This qualitative research aims to examine university students' conceptions and experiences of teacher care and its pedagogical implications premised on ethics of care framed within Vygotskian social constructivism. The COVID-initiated rapid introduction of online learning platform-based study for students has caused many to critically reflect on…

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19, which has presented great challenges to pedagogy, has catalyzed the transition of teaching and learning to the online mode. Uncovering the key factors that facilitate positive learning outcomes in online learning environments has thus gathered importance. To bring these factors to light, this study aims to…

In the post-pandemic period, an increasing number of students have been using online learning environments, as students find them more convenient and feel less academic pressure. However, some students are comparatively disadvantaged due to their lack of access to a fast network or a powerful computer to attend online classes. Consequently,…

While prior research has shown higher mindfulness is associated with lower problematic smartphone use (PSU), the contexts of these studies were not related to education or student performance. As such, whether and how mindfulness can reduce the adverse effects of PSU on academic self-efficacy remains unknown. This study proposed a model for…

This study of tertiary students in Hong Kong compared the association between spiritual health and psychological health, and the prevalence of severe symptoms of psychological distress, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional data were collected in two samples of students aged 17-24 in 2018 (N = 500) and 2020 (N = 568). The…

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an unexpected digital revolution, speeding up universities' digital transformation worldwide. It has brought heavy disruptions to travel and mobility worldwide, but it drives the opportunity for hosting region-wide or even international academic exchanges through learning programs, workshops, and conferences via…

During the pandemic, students have been regularly engaged in what I call real time learning through chat and polling exercises. This is an exciting development, but one that also carries the risk of being poorly implemented and not achieving its intended learning outcomes. Four real time teaching methods are presented in this article for…

Under the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide, students were forced to switch from face-to-face to online learning. This study reports the experience of Hong Kong students in higher education concerning the challenges they faced, the strategies they used and the support they needed in their online learning during the period. An online…

The COVID-19 pandemic posed novel challenges to language teachers and learners, as 'emergency remote teaching' became a necessity in order for teachers and learners to isolate from one another. Much has already been written about the nature of those challenges and language teachers' response to them, which response frequently made use of…

Background: The existing literature has predominantly focused on instructor social presence in videos in an asynchronous learning environment and little is known about student social presence on webcam in online learning in the context of COVID-19. Objectives: This paper therefore contrasts students' and teachers' perspectives on student social…

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought the whole world to a standstill, forcing schools and universities to move online immediately. The abrupt change has led to a general fear of a drop in the quality of education due to the loss of physical interaction. Against this background, the present study describes how we managed the crisis by adapting a…

The internationalization of higher education has become a key policy within the global higher education sector. Yet a large body of literature suggests that simply having a diverse group of students does not guarantee meaningful intercultural engagement. This paper presents a qualitative study intended to gain a richer understanding of Hong Kong's…

Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, universities in Hong Kong have implemented online and hybrid teaching modes, making computer-assisted language learning (CALL) a primary way for English learning. Research on English learning motivation and self-regulation has seldom considered learners' emotions (satisfaction and preparedness) and the…

Performing arts education has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis around the world since early 2020. Educators had to adapt the classes with remote learning when face-to-face instruction had been suspended during the pandemic. Although frustrations and confusion continued to abound with the implementation of new pedagogies,…

The COVID-19 pandemic has created substantial challenges across higher education, requiring academic institutes to conduct all teaching, learning, and assessments remotely online. To obtain a stronger understanding of the opinions of teachers and students in Hong Kong during this period, an anonymous online survey was distributed to all teachers…