The number of online courses in higher education is on the rise. However, empirical evidence elucidating best practices for synchronous online instruction is needed to best implement these courses. The research purposes were to examine synchronous online class sessions to (1) quantify interaction type, frequency, and rate, (2) quantify student…

Language teachers are often masters of using the physical space in their language classrooms, rearranging furniture, groups, and artifacts to facilitate meaningful encounters with and among learners. Indeed, during the COVID-19 crisis, many language teachers are sharing that these human encounters--reading learners' needs through body language,…

The author's organic chemistry course at Thomas Jefferson University incorporated student engagement activities through Nearpod, a web-based classroom response system. After transitioning to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the spring of 2020, students were given the option to complete multiple-choice poll questions either…

As an essential mode of communication, oral presentation plays an important role in the development of second language (L2) automaticity. However, unless best practices are carried out--massive meaningful practice, when presenting seldom relying on the script, in conversational style, and keeping meaningful eye contact with the audience--oral…

The use of rubrics in assessing the writing performance is very popular. In general, educators in universities use rubrics for a more accurate assessment of students writing performance. The first aim of this study is to investigate how using rubrics in teaching writing skills can affect the writing performance of students. The second aim is to…

Internet-based platforms are increasingly used to collect qualitative data. We conducted a quasi-experimental study to explore whether data collection mode affects data content and data collection costs. Participants (N = 171) were assigned systematically to one of four modes--(1) in-person (control), (2) online video-based, (3) online chat-based,…

With the increasing availability of synchronous video-based breakout rooms within online courses, a growing need exists to understand how to best leverage this technology for enhanced online education. To help address this challenge, this paper reports on a case study that explored student activity within online video-based breakout rooms via a…

Citizenship and identity can be viewed as dynamic and transformative rather than as fixed or static, especially in an era in which the public sphere for contestation and deliberation has expanded beyond the limits of nation-states and into the global realm. It can be difficult, though, within the confines of conventional classrooms to create an…

This study was carried out within the scope of the Basic Information Technologies Use (BITU) course given to formal education students in classroom and distance education environment. The aim of the study was to determine the perspectives of students regarding the course and distance education environment. Case study, which is one of the…

A problem-based online learning (PBe-L) teaching sequence was designed for calculating the shelf life (expiration date) of an on-site solution of refrigerated drug as part of activities of a Pharmaceutical Physical Chemistry course of Pharmacy major at FES Cuautitlán UNAM in Mexico. The teacher presents students the problem, a group collaborative…

This paper aims to identify limitations and opportunities for using live streaming for distance learning classes in a course offered at a Brazilian public university. The number of videos on social networks in different fields and about various topics increases each year. Real-time classes are also increasingly being used in distance learning…

Informational and behavioral barriers hinder social benefit take-up. We investigate the impact of mitigating these barriers through providing personalized information on benefits application status and application assistance on filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the gateway to college financial aid. Through a…

Since nurses are the primary providers of direct patient care in the United States, a shortage in any community can impact the quality of health care available. Rural areas were among the first to be affected by the current nursing shortage. Further challenges to the rural nurse supply include a lack of access to nursing education, particularly…

During the Spring 2020 semester, universities transitioned to online instruction to slow the spread of COVID-19. During this time, mathematics support/tutoring centers also moved their services online. We discuss best practices for online tutoring from the literature and the shared experiences of 28 tutoring center leaders who transitioned to…

COVID-19 has led to dramatic changes in the way teachers teach and students engage in higher education (HE). To cater for social distancing and learners' diverse needs, including being in different geographical locations from their HE instruction, different modes of teaching and learning have been adopted. One such mode is HyFlex. HyFlex sees…