In today’s social landscape, mobile phones are essential tools for student communication, facilitating meet-ups and real-time sharing but complicating interactions by dividing attention between the physical and digital worlds. The dual role of phones as both enhancers and disruptors of social engagement highlights the increasing issue of problematic phone use, which can lead to social isolation and impaired communication. Despite the prevalence of phone use, there is a significant knowledge gap in understanding students’ specific perceptions and experiences, which this study aims to address comprehensively. The study employed a phenomenological approach and purposive sampling to explore the experiences of ten students with phone use in social interactions. Data were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews using a validated researcher-made instrument and analyzed using narrative analysis to identify recurring themes and patterns. The study found that college students have mixed perceptions of mobile phone use, seeing it as essential for communication, academic assistance, entertainment and potential detriment to real-life interactions. Experiences with phone use highlighted issues like social isolation, lack of quality time, and feelings of disrespect and rejection. To manage its impact, students employed coping strategies such as proper communication, confrontation, ignoring, and minimizing phone use.

The social media landscape is constantly evolving; new platforms emerge, and existing platforms change their functionality. While a robust body of literature exists on the influences of social media on students’ academic outcomes, most studies have failed to differentiate between specific social media platforms. Further, most research in this field focuses on how one variable (e.g., time spent on social media per day) relates to students’ GPA, giving an incomplete picture of how social media relate to student outcomes. The current study aimed to (a) investigate the intricate relationship between social media usage, time spent on schoolwork, and academic performance in college students; (b) confirm the rise of TikTok use among college students; and (c) understand college students’ perceptions of how their major social media platform influences their academic performance. Data were collected from a sample of undergraduate students in the USA (n=306). While the time spent on social media was negatively correlated with GPA (r=-.16, p<.001); time spent on schoolwork had no effect on GPA (r=.03, p=.580). Further, the time allocated to social media usage positively correlated with the time devoted to schoolwork (r=.14, p=.020), suggesting the pervasiveness of social media multitasking among college students. TikTok was the most commonly used social media platform, particularly by women. However, while TikTok-favoring students were more likely to think their GPA would be higher were they off social media, their GPA was not significantly different from other users who favored Snapchat and Instagram as their primary social media platforms, implying a discrepancy between student perception and reality. This may be because the TikTok videos are very short, thus one may watch a high number of them in a row and assume they have spent a long time on the app, which may have not been the case.

The article aims to reveal the role of education as a key component in the growth of nations, and it is essential for the construction of a more promising future for the nation’s youth, both as future professionals and as citizens, so that they may demonstrate their capacity to acquire the skills necessary for successful jobs. Technology development has led to the creation of many multimedia tools, which have enhanced the educational system. To boost one’s capacity for memory or understanding, one may use multimedia by combining more than one material with technology. Students, instructors, and educators need to have a solid understanding of how to use multimedia technologies that provide considerable educational advantages. This article presents an overview of numerous various kinds of multimedia tools that are used in learning and teaching. These technologies are beneficial in increasing educational quality as well as student performance in academics. Because the current generation in the coming decades is already acquainted with gadgets and other technical equipment, the educational system needs to make the most of this potential by adding multimedia tools into classroom settings.

Blended learning in the new normal is a mix of distance learning modalities that aims to promote better instruction delivery since face-to-face modality is not yet permitted due to the continuous spread of mutated COVID-19. Online distance learning combines modular or TV and radio-based instruction in the Philippines. However, one-hour per subject for the synchronous session is not enough to cover the one-week lessons and develop the target competencies in mathematics. Students struggled to understand the mathematics lesson discussed by the teacher during synchronous. They need many explanations and illustrative examples to understand the underlying concepts, principles, and procedures for solving mathematical problems. Hence, video lessons are the best solution to help students cope with challenges. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of YouTube video playlists as mathematics supplementary learning materials for blended learning. The participants are grade 7 students in public school under the third grading period. The instruments are test materials, a survey questionnaire, and an interview guide validated by three experts in mathematics education. Findings showed that the YouTube video playlist helped the students to understand and develop students’ mathematics competencies. Watching the said intervention boosted the students’ confidence in answering the learning activities and performing tasks. However, they suggested uploading more videos with closed captions, illustrative examples, and explanations. Hence, similar studies must be conducted to verify the findings in different schools since the study was limited to one school.

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic forced many academic institutions to shift from face-to-face classroom to online classes. This study investigates the adoption and perception of online learning under the COVID-19 outbreak among undergraduates of library and information science (LIS). Using descriptive survey approach, total enumeration technique was used to enlist all undergraduates (457 students) of LIS as participants. A structured questionnaire tagged “perception of adoption of online learning among LIS students” was administered to participants using online Telegram polls within a period of two weeks in February 2021. The findings revealed that 98.5% of respondents used their mobile phones for online classes, the most used learning platforms being telegram (79.05%) and zoom (33.0%). Those that rated their learning achievement ‘good’ comprised 75.5%, and 72.9% were satisfied to varying degrees with online classes, but just 19.0% of respondents expressed preference for only online lectures, while majority (44.4%) preferred hybrid mix of traditional classroom and online learning. The students considered learning from any location any time and time management as the major advantages of online learning, while inadequate infrastructure/lack of suitable devices, unstable internet connection and extra financial burden for internet data were the major identified disadvantages. The paper concludes by recommending key steps to be taken by university authorities, governments and other relevant stakeholders to make online teaching more familiar and acceptable to the students.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of flipped classroom on students’ autonomous learning perceptions and students’ attitudes towards learning English grammar. In this study, an embedded design, one of the mixed research methods, was employed to determine the effect of the flipped classroom on the English learning process. The study group consisted of 24 preparatory students. Quantitative data of the study was obtained through autonomous learning perception scale and attitude scale towards learning English grammar. Qualitative data was collected by an open-ended questionnaire developed by the researcher in order to describe the students’ views on the learning process of the flipped classroom. The quantitative results of the study showed a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-test scores of the experimental group. In addition, quantitative results showed that the opinions of the students mostly focus on the effect of the flipped classroom on efficiency in learning, time management and motivation.

It is an undisputed fact that the existence of COVID-19 disease has posed many challenges to the different sectors of the Nigeria economy and the educational sector seems to be the most adversely affected. This is because of the total lockdown of schools for several months as part of the measures put in place by the federal government to curtail the spread of the disease. As a result, teaching and learning activities were shut down because of various technological development challenges. This paper focuses on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 disease to the education sector and the need to sustain the growth of science, technical and vocational education (STVE) in Nigeria in spite of the pandemic. Using the narrative literature review methodology, impact of the pandemic on teaching and learning STVE were discussed as well as different innovative and technology-driven approaches that could be integrated when similar crises occur in the future such as online teaching and learning, social media platforms, electronic learning, learning management systems, printed courseware, flipped classroom model, educational broadcasting, and synchronous communication tools were also explored in the paper. The recommendation elaborates on the need for stakeholders to be adequately prepared in terms of necessary trainings and provision of amenities that support continuous learning whenever civic and health crises necessitate emergency closure of schools in the country.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, universities in Ghana instituted drastic interventions to support large-scale online teaching and learning. This study, therefore, examines student's participation, level of satisfaction, and related challenges in teaching and learning delivery during the Coronavirus pandemic. The study also selects significant predictors of student's e-learning perceptions. Data was collected via an online structured survey based on students from the Kumasi Technical University. In all 2000 complete responses were received and formed the basis for our analysis. The study results reveal that 197 (9.85% of the sample) were unable to fully participate due to challenges such as lack of access devices, unreliable internet connectivity, and inability to afford the cost of internet data. It is again clear from the results that about 90.1% of students are not satisfied with e-learning and its associated challenges. From the positive perception model, students held the view that e-learning technology in the COVID-19 era is positive regardless of the challenges. On the other hand, level 300 students, and Moodle VClass platform users express a high negative perception over the use of e-learning technology. It is clear from this study that further investments and contingency plans are needed to develop a resilient education system that supports electronic and distance learning and shapes the perception and acceptance of students. University managers and the Education Ministry should formulate post-COVID-19 strategies to promote e-learning in a developing country like Ghana.

The traditional lecture-based method has been used in universities, colleges, and schools to assimilate the knowledge. A modern method of teaching is needed to overcome the limitations and challenges of the traditional lecture-based method, to improve students’ satisfaction and to increase learning outcomes. Among the modern methods of teaching, a flipped classroom (FC) model has recently been implemented as an alternative method of teaching. To explore students’ satisfaction in a flipped classroom model, a quantitative approach with a questionnaire as an instrument was used for data collection from an accessible sample size of 110 students. The results from a Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) indicated that perceived value has positively influenced students’ satisfaction. However, the results further revealed that instructor-generated video content, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use were found to have no positive influence on students’ satisfaction. The study makes some recommendations that aid in the design and implementation of the FC model. It also offers additional information for those who wish to adopt the FC model in their institutions.

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic (SARS-COV-2) in December 2019 disrupted traditional forms of teaching and learning centred on face-to-face and in-class instruction. Governments enforced social distancing measures characterised by stay-at-home strategies and the closure of schools and other learning facilities. The government of Zimbabwe adopted radio broadcast as the primary tool for lesson delivery during the COVID-19. Contextually, Zimbabwe’s radio signals are only accessed by 29.1 percent of the entire population, with weak to no reception in some regions, especially those in the south. While radio access is low, mobile phone ownership per household is over 90 percent. In light of the contextual dynamics, the study examined available technologies to deliver educational content during the COVID-19 lockdown as the government declared radio broadcasts as the primary tool to support teaching and learning. The study utilised an adapted Technology Acceptance Model as the theoretical framework. Secondary school teachers from the southern region were drawn through random sampling to participate in the survey to gather their opinions and practices. The study results revealed that teachers preferred to use smartphones and computers/laptops for teaching rather than radio. The study identified barriers such as lack of infrastructure, cost of data, lack of connectivity, lack of access to computing devices, and the institution’s culture. The results could influence policymakers in adopting digital media for teaching, and this will equip learners with 21st-century skills. Continuous professional development of teachers should aim to improve their digital skills.