Students say online learning is improving, but they also think they learn less effectively during technology-enabled virtual instruction, a new survey reveals. Here are the 3 ways their perspective on online learning is changing:

1. In 2022, students are reporting “substantial improvements” in the overall online learning experience and are confident they can learn to use new ed-tech tools.
2. Younger students believe they learn less effectively online, which means campus managers have to deal with perceptions of lower quality. Students over 25 say they learn as effectively online as they do in person.
3. Students are happy with how colleges and universities will launch online and hybrid programs in the future, but are less enthusiastic about taking online courses themselves.

These are the key findings from the CIN EdTech Student Survey 2022 conducted by the College Innovation Network at Western Governors University. Digging deeper into these three big takeaways, the survey found that fewer students reported having problems accessing edtech tools in their courses.

Students also increasingly expect their schools to provide academic support, career advice and even some online social activities. “Institutions have made many improvements to students’ technological learning experiences since the 2020-2021 academic year, but there remain areas of innovation,” the report said.

Evolution of online learning

One of the big lessons from the MOOC craze of the early 2010s is that simply pairing digital content with assessments isn’t a recipe for success for many students, says Chancellor David Andrews from the University of Massachusetts Global (formerly known as Brandman University).

Strong digital content and faculty who can deliver it are essential, but institutions must also ensure that online and hybrid students have access to academic coaching and other supports outside of the classroom as demand for them grows. distance learning is increasing, adds Andrews.

“Even in face-to-face universities, students continue to gravitate toward a combination of online and in-person,” he points out. “If you’re a working adult and you have to choose between traveling to a fixed location on a fixed schedule or being able to learn on demand, you have no choice.”

This puts more pressure on administrators to meet the individual needs of remote students. UMass Global, for example, has a body of counselors who help students learn time management skills and balance schoolwork with work and family. Thanks to these interventions, the institution has one of the highest retention rates in the online industry, even though the average age of its undergraduate students is 35 and almost all of its students are working, says Andrews. .

More UB: More than 100 colleges got an “A” for scholarship transparency. Is yours one of them?

“Instead of waiting for someone to ask for help, we have proactive indicators that they’ve disengaged and we reach out to them to get them back on track,” he says. “Our population needs to be encouraged and supported in a much more holistic way.”

Most UMass Global students enroll to learn new job skills, change careers, or for other workforce-related reasons. This has led the institution to prioritize employee-supported tuition programs, one of the fastest growing components of online and adult learning. UMass Global works with one of the largest hospital networks in the state to provide master’s and bachelor’s degrees as well as smaller micro-degrees.

“Planning is as much in the control of students as it is of faculty members,” concludes Andrews. “Online also allows you to have a pool of talent across the country that can meet the needs of students.”

Advancing Online Learning

Identifying students struggling with edtech early is one of the keys to improving the online experience, the College Innovation Network survey recommends. About a quarter of students surveyed said they had trouble learning to use edtech, while more than a third said they had used new technologies in the past year.

Colleges and universities can provide training on campus-wide technology, such as learning management system, email, and other communication channels. During the first week of a course, teachers should survey students about their skill levels and confidence in using education technology.

Additionally, college leaders must assure students that virtual courses are designed around science learning standards to build confidence in the value of degrees earned online.

Ontario elementary and secondary school students – and their parents – are preparing for a return to closed schools and home-based online learning if the Ontario government and education workers represented by CUPE are failing to reach an agreement in their current labor dispute this weekend.

Students have already gone through more than an extended period of online learning due to COVID lockdowns, separated from classroom structure, friends, sports, and a variety of extracurricular activities.

Friday was PA day for teachers, so SooToday visited Station Mall where a few students shared their thoughts on a possible return to online learning.

“I don’t like it,” said Heidi, a Grade 10 student at École Secondaire l’Orée des Bois in Dubreuilville, while visiting the waterfront mall in Sault with friends on Friday.

“In e-learning, we are at home and everyone is doing their own thing. It’s easy to get distracted. We have access to our phones so we don’t pay as much attention to what is going on, but also the teacher is not there to help you individually. It’s going to affect my grades,” Heidi said.

“I don’t think it’s good,” said Haylee, a Grade 11 student at Hornepayne Secondary School.

“I need a teacher in front of me, who personally helps me individually. It’s hard on a screen. You don’t get much communication with the teachers. A lot of people don’t turn on their cameras so you can’t see their faces. It’s hard to listen to a computer and watch it for hours a day.

“We haven’t had our sports for two years. We just got back to it and with a strike we may not be able to continue our tournaments. It will affect many of us. I play volleyball and basketball, and we’re about to go to a volleyball tournament in Wawa in two weeks and now we don’t know if it’s going to happen or not,” said Haylee.

“It’s really not nice for the kids, for them to go on strike again,” said Shabnam Shafi, a Mississauga parent who was interviewed for a Canadian Press story on Friday. “But (the union) should get what they are asking for, I think they have to negotiate and they have to come to an agreement that is good for everyone. The children must be in school. »

CUPE said the two sides recently agreed to a raise of $1 an hour each year, or about 3.59% per year, but the union is still fighting for higher staffing levels for helpers. teachers, librarians, babysitters, secretaries and early childhood educators.

The union and the government must negotiate throughout the weekend. Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government had made several improved offers and asked for no concessions.

A spokeswoman for Lecce said in a statement on Friday that the government was “disappointed” that pupils could be out of school again next week. “After two years of pandemic disruption, students need to be in the classroom to learn. That’s where they deserve to be. We’ll stay at the table and ready for a fair deal that invests more in low-income workers. and, most importantly, keep the kids in class,” said Caitlin Clark.

Meanwhile, local students are eagerly awaiting and dreading a possible return to online learning.

“We have just resumed a normal school year and they are already taking it away from us. They take away our class time and our high school experience,” said Faythe, a Grade 11 student at Korah Collegiate.

She is not a fan of e-learning.

“It’s getting boring. I lose my motivation when I’m at home. It’s the teachers who motivate me to do my schoolwork and I don’t have that at home.

“I really hope there won’t be a strike. Missed seeing my friends, missed routine (during COVID lockdowns). This is where I see my friends,” Faythe said.

“I don’t like e-learning. If you have to take a test, it’s so hard,” said Aaron, a Grade 12 student at St. Mary’s College.

“It’s been a bit lonely,” Aaron said, referring to previous periods of online learning during COVID lockdowns.

“You can’t really see your friends. All you see is your teacher and some emojis for people. It’s not the same thing.”

“I’m not going to like this,” said an 8th grade student at Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School who asked not to be identified.

“I’m not going to like it because I’m in school sports and I couldn’t do that anymore. I feel like I can’t really learn online because there are distractions in a home environment,” the student said.

“In my opinion, I find online learning boring because I’m a person who loves school, being with friends and socializing. It doesn’t help at all,” said Jadyn, a grade 6 student at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School.

“It’s boring to have to learn at home and sometimes my eyes hurt when looking at the computer. If I don’t know how to do something and my parents don’t, then what should I do? The teachers explain what we have to do, which pages we have to read, when is the deadline for the homework and that’s about it.

“I just started an outdoor program where you learn outdoors in the morning in St. Kateri. It’s hard to get to know people, connect with them, and make lifelong friends when you’re at home.

“I like to be active and it’s hard to be active when you have to sit on the couch and work on a computer,” Jadyn said.

The provincial government had previously introduced a bill – Bill 28 – that would have made a strike illegal and imposed a settlement on workers represented by CUPE.

Earlier this week, the province repealed Bill 28 and CUPE members returned to work, with both sides agreeing to a 3.59% wage increase, but CUPE still wants higher staffing levels and early childhood educators in every kindergarten class.

The Ontario government and CUPE will spend the weekend at the bargaining table, with a 5 p.m. deadline Sunday to reach a staffing deal.

In the event of a strike, the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board has asked its students not to attend school starting Monday, November 21.

The Algoma District School Board said all schools in Elliot Lake and Blind River will remain open and classes will continue in person as those schools will not be impacted by a strike.

In all other areas of the Algoma District, if the strike continues Tuesday, ADSB schools will continue online learning beginning Nov. 24.

It’s no secret that quality education is still out of reach for millions of people, especially in developing countries. The difficult economic situation in the world further exacerbates this problem. The lack of sufficient schools and colleges is also causing a migration crisis as everyone moves to ‘first world’ countries in search of a better life. But, curiously, the global coronavirus pandemic initiated the solution to this problem.

Online education is becoming more and more popular and as a result more and more people have access to educational resources.

Ability to attend educational institutions online

Online courses have become commonplace for many people in the modern world. Many universities and colleges offer students the opportunity to take courses from anywhere in the world. However, only some people believe that it is the best option to acquire the necessary knowledge for residents of developing countries, providing equal conditions for all. And advancements in technology make the process even more exciting! Let’s take a look at the most significant innovations that have changed the field of education once and for all.

VR & AR technology for presence effect

Now you can easily be anywhere in the world using a virtual reality headset. Many see this technology as entertainment applicable only to gambling and betting websites, but that’s not all of the possibilities. Thanks to the development of virtual reality and augmented reality, distance learning students can attend the conferences of their choice or participate in practical courses without leaving their homes. Such inventions stimulate interest in education and engage more learners who are genuinely excited about the latest innovations.

Wide range of educational software

In the 21st century, going to college to get a quality education is no longer necessary. A considerable number of online courses, including free ones, are in the public domain for most users. Many students have long forgotten about boring notebooks, textbooks and lectures! Just download the desired apps on the necessary topic and enjoy the process.

Nowadays, learners no longer have to spend hours in libraries since everything can be found online. The availability of a stable Internet connection is enough to receive the necessary knowledge. This has led to the fact that developing countries have the opportunity to train professionals who can then influence future development.

Prospects of online learning

The field of online education will continue to evolve and become accessible to even more people. However, developing countries still need help with issues such as lack of stable communication, necessary equipment and adequate funding for the education sector. And all these problems still need to be solved in the future. While developed states can already reap all the benefits mentioned, governments in developing countries need to implement significant changes in critical infrastructure, making high-quality technologies and learning accessible to all.

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How does this work?

Families with children in Hamilton’s two largest school boards are likely familiar with the drill in case Ontario’s lowest-paid education workers leave their jobs next week.

A CUPE strike, which could take place on Monday (November 21) if a collective agreement between the union and the province is not reached, would lead the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic School Board (HWCDSB) to close schools and move to online learning. The Hamilton-Wentworth Public Board (HWDSB) said it would develop “contingency plans” and share them with families on Thursday.

The Catholic Board has approximately 1,000 CUPE-OSBCU staff in fewer schools than HWDSB. They include, according to a letter to families from Director of Education David Hansen and President Patrick J. (Pat) Daly, school and board office staff, teacher aides, early childhood educators designated, social workers, speech therapists, psychometricians and children. and youth workers. All HWCDSB parents/guardians who require a device for online learning should contact their child’s principal by Friday, November 18.

About 500 of potentially affected CUPE colleagues are HWDSB employees, which explains the different approaches.

Earlier this month, Catholic schools in Hamilton were closed for two days on November 4 and 7 and public schools for one day on November 7 when CUPE’s 55,000 mostly female employees walked off the job. They returned on November 8, after Ontario’s PC Party government led by Premier Doug Ford, under the portfolio of Education Minister Stephen Lecce, agreed to withdraw Bill 28 back to the Labor, which used the notwithstanding clause 33 of the Charter to suspend workers’ bargaining rights and impose a four-year contract.

Earlier today, CUPE signaled its intention to begin a full withdrawal of services effective Monday, November 21, 2022.

Please read our full labor update here: https://t.co/9k9SKOrMES pic.twitter.com/cmIPCnByNe

— HWCDSB (@HWCDSB) November 16, 2022

Message from @Director_HWDSB:

“We are committed to keeping you informed in a timely manner. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has announced that it will go on strike on Monday, November 21, 2022, if an agreement is not reached with the government by then. » pic.twitter.com/3SwFVXaAT4

— HWDSB (@HWDSB) November 16, 2022

The bill was repealed two days ago, although the education minister did not participate in the recorded vote. The latest is that the province and the union say the mediators will continue to negotiate until the strike deadline. There is reportedly common ground on wages, but CUPE says the province is reluctant to invest in education.

The salary increase amounts to approximately 3.95 percent per year. This rate is still lower than the current inflation rate of 6.9%, but it is higher than the government’s initial offers and appears to be indexed to hourly wages, which CUPE had cited as essential since many members are hourly employees rather than salaried employees.

School children in Ontario have missed more days of in-person learning than their counterparts in all other Canadian and US jurisdictions since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 20.

Last year, researchers from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and four southern Ontario universities wrote a report that predicted the amount of educational loss caused by the pandemic would cause long-term economic damage. The report, COVID-19 and Education Disruptions in Ontario: Emerging Evidenceidentified “a need for funding explicit education recovery strategies in addition to regular school budgets”.

The authors added: “Strategies can include active measures to ensure appropriate universal responses (whole curriculum adaptations, teaching and student support) and intensive accelerated learning programs targeted for the most disadvantaged groups.
by the effects of COVID-19 on health and education.

This June 2021 report was prepared for the Ontario Science Advisory Table. In 2020-2021, this voluntary group of hundreds of doctors, scientists and administrators who often opposed the pandemic strategies taken by the Prime Minister, who has no medical training or degree in health sciences.

In April, the Scientific Advisory Table moved to Public Health Ontario from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Over the summer it was disbanded.

— with files from Ryan Rumbolt and The Canadian Press

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According to a Swedish study, attractive female students saw their grades drop when classes went online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study, which was published in August in the journal Economic Letters, looked at how grades changed for attractive male and female students in a Swedish engineering program when classes were remote and when they were in person.

Attractiveness was determined by how well an independent sample of 74 people rated a student’s face.

Business and economics courses saw a positive correlation between attractiveness and academic achievement when taught in person, as students and teachers interacted more with projects, presentations, and reports.

Math and physics courses that were graded more by tests and quizzes did not see this correlation, the study found.

When these business and economics courses went online, female students saw their grades plummet, while male students still got high marks.

“The main takeaway is that there is a beauty premium for both men and women when the teaching is onsite,” Adrian Mehic, a graduate student at Sweden’s Lund University, said on Wednesday. and author of the study, to the psychological news site PsyPost. .

“But for women, this effect disappeared when education was delivered online,” Mr. Mehic continued. “This, to me at least, suggests that the handsomeness premium for men is due to a productive attribute (e.g., their higher self-confidence) rather than discrimination, whereas it is due to discrimination for women.”

Mr Mehic suggested that attractive men have other positive attributes, such as being more persistent and having a greater influence on their peers, which could explain their consistently high ratings.

He also said attractive people generally benefit from positive assumptions, such as other people thinking they’re smart, which can also influence their ratings.

For more information, visit the Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.

Laramie County Community College, in an effort to ensure it offers exceptional online courses, has joined Quality Matters (QM), an international leader in quality assurance in digital teaching and learning environments online and innovative.

QM is a non-profit organization developed in 2015 that provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning, identifying evidence-based practices on what online learning should look like. As a member of the QM, the LCCC has adopted a rubric with 42 rigorous quality standards that help professors design courses so that students’ cognitive load can be focused on the content they are learning. A peer review system will allow professors to continually make improvements to online offerings. QM membership will also allow LCCC to provide faculty with tools, such as continuing education, to refine courses to meet current research-based teaching standards.

“LCCC faculty are committed to providing not only adequate online courses, but also quality online courses that allow students to easily navigate and find information,” said Sue Torney, Program Director of speech-language assistant and co-chair of the online working group. “We needed a rubric to rate our courses so that we could consistently deliver high-quality online course offerings to our students. We want to be a college with a reputation for outstanding online course options for students. »

In fall 2021, LCCC created the Online Task Force, made up of 15 faculty members who teach online or blended courses, to examine how the college can improve online learning. The working group worked to design a common lesson plan based on quality management standards that will address areas previously identified by LCCC students and the Higher Education Commission. Membership in QM will move the LCCC towards the goals identified in its 2030 Strategic Plan, helping to provide more comprehensive opportunities to serve the region, enabling the college to engage more people and increase the inclusion of people from all walks of life and circumstances.

“QM is about continuous improvement and provides tools and direction to move that continuous improvement forward,” said Zac Roehrs, LCCC biology instructor and co-chair of the online working group.

After launching in the spring of 2022, the benefits of LCCC QM membership are already visible, but it will take longer to implement and adopt the changes on campus, Roehrs said.

“I think a good portion of online courses will already start to see improvements next year,” he said. “I believe real success will be achieved when these practices are more widely adopted by all faculty (where applicable) and we have developed a process for support and peer review on our campus.”

The LCCC offers a wide range of online courses and degrees. Visit www.lccc.wy.edu/academics/online/ for more information on LCCC’s online and blended learning options.

Post-secondary student mental health is in crisis: Research shows student mental health has been impacted by the pandemic, and this follows pre-existing concerns that campuses were struggling to meet demands for post-secondary education services. Mental Health.

Over the past two and a half years, many people, including educators, academics, education administrators, politicians and political commentators argued that online learning is detrimental to student or family mental health or well-being.

Partly or largely based on this perceived relationship, many have urged universities and schools to return to in-person teaching and learning.

What if this relationship doesn’t really hold up?

We collected and analyzed all the empirical literature we could find on mental health and online/distance learning. We found that the results of this literature are mixed, and any claims about a relationship between online learning and mental health are belied by the quality of research and pandemic bereavement.

Mixed conclusions, pandemic grief

The three of us have studied and practiced online learning for more than two decades, held leadership positions in the field, and closely followed the expansion of remote learning during the pandemic since day one.

We knew there wasn’t much research on online learning and mental health before COVID-19, but we also knew that an avalanche of research on distance education has emerged since then.

We wondered if there was something in the research that we were missing, perhaps something new that was inconsistent with our previous experiences and understanding.

Our review of studies found that the assumption that remote/online learning is detrimental to student mental health and wellbeing is unfounded, as the evidence on which to judge this claim are both mixed and problematic.

Why is the evidence problematic?

We identified the following challenges with the research we reviewed:

• The vast majority of research on this topic was conducted during the pandemic, but failed to control the pandemic. This is important because mental health is inextricably linked to the pandemic.

• Most studies have judged the effectiveness of online/distance learning by asking people if they were satisfied with their education. Satisfaction is a poor indicator of effectiveness.

• Some studies have found relationships between mental health and remote learning, but have claimed that remote learning causes lower mental health without using the kinds of statistical methods needed to establish causal relationships. Others found no correlation, yet continued to assert causal relationships.

We identified these issues in 75% of the studies we reviewed.

Nature of learning rarely described

Equally significantly, the nature of the distance or online learning studied was rarely described. This is important because e-learning is not a monolithic approach. Its approach and quality can vary widely: it can be students passively watching hour-long pre-recorded lectures, or people working together in real time in workshop-style groups, or anything in between. .

A wide variety of teaching methods are possible in the online settings. In other words, without controlling for instructional strategy, we cannot be certain of the type of online learning that was studied.

Among the small subset of studies that did not have serious methodological issues, the results on mental health impacts were mixed and there is not enough data to draw firm conclusions.

Some of these studies have focused only on specific populations, such as learners with ADHD or severe anxiety or learners in a specific program (such as nursing or agricultural studies) at a specific institution, and also discussed pre-pandemic mental health issues.

At best, what we can say about e-learning and mental health in this context is this:

Online learning that does not facilitate meaningful interactions and does not include mental health supports – especially emergency remote learning that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic which required measures quarantine and physical distancing – can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and isolation.

How should policy makers proceed?

How can universities and colleges address student mental health and wellbeing concerns when a return to in-person learning won’t solve the mental health crisis?

There is helpful guidance in published research that can help institutions develop responses to student mental health.

For example, a study by two researchers from the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work, and Criminal Justice at Seton Hall University identified the following as root causes of mental health issues among affected undergraduates. by COVID-19:

• Loss and grief: loss of loved ones, loss of health, worry about economic impacts and loss of income, managing own illness and symptoms;

• Psychological impacts of how the pandemic has been handled by federal, state, local and institutional leaders;

• Changes in personal routines, especially exercise, sleeping and eating habits;

• Quarantine and physical distancing, which created feelings of isolation and loneliness.

In another study, researchers highlighted how post-secondary institutions could offer personalized wellness classes, advertised by course instructors, that included a physical activity component.

Importantly, the purposeful design of online courses can also help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Simple answers to obscure challenges

Perhaps the most important lesson here is that focusing on the learning modality (in this case, online/distance learning) obscures the loss, grief, and challenges students face.

It costs us opportunities to identify solutions and supports that can be designed in online, in-person or blended forms of learning.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

In today’s world, it’s a cliché to say that technology is moving faster than ever. The version of the statement has since changed to “the pace of change is breathtaking”. This is all the more the case in the world of inventions of virtual interactions which first became widespread during the scourge of Covid-19.

The newest baby on the block to take the industry by storm is an innovation called hologram. A strange sound to hit your ears, isn’t it? So what exactly does this big word refer to?

Walid Kilonzi, extended reality producer at creative studio Fallohide, explains that a hologram is simply a three-dimensional image created by a laser or other coherent light source, with the beams interfering with each other.

“To create a hologram, four essential elements are needed: the recorded object, a laser beam or other light source, a recording medium that makes the image clear, and a space where the light rays will collide,” explains Kilonzi.

Fully immersive experience

The arrival of holograms offers a complete departure from traditionally known forms of immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality in the sense that existing models merge the virtual and “real” worlds by generating an experience while holograms simply represent 3D digital assets using light.

In e-learning, where they are most widely applied, holograms work by projecting the live image of the tutor onto a screen in front of the class. Business schools around the world are increasingly deploying technology trials in an effort to improve the experience of students studying online.

“The lecturer, who must present from one of the university’s many studios located around the world, has a live audio feed and a screen that shows their class. This allows them to watch and listen to students and interact with them,” reads a report published by the FinancialTimes (FT).

In the United States, students reportedly rated the holographic instructor experience 70% as having a physical lecturer. In their submission, FT reports, the students express satisfaction that the remote-controlled robotics gives them access to a respected specialist who might not be available in person and who would otherwise have been replaced by a local replacement.

Although relatively expensive, experts see the innovation as an intriguing method of presenting educational information remotely and an ideal approach for students to share costs in the context of classroom learning.

“It is undoubtedly a memorable method for interacting with unique classroom learning content, expensive or hard-to-access artifacts, or infrastructure. This kind of image can stay with you forever. You might remember seeing a 3D hologram of the human heart,” says Kilonzi.

In Kenya, the technology is not totally foreign, as holographic fans are already being used in major shopping malls and especially by tech stores in an effort to attract customers. Deployment in supermarkets and even entertainment venues is seen as inevitable as the technology becomes more widely available.

Barrier to absorption

The biggest barrier to adoption, however, is the financial implication of adopting holograms for use.

“A nice 17.7 inch holographic fan costs around $200 (Sh20,000) as a starting point. You should spend about the same amount of money for customs clearance at the airport. A junior designer who will provide the 3D elements should charge at least an additional $200,” Kilonzi notes.

Although mounting the fan is simple as all you need is a reliable power source, the constraint comes from the fact that the technology can only be used indoors.

Tech specialists say that since the hologram concept uses light, the next step for innovators will be to find ways to make it stronger so that it can be used outdoors without consuming too much energy. . This way, they claim, the world will enter a new era of communication where industry leaders can decipher live holograms.

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Despite an early learning curve and questions about the effectiveness of distance learning during COVID-19, students have become increasingly comfortable taking online courses and embracing new ed -tech, according to a new study from Western Governors University Labs’ College Innovation Network.

According to a press release, the study solicited input from 1,402 students from Central Ohio Technical College, Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio, Loyola University New Orleans, Northern Virginia Community College, from PennWest California (in Pennsylvania) and Piedmont Community College in North Carolina. . Among the most notable results, 88% of students said they were confident in their ability to adapt to new ed-tech tools and digital learning platforms used in courses, which represents a 5% increase compared to to 2021.

The study noted that 23% more students this year said ed-tech tools helped improve their learning, with the caveat that students “perceive online learning options to be less efficient and of lesser quality than in-person learning,” according to the report. Additionally, around 66% of students said they supported the expansion of online courses and fully online programs, with nearly 20% saying they “still feel negative” about fully remote courses/ on line.

WGU Labs Director of Learning Innovation Omid Fotuhi said the goal of the survey, which is part of their EdTech survey series, is to present a comprehensive view of student experiences. and faculty with remote learning to guide and inform institutional decision-making amid ongoing digitalization. throughout higher education. Based on the results of this survey, the center’s recommendations include increased investments in technical support for students and a reassessment of e-learning implementation to better track student outcomes.

“While there were mixed feelings about the role of technology and the level of trust that comes with the use of this technology which was still relatively low during the pandemic, we actually saw in 2022 that perceptions of access and use of technology improved, which was really a positive outcome,” Fotuhi said. Government technology. “It highlights a couple of things. The first is that as students gained experience using technology, they realized the benefits of having more flexible ways to access their learning.

“It shows that potentially, the introduction of new technologies is getting to a state where the number of technologies that students are expected to adapt and adopt may not exceed what they can digest and handle,” he said. said, adding that students also expressed some optimism about the future of learning.

According to the study, around 40% of college students said they learned primarily online in 2022. While most of these students said they felt more optimistic about remote learning than Previously, the study noted that students aged 25 and older “have more positive perceptions.” online learning” compared to students aged 18 to 24.

Fotuhi added that two- and four-year institutions primarily designed for distance or digital learning have generally fared better, compared to those that still primarily emphasize traditional in-person learning.

“It reveals that you need a little bit of runway for an institution to understand how to really serve students through technology,” he said, adding that many institutions have identified best practices for the online learning and teaching throughout the process of expanding their digital portfolios.

However, adapting to new online learning platforms has proven more difficult for some students than others, according to Fotuhi. The concern is similar among professors in higher education, who have had to adjust their approaches to pedagogy and teaching for digital courses.

“I would say that one of the ideas we’ve seen emerge is that we should think about introducing technology more intentionally, both keeping in mind how much [a student is] and the mental preparation of students, but also from a skills perspective,” he said. “Do students have the means they need to learn and adapt to these technologies?

Chad Knights, vice president of information technology and engineering and academic computing at Northern Virginia Community College, said in a public statement that institutions like his could use the report’s findings to highlight the strengths and address weaknesses to better facilitate online learning as digital and hybrid course models become a new normal in higher education.

“We have found that better understanding our students’ opinions and feelings, regarding technology and the digital environment of the college, has proven to be valuable as it is information that we can use to improve the user experience and guide future projects,” he said. “It also serves as the perfect complement to usage statistics, which alone can only tell half the story.”

North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS), operating under the governance of the NC State Board of Education, has been honored for its high-quality online learning by an international organization that focuses on quality assurance of digital teaching and learning offered by higher education and K-12 schools. The organization, Quality Matters, recognized the NCVPS with its Making a Difference for Students award for exemplifying the focus on learners. Recipients demonstrate a commitment to ensuring high course quality and to using different but helpful approaches to improve student outcomes.

NC Virtual began applying the Quality Matters standards in 2015 due to the organization’s international recognition, comprehensive general standards, and specific standards structure that focuses on criteria such as alignment, interaction of the learner and accessibility.

“Receiving an award highlighting how you make a difference with students is like an Oscar for an educator,” said NCVPS CEO Dr. Mia Murphy. “As one of the largest state-run virtual schools in the nation, NC Virtual embraces the responsibility we have to demonstrate excellence in online learning. We are invested in Quality Matters as external validation of course quality, and we are delighted to be honored by this nationally recognized organization.

NC Virtual provides students across North Carolina with access to online courses in many areas, including math, science, English language arts, social studies, arts, advanced placement, honors and the languages ​​of the world. Other courses include test prep, credit recovery, and the Professional Studies Program (OCS).

North Carolina Virtual Public School is an add-on service to North Carolina Public Schools. Students enroll through their local public school, grades are reported to their public school, and their school awards credits. The courses use learning management and collaboration software to maximize student interaction in each class. NC Virtual teachers use the latest technology to engage students and prepare them to be career and college ready.

The North Carolina Virtual Public School has served more than 710,000 middle and high school students since its launch in the summer of 2007.

Quality Matters noted that the NCVPS has demonstrated an exceptional dedication to the quality of digital learning, and that the organization’s remarkable commitment to improving learner outcomes includes the use of learning review tools. courses, professional development, and QM research-based standards to develop quality assurance processes. North Carolina Virtual Public School has proven to be a leader in K-12 quality assurance practices as it strives to achieve the lofty and impressive goal of achieving certification QM for 100% of its internally developed courses.

“We are committed to providing North Carolina students with expanded learning opportunities so they can grow and thrive in the environment that best matches their academic needs and goals,” said Superintendent Catherine Truitt. of state education. “This award demonstrates NCVPS’s drive to go the extra mile as they have consistently committed to providing students with rigorous, high-quality online learning opportunities.”

To date, NCVPS has certified 81 courses, or more than 72% of its core catalog of digital learning options.

“All students deserve a quality education,” said Jennifer Nobles, Curriculum Director for NCVPS. “At NCVPS, it starts with a quality course and highly qualified teachers. Over the years, we have refined our course development processes and standards to ensure they align with the Quality Matters K12 rubric. Receiving this award validates the work we have done to ensure that a quality course is available to all students.

The awards will be presented at the next QM Connect conference, the theme of which is “Expanding Possibilities”. The conference will be held in Tucson, Arizona, November 6-9, 2022.

About North Carolina Virtual Public School
NCVirtual is one of the largest state-run virtual schools in the nation, with more than 50,000 enrollments annually across all 115 school districts, most charter high schools, DOD schools, NC special schools, and private and home schools. Each NCVPS course is taught by a highly qualified North Carolina certified teacher who establishes regular and meaningful contact with students and parents.