Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Covid-19 Protocols Employed In Nigerian Tetiary Institutions-Case Study Of Bells University

Description

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global health issue and has had a major impact on education. Consequently, half way of the academic year 2019/2020 of all education institution learning methods were delivered through virtual learning platform – distance learning (DL) which is the most effective measure OF COVID-19 protocols employed. This study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and student perspective of distance learning DL compared to classroom learning (CL) in Nigeria using Bell University as the case study. During the study an online questionnaire was sent at the end of the semester. A total of 301 students participated in the study. The result shows that the duration of study influenced student preference. Higher number of first-year students preferred DL compared to their seniors (p < 0.001). Students preferred CL for group discussion, as DL resulted in more difficult communication and gave less learning satisfaction. Only 44.2% students preferred DL over CL, although they agreed that DL gave a more efficient learning method (52.6%), it provided more time to study (87.9%) and to review study materials (87.3%). Challenges during DL included external factors such as unstable internet connection, extra financial burden for the internet quota and internal factors such as time management and difficulty to focus while learning online for a longer period of time. Despite some challenges, Bell university students could adapt to the new learning methods of full DL and the majorities agreed blended learning that combined classroom and distance learning can be implemented henceforth. This current COVID-19 pandemic, changes not only the utilization of technology in education but the pedagogy strategies in the future.

ABBREVIATIONS USED AND THEIR MEANINGS

CITC: Corrected Item Total Corrections

CL: Classroom Learning

DL: Distance Learning

EMAS: E-learning management system

PBL: Problem-based Learning

QBL: Question-Based Learning

SCAL: Student Centered Active Learning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION
• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
• SCOPE OF THE STUDY
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• DEFINITION OF TERMS
• PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• REVIEW OF THE STUDY
• REVIEW OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE OF 2019 (COVID-19) PANDEMIC
• EPIDEMIOLOGY OF AND EARLY RESPONSE TO COVID-19 IN NIGERIA
• OVERVIEW OF VIRTUAL LEARNING
• VIRTUAL LEARNING – EDUCATIONAL THEORIES
• VIRTUAL LEARNING – BASIC CHARACTERISTICS AND BENEFITS
• REVIEW OF COVID-19 PREVENTION MEASURES

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• SAMPLING PROCEDURES AND PARTICIPANTS
• RESEARCH DESIGN
• SOURCES OF DATA
• STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FOUR

• RESULT
• DISCUSSION

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSION
• REFERENCES

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                      INTRODUCTION

1.1                          BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The World Health Organization has declared the pandemic of the COVID-19 infection early this year and it has now become a major public health challenge worldwide [WHO, 2020]. The infection control and physical distancing measures are crucial to prevent the virus from further spreading and to help control the pandemic situation. The policy of compulsory physical distancing has been implemented in many countries including in Nigeria [Cadena et al, 2019], resulting in nationwide school and university closures. In accordance with this policy, the academic institutions of Bell are compelled to make appropriate and timely modification by ensuring social distancing as one of the most effective COVID-19 protocols  in order to continue to deliver education and to sustain the continuation of student academic progress. The teaching and learning activities were immediately shifted to a full E-learning.

E-learning is defined as learning that makes use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The incorporation of technological resources and innovative education strategies has transformed the teaching and learning processes. Previous studies have shown various e-learning and online learning tools that are effective for teaching and learning in the fields of health profession, including dentistry [Malemed et al, 2019]. The knowledge gain and performance of the students as a result of E-learning were shown to be equivalent to that of face to face methods [Wiess, 2020]. Blended learning is mainly defined as the integration of classroom and distance learning to facilitate an independent, interactive and collaborative learning among students. However, to understand it in a more general perspective, blended learning approach redesign courses that are developed, scheduled and implemented through a combination of physical and virtual learning activities. It was previously reported that blended learning provides better student’s satisfaction, motivation, student engagement and performance [Wiess, 2020]. This approach promotes active and self-directed learning and has gained acceptance in dental education as a complementary method to traditional learning.

The undergraduate curriculum of the Faculty of Bell university adopted Student Centered Active Learning (SCAL) using collaborative learning, question-based learning or Problem-Based Learning (PBL) since 2003. In PBL, students work in groups to construct content knowledge and develop self-directed learning skills. The activities along the steps of the chosen learning methods (group discussions, clarification sessions, the laboratory works and skills lab) were all conducted in classroom learning with online support. The university E-learning management system (LMS) was utilized to facilitate various teaching and learning activities at different academic levels in the undergraduate dental program. The organization of courses, access to resources and additional learning materials are available through LMS to support self-directed learning within an integrated PBL curriculum. During this COVID-19 pandemic, courses delivered in student-centered learning methods were immediately moved to full E-learning. In the first half of semester before the pandemic, group discussions, clarification sessions and interactive lectures were carried out in-campus classroom learning while in the second half of semester, learning activities were delivered in full distance learning employing various online meeting platforms. In order to make the format of discussion sessions stay similar as it had been conducted before the pandemic, every online session was delivered synchronously with the attendance of a facilitator in each group. Students and facilitators’ time spent on setting or accomplishing tasks was similar as in classroom learning.

Despite previous reports on the survey of classroom and distance learning [Wiess, 2020], the evaluation on the student-centered active learning approaches that are delivered through blended learning methods compared to full online learning has not been widely available. The majorities of studies on distance learning method reported student perception of virtual learning modules that were integrated with classroom learning. Student feedback could provide important information for the evaluation of distance learning so as to improve future learning strategies. Therefore, the study aimed to analyze student perspective of SCAL delivered through full distance learning compared to the classroom learning in the undergraduate dentistry study program. An online questionnaire was distributed to the undergraduate dental students at the end of semester. We hypothesized students positive outcomes on the acceptance of distance learning as a new learning strategy that was implemented during COVID-19 pandemic condition.

1.2                                 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Nigeria, as is currently the case all over the world, has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To control the spread of the virus, several decisions have been declared including containment, state of a health emergency, and closure of schools and universities since last March 16 and for an undetermined duration. In response to this decision, which affects about 10 million students in the twelve regions of the country, distance learning was adopted to guarantee and to complete the course program.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, many higher institutions have adopted the online teaching method which was fully implemented during covid-19 outbreak. In this context, the Ministry of Education developed various platforms, to implement distance learning during the state of a health emergency which was recommended by world health organisation. Two national television channels have been also used to reach students with difficult access to the Internet. Accompanying the learning tasks, psychosocial counseling services were provided by some universities through phone to help students to manage their quarantine.

1.3                    AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

This study is aimed at evaluating the student perspective of DL compared to classroom learning (CL) in Nigeria using Bell University as the case study. The objectives are:

1. To analysed the impact of using virtual learning platform during covid-19 outbreak
2. To understand the importance of social distancing during covid-19 outbreak

• To reduce the spread of covid-19 in our higher institution

1.4                                  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

There are many covid-19 protocols employed during the pandemic in our institution but in this study a survey was carried out to know the effectivesness of e-learning (which is the best way means of ensuring social distancing) in our higher institutions during covid-19 outbreak. A survey was conducted by distributing an online questionnaire to students. Data gathered from the survey were analyzed with routine statistical software.

1.5                          SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study has made us to understand the impact of observing social distancing during covid-19 outbreak and also it has thrown light on the benefit of e-learning which include increased convenience, access to resources regardless of location and time, and reduction of costs and air pollution. Moreover, following points also indicates and explain the importance of this study.

1. It evaluates the views of Distance
2. It helps to find out advantages of e-learning.
3. It helps to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual learning in our institutions.
4. It helps to identify the limitations of virtual learning in our institutions
5. It can be helpful for to improve the quality of virtual learning platform in our institutions.

1.6                         LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

As we all know that no human effort to achieve a set of goals goes without difficulties, certain constraints were encountered in the course of carrying out this project and they are as follows:-

1. Difficulty in information collection: I found it too difficult in laying hands of useful information regarding this work and this course me to visit different libraries and internet for solution.
2. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

• Time Constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.7                                             RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In the course of carrying this study, numerous sources were used which most of them are by visiting libraries, consulting journal and news papers and online research which Google was the major source that was used.

1.8                                               DEFINITION OF TERMS

E-learning:  E-learning in its broadest sense refers to as using electronic technologies for learning and teaching. The learning activities take place either entirely or partially online. They can be conducted by means of electronic media without the use of the Internet.

Web-based learning: Web-based learning refers to the use of a web browser for learning.

Online learning: Online learning is associated with the provision of electronic content available on a computer/mobile device. It might involve the use of the internet, but the use of a web browser is optional. Online learning can be done through programs or apps installed on your personal device, which can also be used offline.

Distance learning: Distance learning does not have to use electronic and web-based technologies. It means learning from a distance; in other words, the participants are physically separated. Distance learning is related to: Providing instruction to a person who is learning in a place and at a time different from that of the teachers and the other learners

Blended learning: This type of learning combines virtual and traditional forms of teaching. The learning content should be digitalized and made available online. Thus, learners are able to control the learning process in terms of time, place, tempo, and method of learning.

1.9                                 PROJECT ORGANISATION

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuses the introductory part of the work,   chapter two presents the literature review of the study,  chapter three describes the methods applied, chapter four discusses the results of the work, chapter five summarizes the research outcomes and the recommendations.