PJDOL

Assessing the Readiness of Kenyan Universities for Online Education During COVID-19 Pandemic

Ouma Omito — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study was based on online university education during the COVID-19 period in Kenya. The purpose of the study was to establish the readiness of Kenyan universities for online education during COVID-19 period. Online survey method generated data from 11 universities through content analysis. The data were analyzed qualitatively and interpreted. The major findings showed that majority of the universities under study adjusted in different ways during the COVID-19 period by hiring more teaching staff to teach online, however, the capacity of these job applicants to competently teach online courses was not clearly verified before they were hired to teach at the university. The study also found that even though majority of the universities had a functional Learning Management System (LMS), its utilization was below par. The study concluded that many universities did not offer quality online education as required by the Commission of University Education (CUE) in Kenya but were using online education language for marketing and sustainability purposes. To reduce the digital gap in institutions of higher learning, the study recommended that all teaching staff at the university level must be computer literate.

Perception of Eswatini Teachers about Effectiveness of online course “Certificate in Online Teaching for Educators”

Karen Ferreira-Meyers — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study evaluated the impact of a 6-week fully online Certificate in Online Teaching for Educators (COTE) program on graduates' teaching practices. A survey was distributed to 350 COTE graduates, with 24 respondents completing the questionnaire. Results showed that most participants applied learnings from COTE to their teaching including designing online lessons, creating multimedia resources, facilitating virtual classes, using new educational technologies, implementing authentic assessments and providing meaningful feedback. Over 70% of respondents felt more confident facilitating online learning, better able to engage students virtually, and expanded their knowledge of online pedagogy after completing COTE. The findings suggest that despite its short duration, COTE positively influenced graduates' preparedness and skills in key areas of online instruction. However, the low response rate limits generalizability. Further research with larger samples is needed to corroborate the impact of COTE on online teaching practices.

Predictive Effect of Learners Psycho-Social Attributes on Academic Performance of Distance Learners of University of Lagos

Adegun Adedunni Omowunmi, Umar Talatu Ibrahim — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated the predictive effect of Emotional intelligence (EI), ICT competence, Financial Stability and Gender on academic performance of distance learners. Descriptive survey design was employed for this study. Purposive stratified sampling technique was used to select 350 participants among third year to sixth year learners. Three research instruments were used for data collection; Emotional Intelligence scale by Shuttle et. al (1998), Financial Stability Scale by CFPB (2016), ICT Competency Scale: Tzafilkou, Perifanou and Economides. Instrument reliability ranged from .68 to .86. Students’ GCPA was used to measure academic performance. Data collected was analysed using Pearson correlation and regression analysis. The result revealed a significant relationship among the independent variables and the dependent variable, it further showed that emotional intelligence is a potent contributor to academic performance prediction while gender was the least predictor. The study recommended that the learner support unit should be well equipped with counselors who are saddled solely with the responsibility of training learners and other stakes holders on emotional intelligence since emotional intelligence is a life skill which is teachable.

Effect of Smart Classroom’s Online Quiz on Academic Achievement: An Empirical Evidence from the High School of Pakistan

Sher Muhammad Awan, Rashid Hussain, Khalid Saleem — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The objective of this study was to find effect of Jazz Smart Classroom’s online quiz on academic achievement of students at secondary school level. Experimental design was used in which two groups were selected one was control and other was experimental group. Experimental group was given a treatment of six weeks by using Jazz Smart Classroom’s Online Quiz. A sample of 30 students of class 10 was selected. Convenience sampling technique was used. Instrument used for collection of data was pre-test and post-test. Twenty lessons were delivered by using Jazz Smart Classroom’s Online Quiz. Same pre-test and post-test used. The test was validated by the experts from University of Okara. The reliability of test was determined by reliability analysis with SPSS. The t-test was used for the comparison of data of control and experimental group. The results of experiment showed that the mean scores of students in post-test which were taught by using Jazz Smart Classroom’s Online Quiz scored significantly higher than those taught by using traditional method. Some recommendations were made for teachers and students to use online quiz for better teaching and learning. Government should take an initiative to use Jazz Smart Classroom’s Online Quiz in high schools.

Shifting to Online Mode: Analyzing Parents’ Perceptions of Social Distancing and its Effects on Academic and Social Learning of Primary School Students

Saqib Ali, Muhammad Uzair ul Hassan, Iram Parveen — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigated the effect of social distancing on academic and social learning of primary school students during pandemic in Pakistan. For this research study, a mixed-methods convergent parallel research design was employed. Through a questionnaire, quantitative responses were collected from 120 parents whereas for qualitative responses, face-to-face interviews were conducted with twenty parents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyze the quantitative data, whereas thematic analysis was used for analyzing qualitative data. According to the study results, parents perceived that social distancing affected the academic and social learning of their children during the pandemic in the shifted phase from offline to online mode, although there were variations with respect to the demographics selected for this study. Based on the parents’ interviews, the majority agreed that social distancing had a negative effect on children’s academic and social learning, in addition to tempering their communication skills and disrupting the psychological health, which consequently generated a learning gap. It is recommended that the concerned authorities may take such initiatives to address and mend the learning loss of children relevant to their academic and social skills in the post-pandemic era.