Students’ Readiness for Online Learning in Post-COVID Higher Education

Online learning has been helping students to access education in difficult situation, especially during the pandemic. Online learning readiness could be described through three dimensions: preference, beliefs and competence, and self-directed learning. The aim of the current study was to investigate the online learning readiness of junior-high-school students using the Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS). Specifically, the study examined whether there was a difference in terms of online learning readiness between eighth-grader female and male students. A sample of 116 8th graders (52 females and 64 males) from a private madrasah school in North Jakarta were used as participants in the study. The results show that most of the students were moderately ready for online learning. Based on a simple independent samples t-test, the results did not establish a statistically significant difference in online learning readiness between male students and female students. The results of the analysis showed that online learning readiness seemed to be more significantly affected by self-directed learning and computer self-efficacy, which had higher mean scores. We recommend, therefore, that online learning readiness may work well by paying attention to the intrinsic motivation of learners and access to the internet, as well as online learning tools.

Online learning in higher education is a necessity. This is in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education. Nahdlatul Ulama University Surabaya is one of the private universities in Surabaya. Since a few years ago, online learning has been implemented by UNUSA. The type of learning applied is blended / hybrid learning. However, Pandemic Covid-19 forced UNUSA to implement online learning fully. The application of online learning in educational institutions often presents challenges. Successful change requires an understanding of the current conditions. This study aims to identifying the current condition of online learning implementation in UNUSA based on Prosci ADKAR Model. This study is conducted into three steps, namely mapping the stakeholder, identifying the list of change , and identyfing the current state of the university. The current conditions are mapped to activities that must be carried out for each ADKAR element.

This study aims to examine the effects of different online learning formats on academic achievement and perceived learning. Another aim of the study is to examine the effects of online learning formats, online learning readiness and self-directed learning with technology on achievement and perceived learning. In the study, a quasi-experimental design was used. Two groups were involved in the study. While hybrid (synchronous and asynchronous) online applications were applied in the first experimental group, asynchronous online applications were applied in the second experimental group. The participants of this study are 73 students who are enrolled in the “Open and Distance Learning” course, which is one of the common elective courses of the faculty of education. To analyze the data, independent sample t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis were used. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that there was a significant difference in achievement according to the online learning format used and that the achievement scores of the students were higher in the asynchronous online learning format. When the perceived learning of the students was analyzed according to the online learning format used in the study, it was concluded that there was no significant difference. As a result of the hierarchical regression analysis, it was seen that the online learning format used in the study (hybrid or asynchronous) was a predictor of academic achievement. Finally, it was concluded that the online learning method and self-directed learning with technology variables did not significantly predict perceived learning, but online learning readiness was a significant predictor of perceived learning.

The COVID‐19 pandemic has forced higher education institutions to implement online learning activities based on virtual platforms, allowing little time to prepare and train faculty members to familiarize students with digital technologies. While previous studies have looked at how students engaged with digital technologies in their learning activities, the characteristics of the student engagement in online learning remain underexplored. Therefore, a systematic review of the literature on student engagement in online learning in higher education is much needed. This article synthesizes the findings on student engagement in Latin American higher education institutions during the COVID‐19 pandemic. After reviewing the studies on online learning activities, this review examines student engagement from behavioural, cognitive and affective dimensions and identifies the main characteristics of student engagement from these tripartite dimensions. The implications of the findings for online learning in Latin American higher education are as follows: (a) to transform higher education, (b) to provide adequate professional training, (c) to improve Internet connectivity, (d) to ensure quality online learning in higher education and (e) to provide emotional support. These findings will provide valuable guidance for teachers, educational authorities and policy makers and help them make informed decisions to use effective strategies to support online learning in higher education institutions. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic The COVID‐19 pandemic has disrupted the normal operation of higher education institutions across Latin America, impelling a shift from face‐to‐face instruction to online teaching and learning.Research on online learning in Latin American higher education has been conducted, but the findings and their implications are yet to be widely disseminated among researchers, practitioners and decision‐makers. What this paper adds Providing a systematic review of research on student engagement in online learning in Latin American higher education institutions.Analyzing the construct of student engagement in online learning from tripartite dimensions—behavioral, cognitive and affective—in the Latin American higher education context.Identifying the characteristics associated to each dimension of student engagement in online learning. Implications for practice and/or policy The need to transform the higher education system in Latin America and beyond, at two levels: to improve Internet connectivity at the technological level and to ensure the quality of online education at the pedagogical level.The urgency to offer an adequate professional training regarding the use of new technologies in online learning environments.The significance for higher education institutions to provide emotional support for students during the COVID‐10 pandemic.

This study delves into the users’ state of mind with regard to the use of online platforms for educational purposes, specifically in the context of higher education. The purpose of this study, which employs a survey method, is to investigate how students perceive online teaching and learning in higher education and contribute to the growing collaboration between higher education researchers studying 21st-century learning concepts and Indonesian universities, which are increasingly implementing online teaching and learning. This study analyses various significant problems, including the process of online teaching and learning at universities, the difficulties of its implementation, and the users’ perceptions and attitudes towards the implementation of online teaching and learning. Overall, it is found that both students and lecturers prefer offline, face-to-face interaction in class rather than the online system. It is possible to state that both the lecturers and the students who have been attached to the conventional method of instruction and learning process are not prepared for the shift from offline to online learning. Even though online learning has been implemented, there is still a lack of consensus on the best practices for an effective online classroom. In addition to this, the fact that the institution does impose any fixed regulation also plays an important role in this. Keywords: State of Mind, Online Teaching and Learning, Higher Education

Virtual environments allow teachers to approach the teaching process inclusively and creatively, to facilitate the effective transfer of learning and to support student learning with new technologies regardless of various barriers. The hereby study evaluates the students’ views concerning the virtual delivery of courses during their learning process taking into consideration their former face-to-face teaching-learning experience. It was based on the theoretical part which included typical aspects of online teaching and learning are presented and the most recent studies in this area are reviewed. Following previous research, we aim to develop an innovative model of successful online teaching and learning in higher education. A questionnaire-based research methodology was designed for 355 students at a university in the North-Eastern region of Romania. The questionnaire with closed-ended items was used for assessing students’ attitudes on the online teaching activity. The results indicate students’ preference for online courses, as well as a number of significant differences, depending on the study specialisation or form of education. Any future changes to online teaching and learning in universities should also take into account students’ and teachers’ views on this particular issue. Such an approach should allow us to see whether and how effective the use of virtual teaching environments can be for both students and teachers in higher education (HE).

Online learning in higher education has rapidly grown in recent years and has become the norm. However, pedagogical aspects on online learning environments are still developing. This chapter focuses on one foundational aspect of online and blended learning known as presence. First, the concept of presence in online learning is described i.e. teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence. Secondly, strategies for ensuring presence are discussed from different angles: course design, course instructors and course facilitators, and course participants. Thirdly, the implications for future research are outlined. This chapter enhances the research on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework a useful guide to the design of learning experiences that support learners' critical reflection and engagement within collaborative online learning environments.

Recent pandemic has fueled the growth of online learning like never before among the students of all levels. It has opened up tremendous opportunity to evaluate teaching practices through empirical investigation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the learners’ readiness and their satisfaction towards online education. Online learning readiness is defined as skills needed by students to learn. It emphasises on self-learning management and understanding experiences of selflearning (Smith, 2005). Literature suggests that there are studies that explored the relationship between online learning readiness, academic motivation, perceived learning, cooperative working, achievement and continuation of education (Davis, 2006; Horzum, M. B., Kaymak, Z. D., & Gungoren, O. C.,2015). However, scholars paid less attention to the relationship between online learning readiness and student satisfaction among undergraduate engineering students. Research by Gunawardena and Duphorne (2000) has identified a direct connection between learning readiness and satisfaction of learning experiences. However, their study was on the adult who had undergone distance study through computer conferencing model. The present study considers a blended online learning model. Data were collected from 155 students who are studying an undergraduate course in Indian universities. The proposed causal relationship was examined with SmartPLS 3, as it is more suitable for the moderate sample size. The research showed a positive relationship between students’ online learning readiness and satisfaction. The findings demonstrated a significant relationship between the increasing levels of online learning readiness and student satisfaction. Administrators who are at the helm of responsibility of educational institutions should provide all the required facilities for the teachers to embrace online teaching.

It has been three years since the outbreak of the Covid-19, and until the epidemic is completely over, online learning will continue, based on a full understanding of the advantages of online classes, and how to readiness for online learning in order to better meet the learning needs of students and thus further improve the efficiency of online classes. In this context, it is of great importance to conduct an in-depth analysis of students' readiness for online learning. Using structured interviews, 10 students from an applied undergraduate school across the region were interviewed to explore the factors that influence students' readiness for online learning: 1) The differences in online learning readiness among students of different genders are greater. 2) The availability of technology and hardware facilities is the main factor in the readiness required for online learning. 3) Emergencies affect online learning readiness to some extent. 4) The impact of vision and students' perceptions are external factors that affect readiness for learning, and learning confidence and motivation are internal factors that affect readiness for learning. Accordingly, the following suggestions are made for the online learning readiness of university students: using gender differences to improve online learning readiness, improving the proficiency of teachers and students in using equipment (technology), improving the ability to deal with online learning emergencies, and clarifying learning motivation and correcting learning attitudes.

Advanced technologies have made significant changes in our daily life, and these changes also affect the use of technologies in the delivery of Higher Education. Currently, most Australian universities engage some degree of technology in the delivery of their face-to-face curricula, while the implementation of online learning in Higher Education is still new. The literature indicates that online learning provides flexible/convenient learning opportunities for students who cannot attend on-campus courses, to expand or change their career paths, and this is one of the benefits of using online learning in Higher Education. Nevertheless, the implementation rate of online learning in design education is low, and this is likely to be linked to the design academics' fear of using online learning in delivering practice-based curriculum. This paper investigates the perceptions toward online learning, specifically Australian academics, in the fields of communication/graphic design.

The Covid-19 (acronym for the coronavirus disease of 2019) pandemic has signalled significance for online teaching and learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) both locally and internationally. This article reports on an empirically approved study that aimed to assess students’ digital readiness for online learning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. The article presents the main areas examined to assess intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing students’ online readiness with respect to their technical requirements; engagement with learning tools and resources; digital readiness; and satisfaction with the Moodle (acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) online learning tool. Understanding students’ online learning readiness was deemed necessary for assisting UKZN in understanding such interventions and making improvements. The study drew on 400 students’ responses to a descriptive research design questionnaire to collect data from convenience-based purposive sampling. The constructs under study were measured for reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. The results indicated that most of the students used laptops to access learning resources, followed by smartphones. Technically, the students did not express difficulties with reliable electricity supply access and university data packages, but the noted deficiencies of network coverage, internet connectivity and provision of specialised software. While the students seemed ready to engage learning tools, nevertheless improvements could be made in participating in discussion forums and working in groups. Moodle received strong support, particularly for its continuous availability and flexibility. Interestingly, the study showed that the students were digitally ready for online learning, barring some improvement areas for readiness, although wider perspectives in tracking online learning are envisaged.

The Covid-19 pandemic turned both private and public life upside down. Teaching and learning at higher education institutions worldwide had to move online on very short notice. This means that all the educational process must be converted into a digital format for the transmission of a large array of information through electronic exchange. Online learning has been an important research topic over the past three decades, but online study programs at the universities are still limited. This article tells about the experience of foreign countries in the successful implementation of information and digital technologies in the educational process of universities. Information technologies in training are used in South Korea (Smart education), Switzerland (Wikis), Norway (Mixed learning model and co-education), Serbia (Video on demand), China (Stem - education, Moodle, Block chain). We continue with some initial thoughts on online teaching and learning in higher education in general, and emergency online teaching and learning more specifically. All of these technologies have advantages within a single state. After an overview of the international research compiled in this Special Issue, we derive a number of general insights on online teaching and learning in higher education, emphasizing, for instance, scaffolding of regulation processes or communication platforms as potential artifacts of an online teaching and learning.KeywordsInternet technologiesE-learningDigitalizationInformation technologiesHigher education

We explored the relationships among university student’s gender, online learning engagement, attitudes toward online learning, readiness, and academic achievement in a public university. While previous research highlights the importance of these factors in online learning, their combined effects remain underexplored, particularly in the Nigerian context. We employed a quantitative research design, collecting data from 353 students through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression were used for data analysis. Our results reveal that students exhibit high engagement, readiness, and positive attitudes toward online learning. However, none of these factors significantly predicted academic achievement, suggesting that success in online learning may depend on other elements, such as instructional quality and technological infrastructure. Gender also showed no significant impact on performance. We emphasize the need for a holistic approach to online education, focusing on systemic improvements in teaching practices, course design, and support systems to enhance student success.

Educational hub refers to centres of excellence in higher education and research whose aims are to provide high-quality education for both national and international students to enhance the competitiveness of the country. These educational hubs provide an opportunity for knowledge exchanges and innovation in local regions through education and training. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid shifts were made towards online learning in education around the world. Although the lockdown is over, remote learning will likely play an increasingly prominent role in education. The adoption of scaled remote learning during the pandemic provided evidence of the importance of online learning. They offer an insight into global society, helping prepare students for an increasingly interconnected world by facilitating links between different regions. Educational hubs can be tied to distance learning and are successful in attracting international students when offering a combination of distance learning methods and innovative programs. This paper examines the phenomenon of educational hubs in higher education for international education through online learning with digital technology. New opportunities for online and distance learning within the definition of educational hubs are analyzed, and three online and blended learning models that reflect the development of educational hubs based on COVID-19 conditions of education are offered. In addition, the successful cases and experiences of distance learning hubs in China and Iran in recent years are described.

Digital technology have changed the way university students approach learning because it has become a necessity and an integral part of their lives. University students are accustomed to using their digital devices for almost anything such as communication, collaboration, accessing information for solutions, etc. While digital technologies bring about incredible transformation in the education sector, they also present their own challenges such as media multitasking, digital distraction and mind wandering. Current studies shows that students have difficulties with online learning because they lack in self-regulated skills. Self-regulated learning strategies help students regulate their learning in the aspect of personal functioning and academic behavioral performance. A lack in self-regulation weakens student engagement, leads to low performance and increases dropout rates. Research also shows that students are not taught how to self-regulate. Hence, there is a need provide university students with necessary self-regulated learning strategies (SRLS) to engage and effectively navigate their learning process in an online learning environment. Little is known about the use of SRLS that are essential to assist university students’ online learning. This paper presents a formulation of self-regulated learning strategies framework that can be used for online learning in higher education. This framework can be a guideline for educators and students to master their learning process independently in an online learning environment