Research Article
Vincentas Lamanauskas, Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 3, Article No: ep434
ABSTRACT
It is obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed learning and study processes. It has become a serious test for university students. Although distance study organization, implementation, effectiveness, and the like are actively researched, it is not entirely clear which way of organization studies is the most appropriate and prospective. Too little attention is still paid to the model of distance studies, its implementation and improvement, especially in the future development of distance and mixed distance study organization and implementation. An empirical qualitative study was conducted, the aim of which was to analyze first-cycle (bachelor study) university students’ position on the study quality issue. 132 students in the field of social sciences from three Lithuanian universities participated in the study conducted in January-May 2022. The verbal data obtained were analyzed using quantitative content analysis. The extracted semantic units were grouped into subcategories and categories. It was established that the main advantages of distance studies were convenience and cost-effectiveness, while disadvantages were the deterioration of the study organization and the deterioration of quality. The ways (directions) of quality distance study improvement can also be seen, i.e., the study process realization improvement (e.g., the content presentation improvement, an increase in interactivity), and study organization improvement (e.g., teacher competence improvement and optimization of the schedule). Despite the revealed shortcomings, more than two-thirds of students positively value the possibility of continuing the study process remotely after the pandemic. More detailed research is needed on the impact of the pandemic on university studies and the further organization and implementation of distance studies.
Keywords: distance education, quantitative content analysis, qualitative research, university students, university education
Research Article
Zeinab Azizi, Afsheen Rezai, Ehsan Namaziandost, Shouket Ahmad Tilwani
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article No: ep356
ABSTRACT
E-learning anxiety plays a key role in students’ success in online courses. One of the factors that may affect students’ e-learning anxiety is computer self-efficacy (CSE). However, the role of CSE in high school students’ e-learning anxiety has remained unexplored in the Iranian context. Therefore, the present mixed-methods study purports to explore the role of CSE in Iranian high school students’ e-learning anxiety. To this end, for the quantitative part, 410 female high school students were selected, as well as for the qualitative part, 30 female high school students were selected using a random sampling method. The required data were collected using a computer self-efficacy questionnaire, an anxiety in online classes questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed through a Pearson correlation analysis, a multiple-regression analysis, and a content analysis. Results revealed a strong negative correlation between the students’ CSE and e-learning anxiety. Further, the findings documented that the factors of CSE (i.e., beginning skills, mainframe skills, and advanced skills) determined the high school students’ e-learning anxiety. Moreover, the complementary qualitative findings yielded four overarching themes: ‘promoted digital literacy’, ‘increased problem-solving’, ‘increased learning satisfaction’, and ‘enhanced self-regulated learning’. Finally, a range of implications is suggested for different stakeholders.
Keywords: computer self-efficacy, e-learning anxiety, content analysis, high school students, online classes
Research Article
Vincentas Lamanauskas, Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep309
ABSTRACT
Distance learning is not a new subject in university study practice. It is clear that a significant number of universities practiced this way of learning before the pandemic. In the case of distance learning, the emphasis is always not so much on the means used for teaching and learning, as on the very fact of the physical separation of the lecturer and the student. There is a reasonable concern about the quality of studies, their efficiency, the quality of the qualifications acquired by future specialists, etc. The new context creates the need to analyse and assess the distance learning situation that arose during the pandemic.
In January-February 2021, a qualitative study was conducted, in which 158 students from three Lithuanian universities participated. Most of the respondents were students of social and humanitarian study programmes. Qualitative data obtained on the basis of open-ended questions were analysed using the method of quantitative content analysis, i.e., semantic subcategories and categories according to four main variables were distinguished: advantages of distance lectures, disadvantages of distance lectures, and distance lecture improvement.
It has been established that the main advantages are the convenience of studying and the flexibility of the study process. Meanwhile, the most obvious shortcomings are deterioration of physical and mental health and non-realisation of social needs, deterioration of the quality of academic activities. Improving the design of lectures and improving their planning and organisation are considered the key areas of improvement.
Keywords: content analysis, distance learning, distance lectures, qualitative research, university students
Research Article
Ulas Ilic, Halil Ibrahim Haseski, Ufuk Tugtekin
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 2, pp. 131-153
ABSTRACT
The current study aimed to review studies on computational thinking (CT) indexed in Web of Science (WOS) and ERIC databases. A thorough search in electronic databases revealed 96 studies on computational thinking which were published between 2006 and 2016. Studies were exposed to a quantitative content analysis through using an article control form developed by the researchers. Studies were summarized under several themes including the research purpose, design, methodology, sampling characteristics, data analysis, and main findings. The findings were reported using descriptive statistics to see the trends. It was observed that there was an increase in the number of CT studies in recent years, and these were mainly conducted in the field of computer sciences. In addition, CT studies were mostly published in journals in the field of Education and Instructional Technologies. Theoretical paradigm and literature review design were preferred more in previous studies. The most commonly used sampling method was the purposive sampling. It was also revealed that samples of previous CT studies were generally pre-college students. Written data collection tools and quantitative analysis were mostly used in reviewed papers. Findings mainly focused on CT skills. Based on current findings, recommendations and implications for further researches were provided.
Keywords: Computational thinking, Research trends, Content analysis, Problem solving