Effectiveness of Virtual Teaching Tool on Quality of Life and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Adolescents Affected by Flood at Uttarakhand: A Pilot Study

Background: Floods comes with devastating effects on individual and family worldwide. Flash floods are very common in India. Indian citizens have experienced a variety of floods at Uttarakhand, Kerala, Chennai, and Assam etc. The aftermath of floods can be seen on quality of life (QOL) and mental health as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among victims which should be improved. The present study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of the virtual teaching tool (VTT) on measures to improve QOL and PTSD among adolescents who experienced flood at Uttarakhand. Methods: Mixed method research approach and exploratory research study, one-group pre-test-post-test designs were adopted for this study. Using a non-probability, convenient sampling technique, forty adolescents who experienced flood were selected from the Bhatwadi, Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Tools includes demographic data, WHOQOL-BREF, PCL-5 and one subjective question. Results: VTT on measures to improve QOL and PTSD was administered after pre-test. The mean and standard deviation of post-test WHOQOL-BREF score 275.37±38.01 was higher than the mean and standard deviation of pre-test WHOQOL-BREF score 227.30±36.52. The mean and standard deviation of post-test PTSD (PCL-5) score 1.00±.00 was lower than the mean and standard deviation of pre-test PTSD (PCL-5) score 1.67±.474. There were no association between sociodemographic variables with WHOQOL-BREF score and PTSD (PCL-5) scale. There is a correlation in pre-test QOL and PTSD. People were afraid of floods, loss of lives and households, and there is acceptance to the aftermath of flood and ready to accommodate. Conclusions: VTT on measures to improve QOL and PTSD is effective and can bring the community change after among adolescents who experienced floods. Key words: Adolescents, flood, PTSD, QOL, virtual teaching tool.

Virtual teaching: Teachers' perspectives on online virtual classroom effectiveness during and beyond Covid-19

The purpose was to investigate the Arabic language teachers' perspectives on online VC effectiveness during and beyond COVID-19. Participants were 340 teachers. This study employed cross-sectional descriptive method, with the main focus on Arabic Language teachers' perspectives on online VC effectiveness during and beyond COVID-19. Findings from descriptive analysis of the teachers’ responses on the importance of using virtual classrooms in distance education program shoed that the rank agree comes first, where teachers responded with agree in 17 items, 2 with strongly agree and only one item for disagree. Using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), findings showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the responses of the study sample towards the use of virtual classrooms by gender, while academic qualification and years of experience contributed significantly, where those with higher qualification, and who are experts had positive perspectives on online VCs effectiveness during and beyond COVID-19. KEYWORDS. Virtual Teaching, Online Virtual Classroom, Covid-19

THE EFFECT OF VIRTUAL TEACHING ON ATTITUDES OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION DURING COVID-19 CONDITIONS OF INDONESIAN STUDENTS

The intention of this study is to find out the effect of virtual teaching on attitudes of second language acquisition during Covid-19 condition. Most school quickly closed to protect the students and teachers from the virus. The study findings indicate that Virtual Teaching (VT) marked a positive change in the attitudes of the students. This study was performed both qualitatively and quantitatively. In order to find out the effect of virtual teaching on second language acquisition attitudes, a questionnaire was distributed. It was conducted at the Senior High School level. The questionnaire was distributed among 77 third year students of random Senior High School with a google form sent through WhatsApp due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. It was designed on five linear scales.

Phytopathology teaching teaching during COVID-19: UNA Costa Rica case

<p>The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been a challenge when it comes to teaching at a university level, and particularly when teaching plant pathology. As preventive strategies, lockdown and social distancing have been generalized in all countries. In Costa Rica, universities suspended in-person classes beginning in March 2020, and implemented virtual teaching-learning processes for bachelor’s and postgraduate students. However, every course/professor has designed the virtual teaching strategies and models according to the socio-educational realities of the group. The teaching of plant pathology in Agronomy bases its teaching methods in laboratory practices and commercial productive units. This article presents strategies and regulations implemented by the National University of Costa Rica and applied to university teaching and reflects upon the achievements reached and the challenges in the plant pathology education in its virtual form.</p>

School teachers’ perception and challenges towards online teaching during COVID-19 pandemic in India: an econometric analysis

PurposeCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has impacted catastrophically every sector of the economy throughout the world. And, the education sector is not leftover from the devastating effects of lockdown, especially in South Asia. It has led to the prolonged closure of schools/universities, subsequently, traditional teaching expeditiously transformed into online teaching. In the light of the events, this study is pertinent to examine teachers’ perceptions of online teaching and the obstacles they face in online teaching during this pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe research takes a quantitative and sample survey approach. A Google Form Questionnaire was used to obtain a sample of 200 Delhi school teachers in March and April 2021. Data were analyzed in SPSS by using Descriptive Statistics, Factor Analysis, Reliability and Chi-Square test, etc.FindingsThe result of the study indicates that on average, teachers have a positive perception about virtual teaching amid COVID-19 for reducing the learning gap and shaping pupils’ future during the crisis. Nevertheless, they encountered several obstacles in online teaching such as technical obstacles, difficulties in online exams and assessment, etc.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study would persuade educational institutions and policymakers for enhancing the quality of online teaching by embracing the newest instructional strategies and providing continuous training to teachers.Originality/valueSeveral studies described obstacles confronted by instructors in virtual teaching in higher education during the Coronavirus while disregarding the perception and challenges of school teachers toward e-learning in an ongoing outbreak. The present study replenishes this gap.

Immersive Virtual Reality Physical Education Instructional Patterns on the Foundation of Vision Sensor

The creation of visual settings using avatar technology is the initial implementation of a voxel in the reporting context. This article is aimed at demonstrating the important role of a virtual reality immersive physical education model in current physical education and analyzing the immersive virtual reality physical education model. Relying on the mature VR virtual reality technology to establish a virtual simulation experiment platform, the application value in the education field is also reflected in the saving of experimental teaching costs. A complete set of VR teaching courseware also satisfies the functions of teaching training and assessment and is used repeatedly to maximize the value of utilization. This research mainly introduces the content of the optimization of the teaching method of the course combined with virtual reality technology. In order to make the data more convincing, reference literature and data in recent years have been referred to around immersive teaching. The first part is the discussion of immersive teaching, which includes the research of virtual immersive classroom teaching. The second part is a separate analysis of virtual reality technology. The third part is the practical exercise based on the first two parts; that is, from the learning effect and attitude of the student as the main body, the theoretical basis of the two parts on visual sensors and immersive virtual reality physical education teaching is transformed into real practice teaching. In the experiment part, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness and support of immersive virtual teaching, on the one hand, we started with the teaching of teachers, and on the other hand, we carried out investigations from the aspects of students’ learning. The desktop virtual environment teaching method is compared with the existing classroom teaching methods. The image processing and image analysis of the virtual reality technology are combined with the image gray level of the three-dimensional image to analyze the multitask algorithm of the vision sensor. The feasibility of immersive virtual teaching was verified. Research data shows that the 10 students participating in the experiment gave a score of 7.9 for the target attitude of immersive virtual reality physical education. Students’ interest in learning will increase, and efficiency will also be greatly improved. VR can not only provide students with a new learning experience but also be used to strengthen teachers’ teaching skills. Because VR can simulate a real teaching environment, teachers can use this set of tools to try new course materials and improve classroom management capabilities.

In Search of Lost Space

In this reflection, I discuss the changing affordances of physical and virtual spaces in PGR seminar teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. I start by reviewing how physical space has been conceptualised in the pedagogical literature in terms of its material aspects, affordances, and interactions with users. I then translate the above concepts to virtual teaching spaces. I discuss how the affordances of both physical and virtual spaces have evolved throughout the different stages of the pandemic, exemplifying the process through my personal experience of seminar teaching. I conclude with a personal reflection on the challenges and unexpectedly positive consequences of having to dynamically adapt one’s pedagogy to changing affordances and constraints.

The impact of virtual learning on Multimedia University student performance: a cross-sectional study

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has imposed adaption to virtual learning for students and educators across all levels of education in the world. The effectiveness of virtual learning varies amongst age groups. It has been suggested that the adoption of virtual learning will continue to be implemented even after pandemic, particularly in higher education. Therefore, it is crucial to validate the effectiveness of a virtual learning approach among university students to ensure a smooth transition from a conventional education model to a hybrid education model. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the impact of virtual learning on students’ performance in a virtual classroom. Methods: We analysed survey data collected from undergraduate students at Multimedia University, Malaysia. Convenience sampling and self-administered online surveys were used to understand the impact of virtual learning. Multiple regression analysis was performed using SPSS software Results: A total of 210 first and second year degree and diploma students responded to the online surveys. Factors affecting virtual learning were segregated into three categories: virtual teaching techniques, technology issues, and environment distraction. Respondents stated that the critical factor that affect the effectiveness of virtual learning and impacts on students’ performance was the virtual teaching techniques employed by educators. Conclusions: This study concluded that virtual teaching techniques have significant impact on students’ performance whereas technology issues and environment distraction do not significantly influence students’ performance during virtual learning. Although this study is limited to students from Multimedia University, it lays the groundwork for future research to involve students from other universities or other countries. A future study can address more factors that affect virtual learning and students’ performance, such as students’ attitude and motivation.