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We aimed to identify factors that influence student engagement in distance learning.

The research involved a group of 671 students from economic and technical higher education institutions in Poland. We collected the data with the CAWI technique and an original survey. Next, we processed the data using principal component analysis and then used the extracted components as predictors in the induced smoothing LASSO regression model.

The components of the students’ attitude toward remote classes learning conditions are: satisfaction with teachers’ approach, attitude to distance learning, the system of students’ values and motivation, IT infrastructure of the university, building a network of contacts and communication skills. The final model consisted of seven statistically significant variables, encompassing the student’s sex, level of studies and the first five extracted PCs. Student’s system of values and motivation as well as attitude toward distance learning, were those variables that had the biggest influence on student engagement.

The research result suggests that in addition to students’ system of values and motivation and their attitude toward distance learning, the satisfaction level of teachers’ attitude is one of the three most important factors that influence student engagement during the distance learning process.

The main value of this article is the statistical model of student engagement during distance learning. The article fills the research gap in identifying and evaluating the impact of various factors determining student engagement in the distance learning process.

Feedback is crucial in a learning process, particularly in an online interaction where both learners and instructors are distantly located. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the association between feedback strategies, embedded course syllabus and learning improvement in the Sakai Learning Management System.

This paper uses a survey design to collect cross-sectional data from adult distance learning students. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a standard multiple regression model in Stata.

The results show that feedback strategies (timing, mode, quality and quantity) and embedded course syllabus have a significant relationship with learning improvement. However, the feedback strategy – target – is not significantly related to learning improvement though it is the highest feedback strategy.

This paper has contributed to the extant literature by providing empirical evidence to support the constructivism theory of learning from a distance learning perspective in a developing country. The study has shown that if the feedback strategies are well managed and applied, they would make a considerable impact on distance education students' academic pursuits. Hence, the paper provides a pedagogical foundation for short and long-term distance learning policy.

In 2022, the International Network for Quality Assurance (QA) Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) published the new guidelines by adding three QA modules in response to the changing higher education landscape. The paper aims to investigate the transformative focus of quality assurance in higher education globally as well as Asian response to three new QA modules according to the INQAAHE ISGs.

The research conducted a quantitative approach for data collection. An on-line survey was conducted to perceive QA practices, perceptions toward new emerging QA modules and challenges encountered. In total, there were 26 responses from 18 territories with 22 QA agencies. A total of 13 out of them have a national qualifications framework in place.

Three are three major findings in the study. First, national policy and criteria and standards in distance education have been developed in the majority of Asian nations. Second, non-signatories of the Tokyo Convention had a higher proportion of having related policies, regulations and criteria in CBHE and distance education. Third, national policies and regulations; and lack of professional staff are two common challenges implementing QA in new types of providers.

The findings are of value for policymakers, QA agencies and universities to advocate the new QA model as a systematic approach in response to changing higher education landscape in the post pandemic era.

This study aims to analyze to what extent distance education is feasible and efficient with the limited technological infrastructure in Egypt. The study answers this question from the perspective of households' preparedness level regarding possessing information and communication technologies (ICTs). In addition, it assesses whether the pattern of students' ICT ownership is influenced by disability- and socioeconomic-based inequality in education and whether the pattern of ICT ownership exacerbates such biases.

A three-stage probit model with double sample selection (PMDSS) was applied to estimate the factors likely to influence ICT possession, considering the selection process for school enrollment and education continuation. The authors utilized nationally representative data from the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey 2018.

About 40% of students aged 12–25 did not have ICTs. Most socioeconomically poor households, particularly those living in Upper Egypt, were the least likely to obtain ICTs and rely on distance education. In addition, female students, particularly those with disabilities, had the lowest chance of benefitting from distance learning.

The persistent structural deprivation of school enrollment and educational progression has led to the positive selection of well-off children in education, which is extended to ICT possession and internet use. Without addressing these structural biases, the study suggests that distance education will likely exacerbate educational inequalities.

The study analyzed the extent to which Egyptian families were prepared in 2018 regarding ICT possessions for distance education for their children, particularly those with disabilities. Furthermore, it investigated whether access to distance learning was influenced by disability- and socioeconomic-based inequalities in education.

When the repercussions of COVID-19 were being absorbed by the world, the higher educational institutions (HEIs) were conceiving of strategies to run educational institutions on remote basis too, including the challenges linked with the teaching–learning as well as the management and other departmental needs. Leaning itself on the teaching–learning tectonic shifts amid the COVID-19 climes, the study reviews the status of “readiness” of the HEIs in Oman while bearing this in mind that the usage of information and communications technology (ICT) for distance learning and conventional learning has been considered as one of the parameters to judge the “quality” of the HEIs in Oman.

Documentary analysis alongside an in-depth reading of the quality audit reports sourced from the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority, which are publicly accessible are being referred for driving home the arguments in the study.

The study concludes that despite the case being in favor of distance learning from early on, the same doesn’t get reflected in the conclusions derived in the research conducted for assessing the teaching–learning mechanisms during the COVID-19 period. Therefore, the HEIs’ “readiness” in terms of ensuring the smooth transitioning to the remote learning pedagogical arrangements for meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 wasn’t efficacious.

The present study may be followed up with an understanding as to how the HEIs of Oman need to incorporate the perspectives of all the concerned stakeholders for the refurbishment of the teaching–learning process, especially in times of contingencies.

Apart from the policy-makers, the management of the HEIs of Oman needs to appreciate the need to be proactive and appreciative of the inclusion of ICT tools and techniques in the mainstream pedagogical settings.

Notwithstanding the emphasis upon the preparedness and readiness for tackling the challenges posed by the COVID-19 for the HEIs in Oman, no study has attempted to delve into the issue succinctly—the present study fills this gap.

The purpose of the paper is to propose and demonstrate a novel approach for addressing the challenges of path planning and obstacle avoidance in the context of mobile robots (MR). The specific objectives and purposes outlined in the paper include: introducing a new methodology that combines Q-learning with dynamic reward to improve the efficiency of path planning and obstacle avoidance. Enhancing the navigation of MR through unfamiliar environments by reducing blind exploration and accelerating the convergence to optimal solutions and demonstrating through simulation results that the proposed method, dynamic reward-enhanced Q-learning (DRQL), outperforms existing approaches in terms of achieving convergence to an optimal action strategy more efficiently, requiring less time and improving path exploration with fewer steps and higher average rewards.

The design adopted in this paper to achieve its purposes involves the following key components: (1) Combination of Q-learning and dynamic reward: the paper’s design integrates Q-learning, a popular reinforcement learning technique, with dynamic reward mechanisms. This combination forms the foundation of the approach. Q-learning is used to learn and update the robot’s action-value function, while dynamic rewards are introduced to guide the robot’s actions effectively. (2) Data accumulation during navigation: when a MR navigates through an unfamiliar environment, it accumulates experience data. This data collection is a crucial part of the design, as it enables the robot to learn from its interactions with the environment. (3) Dynamic reward integration: dynamic reward mechanisms are integrated into the Q-learning process. These mechanisms provide feedback to the robot based on its actions, guiding it to make decisions that lead to better outcomes. Dynamic rewards help reduce blind exploration, which can be time-consuming and inefficient and promote faster convergence to optimal solutions. (4) Simulation-based evaluation: to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach, the design includes a simulation-based evaluation. This evaluation uses simulated environments and scenarios to test the performance of the DRQL method. (5) Performance metrics: the design incorporates performance metrics to measure the success of the approach. These metrics likely include measures of convergence speed, exploration efficiency, the number of steps taken and the average rewards obtained during the robot’s navigation.

The findings of the paper can be summarized as follows: (1) Efficient path planning and obstacle avoidance: the paper’s proposed approach, DRQL, leads to more efficient path planning and obstacle avoidance for MR. This is achieved through the combination of Q-learning and dynamic reward mechanisms, which guide the robot’s actions effectively. (2) Faster convergence to optimal solutions: DRQL accelerates the convergence of the MR to optimal action strategies. Dynamic rewards help reduce the need for blind exploration, which typically consumes time and this results in a quicker attainment of optimal solutions. (3) Reduced exploration time: the integration of dynamic reward mechanisms significantly reduces the time required for exploration during navigation. This reduction in exploration time contributes to more efficient and quicker path planning. (4) Improved path exploration: the results from the simulations indicate that the DRQL method leads to improved path exploration in unknown environments. The robot takes fewer steps to reach its destination, which is a crucial indicator of efficiency. (5) Higher average rewards: the paper’s findings reveal that MR using DRQL receive higher average rewards during their navigation. This suggests that the proposed approach results in better decision-making and more successful navigation.

The paper’s originality stems from its unique combination of Q-learning and dynamic rewards, its focus on efficiency and speed in MR navigation and its ability to enhance path exploration and average rewards. These original contributions have the potential to advance the field of mobile robotics by addressing critical challenges in path planning and obstacle avoidance.

The Covid-19 period has led to defining changes in the teaching process. Therefore, it is essential to explore how teachers have approached these changes, what experiences they have gained and what they have tried to change. This study aims to elucidate how innovative practices were applied in teaching – which was influenced by emergency remote teaching (ERT) – and better understand teachers' experiences related to these practices.

The phenomenology design, a qualitative research model, was executed in the current study. Phenomenological inquiry aims to interpret people's experiences about a specific concept designated as a phenomenon. Creswell (2020) classified two types of phenomenology: interpretive and descriptive. Interpretive phenomenology was employed in the current study as researchers collected data from individuals experiencing the phenomenon, collected and interpreted the data via excluding their own experiences.

As a result of the data interpretation, four themes related to experiences of innovative teaching practices during ERT were discovered: interpretation of innovative teaching, innovative teaching practices, needs related to innovative teaching and challenges to innovative teaching. The categories related to the interpretation of innovative teaching include positive and negative interpretation. The categories related to the second theme, innovative teaching practices, consist of characteristics of innovative teachers and innovative teaching practices employed. The categories related to the third theme, needs related to innovative teaching, are the need for guidance, training and technological infrastructure. The categories related to the fourth and final theme, challenges to innovative teaching, are barriers related to the teacher, barriers related to the learner and those related to the environment.

This study discovered that for teachers to practice innovative teaching, they must develop themselves, keep up-to-date and develop lifelong learning skills. Hung and Li (2017) reached a similar conclusion to the findings of this study: teachers' professional development is positively related to innovative teaching skills at a high level. The participating teachers stated that they had to rapidly improve their technological competency. It is thought that teachers developing their technological competencies will contribute to both ERT and face-to-face education at the end of the Pandemic.

This conceptual study investigates the adoption of education technology (EdTech) products among college students, focusing on identifying the key factors influencing the adoption process within educational institutions. Technology integration in education has rapidly gained prominence, with EdTech offering innovative solutions to enhance teaching and learning experiences. However, understanding the determinants that affect EdTech adoption remains critical for its successful implementation and impact. This paper aims (1) to identify the factors influencing the adoption of EdTech by college students (2) to create a conceptual model that shows the connections between the elements that lead to college students adopting EdTech.

The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative data analysis and conceptual modeling to achieve the objectives. The underlying knowledge required to create a qualitative data gathering tool was obtained through a thorough literature analysis on innovation dissemination, educational psychology and technology adoption. College students, teachers and administrators participated in semi-structured interviews, focus groups and surveys to provide detailed perspectives on their attitudes about and experiences with EdTech. The Scopus and Web of Science databases are searched for relevant information in an organized manner in order to determine the factors influencing the adoption of EdTech. Second, an extended version of the technology adoption model is adopted to develop a qualitative data-based conceptual framework to analyze EdTech adoption in the Indian context.

Overall, by highlighting the critical components that emotionally influence college students' adoption of EdTech products in educational institutions, this course adds to the body of information already in existence. The conceptual framework model serves as a roadmap for educational stakeholders seeking to leverage EdTech effectively to enrich the learning environment and improve educational outcomes. By recognizing the significance of the identified factors, academic institutions can make informed decisions to foster a climate conducive to successful EdTech integration.

A comprehensive conceptual framework model was developed based on qualitative data analysis to illustrate the interrelationships between the identified factors influencing EdTech adoption. This model presents a valuable tool for educational institutions, policymakers and EdTech developers to comprehend the complex dynamics of implementing these technological solutions.

The findings of this study demonstrated a number of important variables that affect the uptake of EdTech products in educational settings. These factors encompassed technological infrastructure, ease of use, perceived usefulness, compatibility with existing academic practices, institutional support, financial constraints and individual attitudes towards technology. Additionally, the research explored the significance of institutional preparation for embracing technological advancements as well as the influence of socio-cultural elements.

With the advancement of technology, microlearning has emerged as a promising method to improve the efficacy of teaching and learning. This study aims to investigate the document types, volume, growth trajectory, geographic contribution, coauthor relationships, prominent authors, research groups, influential documents and publication outlets in the microlearning literature.

We adapt the PRISMA guidelines to assess the eligibility of 297 Scopus-indexed documents from 2002 to 2021. Each was manually labeled by educational level. Descriptive statistics and science mapping were conducted to highlight relevant objects and their patterns in the knowledge base.

This study confirms the increasing trend of microlearning publications over the last two decades, with conference papers dominating the microlearning literature (178 documents, 59.86%). Despite global contributions, a concentrated effort from scholars in 15 countries (22.39%) yielded 68.8% of all documents, while the remaining papers were dispersed across 52 other nations (77.61%). Another significant finding is that most documents pertain to three educational level categories: lifelong learning, higher education and all educational levels. In addition, this research highlights six key themes in the microlearning domain, encompassing (1) Design and evaluation of mobile learning, (2) Microlearning adaptation in MOOCs, (3) Language teaching and learning, (4) Workflow of a microlearning system, (5) Microlearning content design, (6) Health competence and health behaviors. Other aspects analyzed in this study include the most prominent authors, research groups, documents and references.

The finding represents all topics at various educational levels to offer a comprehensive view of the knowledge base.

This study aims to investigate how online teaching of faculty members is affected by technological readiness (TR) of using online teaching platforms. The study sheds light on how many faculty members were ready to use different online platforms during COVID-19 period.

This study used TR measures to determine the impact of optimism regarding the perceived usefulness and ease of usage, impact of innovativeness in terms of perceived usability and ease of use, the influence of discomfort on perceived usefulness and ease of usage, the effect of uncertainty on perceived usefulness and ease of use and the influence of perceived usefulness and ease of use on behavior. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among 255 faculty members of different private universities of Bangladesh. The sample was chosen based on a convenience method. The responses were analyzed using partial least square (PLS) approach with the help of software Smart PLS 3.

The finding supported all of the hypotheses except that discomfort and insecurity have a positive relationship with ease of use and usefulness.

The study will help faculty members in developing their competency in using technologies in their pedagogy. Also, this study will provide some guidelines to the university management in developing adequate technological infrastructure to aid teaching.

The aim of the study was to investigate the faculty members' readiness level with respect to online teaching. The technology assessment model (TAM) was used to determine the readiness index. The study intended to validate the hypotheses regarding the extent to which the faculty members perceived that TAM factors affect Ease of Use and Usefulness of online teaching. Also, this research analyzed the perception of faculty members that Ease of Using online teaching affects its Usefulness. Lastly, the study examined how their perception of Ease of Use and Usefulness affect Intention to Use online as a mode of teaching. It was found from the study that each of the TAM factors, Optimism, Innovativeness, Insecurity and Discomfort has positive and significant contribution on the Ease of Use. On the other hand, Optimism, Innovativeness, Insecurity and Discomfort have positive and significant contributions on the Usefulness. The study also revealed that Ease of Use has positive and significant contribution on the Usefulness. Lastly, it was found that Ease of Use and Usefulness have positive and significant contribution on the Intention to use. Teaching remotely is still a novel concept, and it is more difficult for people who have not done it before. Many teachers became burned out as a result of trying to adjust to new teaching methods, especially after the lockdown began. They were having a difficult time since there was so much ambiguity. When a teacher is well-versed in communication tools, it can improve learning efficiency. When they are properly trained, deploying engaging features of virtual learning, such as audio-visual lessons, quizzes, and so on, becomes simple, and students become eager to learn more. Teachers can plan their classes, prepare and master technology and create innovative and stimulating discussion topics (Mishra et al., 2020). They need to utilize a variety of technological options. They can rehearse virtual classroom management with colleagues if they face any difficulty. All of the aforementioned abilities can be honed with the assistance of an integrated academic system. Teachers can be trained by educational institutions to ensure a smooth learning process through the use of ICT (information and communication technologies) (Scherer et al., 2021; Mishra et al., 2020). The training will assist teachers in efficiently taking online classes. Institutions should ensure that teachers are well-suited to teach online and are skilled at keeping students engaged during remote learning. To make every chapter engaging, aspects such as videos, slides, images and digital copies of books and workbooks can be used. This allows students to receive personalized support and counseling in order to maintain their motivation (Sahu et al., 2022; Lapitan et al., 2021). Every other day, group doubt resolution classes ensure that there are no gaps in learning (Lapitan et al., 2021). All teachers require is a digital mindset, the appropriate tools and a committed approach (Sahu et al., 2022). If teachers can hold their students' attention, they can easily deliver an effective learning experience (Lapitan et al., 2021).

This study was conducted to identify technological preparedness of faculty members of private universities in Bangladesh during COVID-19 period. Some studies were there to assess such kind of preparedness but none of those used TAM and technology readiness model either in isolation or in combination. Also, this paper focused on teachers' readiness in contrast to students' readiness specific to private universities.