhesiveness of medical students.

Austrian College Students' Experiences With Digital Media Learning During the First COVID-19 Lockdown

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many nations to shut-down schools and universities, catapulting teachers and students into a new, challenging situation of 100% distance learning. To explore how the shift to full distance learning represented a break with previous teaching, we asked Austrian students (n = 874, 65% female, 34% male) which digital media they used before and during the first Corona lockdown, as well as which tools they wanted to use in the future. Students additionally reported on their attitudes and experiences with online learning. Results showed that students used certain tools, such as video, audio, e-assessments, and web conferencing systems, much more often during lockdown than they had before. Their use of classic digital media, such as e-mail, social communication tools, such as chat or online forums, and other interactive tools, such as wikis or educational games, hardly changed at all. Their attitudes toward multimedia learning were positively related to their media use. In their open responses (n = 137), students identified advantages of online learning (flexibility and self-directed learning), as well as disadvantages (limited social interaction) and challenges (motivation and self-discipline). As a group, they also expressed a clear preference for a balanced combination of online- and offline teaching in the future. However, individual students did prefer fully online or offline learning modes, depending on their personal circumstances and educational goals. We view this as a call to researchers and educators alike to explore ways in which the advantages of online and face-to-face learning can best be combined to meet the changed needs and expectations of organizations, students, and teachers in a future “after Corona.”

Anxiety Linked to COVID-19: A Systematic Review Comparing Anxiety Rates in Different Populations

The COVID-19 pandemic has incited a rise in anxiety, with uncertainty regarding the specific impacts and risk factors across multiple populations. A qualitative systematic review was conducted to investigate the prevalence and associations of anxiety in different sample populations in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four databases were utilised in the search (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO). The review period commenced in April 2021 and was finalised on 5 July 2021. A total of 3537 studies were identified of which 87 were included in the review (sample size: 755,180). Healthcare workers had the highest prevalence of anxiety (36%), followed by university students (34.7%), the general population (34%), teachers (27.2%), parents (23.3%), pregnant women (19.5%), and police (8.79%). Risk factors such as being female, having pre-existing mental conditions, lower socioeconomic status, increased exposure to infection, and being younger all contributed to worsened anxiety. The review included studies published before July 2021; due to the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this may have excluded relevant papers. Restriction to only English papers and a sample size > 1000 may have also limited the range of papers included. These findings identify groups who are most vulnerable to developing anxiety in a pandemic and what specific risk factors are most common across multiple populations.

Determining the perceptions of pre-service teachers on technology-based learning during the Covid-19 process: a latent class analysis approach

In the study, latent class analysis (LCA) was used to determine the unobserved structures and the subpopulations of pre-service teachers' technology-based learning behaviours. According to LCA results, three latent classes were obtained. These classes are labelled as Class-1: "High-Level Technology Perception", Class-2: "Low-Level Technology Perception", Class-3: "Intermediate-Level Technology Perception". When Class-1(Reference Group) and Class-2 were compared, it was observed that the covariates of "gender" and "the Covid-19 pandemic affecting learning motivation" did not have a significant effect on Class-2. It has been determined that pre-service teachers who are older, studying in the 4th grade, using the Internet for more than 8 h a day, have advanced computer skills and have advanced technology-based learning experience are less likely to be in Class-2. In addition, in the study, while self-directed learning with technology was associated with pre-service teachers' attitudes towards online teaching in the Covid-19 period and class membership, the fear of Covid-19 was not associated with latent class membership.

Opportunities, Quality Factors, and Required Changes during the Pandemic Based on Higher Education Leaders’ Perspective

The pandemic period in education brought many challenges to all organizations. The activities of the higher educational institutions are being affected and the situation can last for a longer time. Under these circumstances, it is important to shift to online learning and improve educational processes through all organizational levels. The organizations had to assure appropriate distance or remote learning process by identifying their opportunities, meeting challenges, and identifying the sustainable quality factors for remote or distance learning. This study aimed to map and test the factors that influence online learning success in the pandemic situation in higher education in one of the European Union countries, Lithuania. Factors analyzed and presented in the paper are the quality of institutions and services, infrastructure and system quality, quality of courses and information, and online learning environment. Data were collected through surveys by distributing questionnaires and interviews. Authors are providing the main criteria for successful education based on administrative positions and design makers of the educational organizations. The article summarizes the interviews of 15 respondents from the three Lithuanian higher education institutions and how their informants met changes, opportunities, and identified quality factors addressed to the successful learning and teaching process during a pandemic period.

Factors Influencing University Students’ Adoption of Digital Learning Technology in Teaching and Learning

Education and learning have been significantly impacted by ICT. The purpose of this project is to create a new model and conduct confirmatory factor analysis in order to better understand how students utilize ICT in the classroom. An additional aim is to study, based on students’ attitudes and aspirations to utilize ICT for digital learning, their fundamental computer abilities, media-related skills, WBS, and adoption of digital learning technologies, by surveying students at Bisha University and King Faisal University. Structural equations modeling (SEM)-AMOS was used to survey 711 university students, and this study used an improved version of the Technology Acceptance Paradigm (TAM) approach as its research paradigm, as well as quantitative data collection and analytic methodologies. Students’ comments were divided into seven categories and analyzed to identify their attitudes toward and intentions for using ICT in learning environments. BCS, media-related abilities, and WBS all had a substantial influence on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, according to the research. This model, which was based on research, was successful in describing students’ attitudes and intentions about using ICT for digital learning.

Students' Attitudes Toward Online Music Education During the COVID 19 Lockdown

Given the current pandemic context generated by COVID 19, important changes in the way specific subjects to music education are taught emerged, affecting not only the particularities of learning and teaching in individual courses, but also the other courses regarding group learning or theoretical subjects. In this time, emergency remote teaching and learning requires cross-collaboration between instructional, content, and technological teams. Our research examines the students' attitudes toward online education, also presenting proposals for optimization and efficiency. The research was undertaken after an experience of a University semester in a lockdown context, and it aimed at undergraduate and master's degree students from music faculties in Romania. An important result was the mediating role of perceived utility of e-learning methods, perceived utility mediated the associations between compatibility of online methods and satisfaction toward the use of e-learning methods. The perceived compatibility of e-Learning methods with online music education led to a higher perceived utility which, in turn, predicted a higher satisfaction toward e-Learning Although this period accentuated the fear of interaction with others, the anxiety related to the unknown, the intolerance of uncertainty did not predict the satisfaction toward the use of e-learning platforms. In conclusion, more educational initiatives are needed to promote remote teaching methods in music education. In the absence of similar research in our country, we considered that future research on this topic is needed.

Academic student satisfaction and perceived performance in the e-learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence across ten countries

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically shaped higher education and seen the distinct rise of e-learning as a compulsory element of the modern educational landscape. Accordingly, this study highlights the factors which have influenced how students perceive their academic performance during this emergency changeover to e-learning. The empirical analysis is performed on a sample of 10,092 higher education students from 10 countries across 4 continents during the pandemic's first wave through an online survey. A structural equation model revealed the quality of e-learning was mainly derived from service quality, the teacher's active role in the process of online education, and the overall system quality, while the students' digital competencies and online interactions with their colleagues and teachers were considered to be slightly less important factors. The impact of e-learning quality on the students' performance was strongly mediated by their satisfaction with e-learning. In general, the model gave quite consistent results across countries, gender, study fields, and levels of study. The findings provide a basis for policy recommendations to support decision-makers incorporate e-learning issues in the current and any new similar circumstances.

Forced Virtuality During COVID-19

Abstract. Social distancing received top priority during the COVID-19 crisis, resulting in new users of public digital services (PDS) with heterogeneous use motivation. While some users decided to use a PDS voluntarily and independently of COVID-19, others were forced to use PDS because of the COVID-19 lockdown. Based on technology acceptance models, we compared forced users ( N1 = 346) and voluntary users ( N2 = 315) using latent multigroup analysis. First-time users of a PDS ( N = 661) participated in the survey after reporting a crime online to the police. Results showed that forced and voluntary users differed regarding key factors (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, behavioral intention) and antecedents (system trust, ICT self-concept) of technology acceptance with less positive values for forced users. Further, forced users had stronger needs for system trust and usefulness (performance expectancy) than voluntary users, revealing user group-specific predictive values. The lessons learned for PDS design and marketing beyond pandemic times are discussed.

Satisfaction Levels of Sport Sciences University Students in Online Workshops for Substituting Practice-Oriented Activities during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Laboratory teaching in sport and exercise sciences universities is of fundamental importance as it provides students with the necessary hands-on skills that are indispensable to future kinesiologists. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students in lockdown missed the opportunity to acquire laboratory skills. Here we report the solutions adopted by a blended exercise science Master’s degree program of an online Italian university to ensure didactic continuity in the practice-oriented activities during the period of the COVID-19 lockdown. In order to mitigate this issue, laboratory sessions were replaced with online workshops and students’ satisfaction levels in this regard were investigated in the present study using an online survey conducted on 101 students during lockdown. The survey consisted of 7-point Likert scale items focusing on computer usage (CU), learning satisfaction (LS), social interaction (SI), and perceived value (PV). The analysis of the results revealed a good level of learning satisfaction of the students. Conversely, students perceived a moderate level of social interaction and had a moderate perception that online workshops can enhance their learning abilities. In conclusion, the results of the present study seem to indicate that online workshops can be considered a good and acceptable compromise during an emergency, although face-to-face activities remain the preferable learning delivery modality when dealing with the acquisition of hands-on skills.

Digital and Media Literacies in the Polish Education System—Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Perspective

Digital and media literacies refer to a specific set of skills and abilities. The range of these skills as they concern the educational process has been broadly discussed. In this paper, we analyzed the Polish educational system to determine the scope of the sorts of digital skills young people and students should achieve in order to be considered digitally and media literate. We compared sets of recommendations from the last ten years issued by different national governmental and nonprofit organizations for the Polish education system. We identified a set of skills that should be expected to be possessed by young people and students during their education. Additionally, we discussed results regarding the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift from regular education to distance learning.

Students' acceptance to distance learning during Covid-19: the role of geographical areas among Indonesian sports science students

This study was conducted to investigate the perspectives of sports science students on factors affecting distance learning in the setting of Indonesian higher education institutions (HEIs). This study proposed an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) with eight variables; experience, enjoyment, self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, intention to use, and actual use. An online survey was used to collect data from 1291 respondents. The structural model was examined through the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The multi-group analysis (MGA) was conducted to understand the role of geographical areas in moderating all hypothetical relationships. The findings show that the respondents were not excited about online learning due to weak means (below 3) for most items of five variables; enjoyment, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, and intention to use. All relationships were supported except the relationship between experience and perceived usefulness. The strongest significant relationship emerged between intention to use and actual use. Meanwhile, the least significant relationship was found between self-efficacy and perceived usefulness. Three out of 12 hypotheses were confirmed regarding the differences of geographical areas (rural and urban) regarding all relationship paths. The findings add to a deeper understanding of the acceptability of distance learning during pandemics like COVID-19.

Developing a Holistic Success Model for Sustainable E-Learning: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

In higher education learning, e-learning systems have become renowned tools worldwide. The evident importance of e-learning in higher education has resulted in a prenominal increase in the number of e-learning systems delivering various forms of services, especially when traditional education (face-to-face) was suddenly forced to move online due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Accordingly, assessing e-learning systems is pivotal in the interest of effective use and successful implementation. By relying on the related literature review, an extensive model is developed by integrating the information system success model (ISSM) and the technology acceptance model (TAM) to illustrate key factors that influence the success of e-learning systems. Based on the proposed model, theory-based hypotheses are tested through structural equation modeling employing empirical data gathered through a survey questionnaire of 537 students from three private universities in Jordan. The findings demonstrate that quality factors, including instructor, technical system, support service, educational systems, and course content quality, have a direct positive influence on students’ satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and system use. Moreover, self-regulated learning negatively affects students’ satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and system use. Students’ satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and system use are key predictors of their academic performance. These findings provide e-learning stakeholders with important implications that guarantee the effective, successful use of e-learning that positively affects students’ learning.

One Year of Online Education in COVID-19 Age, a Challenge for the Romanian Education System

The study tried to analyze the implication of one year of online education in the Romanian education system. To achieve this goal, the authors of this study analyzed all the levels of education, primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education, and even the early childhood system, but also one of the smallest Romanian universities, considered representative for grade 1 universities representing 60% of the Romanian universities. The study is based on four online questionnaires for investigation, first with more than 2500 respondents from the primary and secondary Romanian education system, and the other three applied to more than 800 students and professors from the University of Petroșani. The investigation took place during 29 January 2021 and 11 February 2021. The authors had investigated the main feature of a standard online or a classical e-learning solution, such as the meeting solution or the video conference software, the collaborative work, such as homework or projects, and the testing method or the quizzes from both perspectives of the students and of the professors. The study results could influence the expected future hybrid educational system because these results were not covered in the previous literature but proved to be necessary for relevant knowledge strategies to be implemented in the new pandemic and also in the future context.

Learning, Student Digital Capabilities and Academic Performance over the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the time of COVID-19 lockdown over spring 2020, universities shifted teaching from on-campus blended learning to an emergency remote fully online approach. The aim of this study was to compare Psychology and Veterinary Science undergraduate students’ academic performance with their responses on a self-reported questionnaire regarding their digital capabilities, individual’s characteristics, and the role of environment on their independent learning process over the first COVID-19 lockdown period. Social-Cognitive Theory was adopted to conceptualise students’ behaviour, individuals’ characteristics, and learning environment with their academic performance to a learning framework. A total of 303 students from both disciplines (133 Psychology and 170 Veterinary Science undergraduate students) participated in this study by completing an online questionnaire after following the teaching shift from blended learning to full remote online approach at a UK University during the 2019–2020 academic year. Differences between students’ responses were identified due to their discipline’s curricular structure, students’ study behaviours (i.e., being exposed to unrelated learning activities), and students’ cognitive effort to think critically in the search, evaluation and managing of digital information. Students with high level of self-regulation and digital capabilities were able to keep focused and engaged during the lockdown. Although universities and teachers were “forced” to shift their teaching approach due to the unfortunate disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, most students have coped with the changed teaching delivery mode relatively easy with minimum guidance. However, teachers should further consider how digital technologies could enhance students’ learning flexibility promoting critical thinking.

The Post-Pandemic Recovery of Transport Activity: Emerging Mobility Patterns and Repercussions on Future Evolution

The expectations for post-COVID recovery of transport activity point towards a gradual return to normality, once the pandemic is under control and mobility restrictions end. The shock to society and economy has, however, caused a number of behavioural changes that can influence the evolution of the transport sector. We analyse the main factors that can influence future supply and demand and explore how they may affect trip generation, distribution and modal split in passenger transport. We combine several conventional and innovative data sources with a detailed strategic transport model at the EU level, in order to present quantitative estimates under various scenarios. New remote work patterns or personal risk avoidance attitudes can lead to increased levels of car ownership and use. Public policy priorities in the aftermath of the pandemic would need to address the emerging challenges and adopt measures that can sustain the shift to active travel, support public transport, railways and aviation and stimulate innovation in transport technologies and services.

EU27 Higher Education Institutions and COVID-19, Year 2020

COVID-19 forced higher education institutions to reinvent themselves. The (usually) face-to-face education has swapped to distance contingency education. This change brought about numerous challenges that impose adjustments in several dimensions, such as pedagogical strategies and the dependence on teaching platforms and computer systems-and, above all, the new relationship between the various actors (students, teachers, and management staff). All the sudden changes, combined with uncertainty concerning what was happening, created several strategies and options. This paper has the main purpose of analyzing the scientific production on higher education of EU27 academic institutions during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in journals indexed in Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science and Elsevier's Scopus. The sample is composed of 22 articles in total. The results show that the articles were published in 19 journals; their main focuses are Higher Education, COVID-19, and distance learning. In our database, we find several types of concerns, which shows that HEIs have a wide range of dimensions. We intend this article to be an instrument, not only to identify what was done in 2020, but to point out clues for the future.

Continuous Intention to Use E-Wallet in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Integrating the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Technology Continuous Theory (TCT)

Personal safety has had a renewed focus throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to behavioral change. The adoption of E-wallets facilitates social distancing and thereby helps prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This paper aims to investigate the potential for consumers’ continued usage of an E-wallet service through an integrated framework based on two established models: the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Technology Continuous Theory (TCT). An electronic survey was distributed to a sample of 1080 individuals from academic society in three different Hungarian universities who had used an electronic wallet during the pandemic COVID-19. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied in the study and explained the 55.9% variance in consumers’ continuous intention towards E-wallet usage. This study found that while the COVID-19 pandemic strongly influenced the current use of e-wallets; the pivotal factor affecting their continued use is based on consumer self-efficacy. The study has both short and long-term implications; in the short-term, decisionmakers should utilize health threat constructs (as an element of the protective behaviors taken during the COVID-19 pandemic) to motivate consumers to use E-wallets; in the longer-term, banks should develop further strategies that encourage consumer loyalty regarding E-wallets by reassuring customers that these financial services achieve the value and benefits that they expect, resulting in self-efficacy.

COVID-19 compliant and cost effective teaching model for King Abdulaziz University

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has been going on for over sixteen months. During this period, we have witnessed a colossal loss of life, property, business, and a degradation of social life. Several different variants or strains of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, have been found in different parts of the world. This pandemic has so far infected more than one hundred and thirty five million people, which has caused significant damage to the education sector. The majority of students around the world have lost access to face-to-face classes. While dealing with the crisis, some higher education institutions are still finding it difficult to adapt to alternative ways of imparting education. Many of them are using learning management systems and other online technologies and tools to facilitate online learning. The aim of this manuscript is to propose a cost-effective hybrid teaching model (CeHTM) for the King Abdulaziz University. The proposed model is designed after analyzing two anonymous online feedback surveys in which nearly four thousand students and more than four hundred instructors have participated. The CeHTM is novel as it is the first framework of its kind for imparting education during pandemic. Given the uniformity of educational system in Saudi Arabian universities, the proposed model can be used by other Saudi Arabian institutions, and adapted elsewhere, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.

Experiences of nursing students under the unprecedented abrupt online learning format forced by the national curfew due to COVID-19: A qualitative research study

BACKGROUND

The unprecedented abrupt shift to remote online learning (OL) within the context of the national lockdown due to the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) highlights the importance of addressing students' preparedness in managing their first experiences with OL.

PURPOSE

To investigate the experiences of undergraduate nursing students during their first uses of OL to increase the understanding of their encountered opportunities and challenges.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative design guided by a phenomenological approach was used.

METHODS

The study used a purposive sampling technique to recruit 18 undergraduate nursing students from two universities. Data were collected using two focus group discussions, and the discussions with participants were audio/video recorded through the online platform Zoom due to the national imposed curfew. Content analysis employed Colaizzi's steps to derive the themes/categories.

RESULTS

The study revealed four themes: experience of helplessness, burdens, and burnout; the need for social and technical support to manage OL; the propensity to consider OL as a positive opportunity; and the deficiency of OL in fulfilling the educational outcomes of clinical courses.

CONCLUSIONS

Abrupt remote OL was a challenge to clinical encounters. This format was very stressful; however, it was also useful. The current study highlighted the need for further research on the effectiveness of remote OL platforms in regard to the achievement of the intended learning outcomes of clinical courses.