The present study investigated the experiences of educators who taught in the virtual world Second Life®. Second Life has shown promise in the field of higher education but identified gaps exist: the identification of a set of best practices, a foundational theory, and educators' experiences using Second Life in higher education. Using a single…

The roles of technology and education were at the forefront throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This mixed-methods study examines the role of the three levels of the digital divide (i.e., access, capability, and outcomes) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky. We create and analyze a new multifaceted measure of district-level digital capacity to…

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, had a significant impact on education worldwide, including the adoption and acceleration of online learning in the English language curriculum. This mixed-methods study aims to explore the opportunities and challenges encountered by a group of Thai university students (n = 33) while learning…

Though universities have offered online education options since the 1990s, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to increased online course development and implementation worldwide. Transitioning to online learning during the pandemic created challenges and opportunities for instructors and students alike, especially in the soil and…

This study aimed to uncover hidden factors influencing online teaching in Iran. In-depth semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted to understand English as a Foreign Language teachers' perceptions of online teaching in a state university located in an economically deprived province of the country. Data were analysed thematically, resulting…

The current longitudinal study investigated distance education efficiency (DEE) through two specific objectives. The first objective is to examine whether the DEE perception differs according to demographic factors and having the necessary infrastructure. The second aim is to explore the effect of DEE on employability with two different and…

This conceptual article asserts the importance of building and sustaining trust between higher education students and practitioners within the online environment. Instilling trust can construct sustainable learning environments that are abundant with collaborative inquiry and dialogue. In this article, we highlight and investigate the conceptual…

When COVID-19 struck, higher education scrambled. Teaching and learning swerved abruptly to emergency remote instruction. For many students, the rapid refashioning of courses of instruction meant suddenly confronting new, radically different learning scenarios. We know relatively little about what enabled or constrained students' confidence in…

Explored the experiences of public university students (N = 1,573) in five domains (e.g., mental health, remote learning) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether these experiences differed as a function of college generation status. Mental health challenges were observed, with first-generation students reporting higher…

Purpose: The existing literature contains few references on the better adaptors of online distance education amongst STEM (read as science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and non-STEM (composed of humanities, social science and commerce) study groups in an Indian peri-urban context. The study's objective is to determine the better…

Optometry education, like other health professions, has historically been conducted via contact teaching and learning in classrooms, clinics and laboratories. In 2020, COVID-19 imposed an abrupt move to online learning for higher education institutions. This was performed with little insight into the feasibility and readiness for its adoption…

This report presents the results of the 2023 data collection on the structural indicators for monitoring education and training systems in the area of digital competence. The report contains six indicators on key policies in the following areas: 1. curriculum, 2. teachers, 3. assessment, 4. the digital education ecosystem. The paper contains…

To ensure the future success of Lower-SES, college-intending, Black students, there is a need to understand the factors that lead to their resilience, which is the heightened likelihood of success in school and other aspects of life, despite environmental adversities, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to elevate the lived…

Decades of rapid development in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have resulted in tremendous global evolution in computer and online instruction. Many developing countries, however, are still struggling to successfully integrate ICTs into their teaching and learning practices, subsequently leading to slower rates of adapting…

The unprecedented coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) presented new, daunting academic adversities to college students, especially those from underserved communities. This study provides a nuanced understanding of underserved students' adversities in online distance education, based on an in-depth analysis of narratives of 220 students from a…