Regulation of Digital Behavior Models for Knowledge Transfer: Organizational Concerns of Remote Learning

Abstract

Research on behavior regulation was carried out after several months of social isolation, provoked by the pandemic, between the months of February and March 2020. In spring 2020, many higher education institutions began to introduce digital tools of education, remote learning, and distance teaching. The reaction during the first weeks and months was negative, but the experience of this remote regime of work and learning continued into the autumn semester due to COVID-19. This experience included the perceptions of new organizational approaches that were needed to regulate digital behavior as a specific type of strategy and choices made in the virtual space. This need was expressed in an understanding of the improvements to be implemented in the organization of educational processes at traditional institutions to efficiently apply the remote learning regime. Between December 2020 and March 2021, six focus groups were conducted to investigate if the regulation of behavior for remote work and learning (work for university administrative staff and academic teachers; studying for students) differed, with informal interviews also conducted to check the validity of the opinions formulated. The hypotheses of the lack of responsibility, and of iterative accomplishment of shorter and simpler tasks, were supported with the data obtained. The hypothesis on an imbalanced vision of mutual interests, and of the assessments of gains and costs of the remote activity, was confirmed. The hypothesis of the externalization of motivation was neither confirmed nor rejected, contradictory opinions were obtained, and, thus, further quantitative study is required. The conclusions based on the obtained results included support for improving the regulation mechanisms required to organize knowledge transfer when digital tools are applied at traditional educational institutions. To enhance the remote regime of learning, redesign and reorganization is necessary when considering the assistance needed by teachers and learners. Specific organizational efforts need to be implemented to restructure the teaching to shorter sequences, to stimulate the creativity of both teachers and learners (due to the readiness to experiment and the lack of critics, and constant access to online bases), and to identify the borders of the “sandbox” to clearly define and articulate the common rules of behavior.

Revolutionizing Health Education: The Dynamic Shift of E-Learning Platforms

“…Despite these advancements, the integration of e-learning in health education was met with skepticism. Traditionalists questioned the efficacy of digital learning, citing concerns over the loss of the human touch that is so integral to healthcare and education [16,17]. There was also apprehension about the ability of e-learning platforms to simulate the hands-on experience required for training.…”

“…These innovative pedagogies have been adapted to a wide range of health education contexts. In medical education, interactive modules and simulations have been used to teach anatomy, pathophysiology, and other skills [17]. In nursing education, they provide hands-on practice in patient care and emergency response.…”

Comparative study of face-to-face and virtual learning modalities

“…Otras regiones con telecomunicaciones menos desarrollados tuvieron que emplear tecnologías de segunda generación como la radio o la televisión para mantener cierta continuidad en el proceso educativo. Esto supuso una experiencia nueva tanto para profesores como para los estudiantes, quienes acusaron las consecuencias de trabajar y estudiar en entornos que no les eran habituales [3].…”

“…A pesar de que la transformación digital se ha venido gestando como un proceso natural dentro de prácticamente todas las esferas sociales, fue a causa de la pandemia de 2019, que su adopción e implementación en los sistemas educativos a nivel mundial se vio acelerada de manera drástica, convirtiéndose en una de las pocas alternativas que poseían los entes educativos para mantener la continuidad de los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje cuando la presencialidad de los estudiantes en las aulas no resultaba posible [2]. Esta adopción, obligada por las circunstancias sanitarias, ha resultado en que, incluso en estos momentos de transición hacia una normalidad social postpandemia, las herramientas y los enfoques digitales ya sean parte de la estructura metodológica de muchos centros educativos de todo nivel y que aún se estén afinando las prácticas metodológicas que exploten el potencial de las mismas [3].…”

Students' Perceptions towards Blended Learning during Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Since 2020, many restrictions have been imposed by the Indonesian government with the aim of breaking the chain of the spread of COVID-19. These activity restrictions are also applied in the field of education where teaching and learning activities cannot be carried out directly and are transferred online (Pokrovskaia, Leontyeva, Ababkova, & D'Ascenzo, 2021., Hebebci, Bertiz, & Alan, 2020. This COVID-19 pandemic urges teachers and students to carry out distance education which has never been done simultaneously before Damayanthi (2020).…”