Synchronous online learning during movement control order in higher education institutions: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Higher education institutions (HEI) are not spared from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The closure of campuses because of the movement control order (MCO) to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 has forced HEIs to adopt online learning, especially synchronous online learning (SOL). Although teaching and learning can be continued via SOL, retaining students’ interest and sustaining their engagement have not been sufficiently explored. This study presents a systematic review of the research pertaining to SOL associated with students’ interest and engagement in HEIs during the MCO environment. Methods: Five major online databases, i.e., EBSCOhost, Science Direct, Emerald, Scopus and Springer were searched to collect relevant papers published between 1st January 2010 to 15th June 2021 including conference proceedings, peer-reviewed papers and dissertations. Papers written in the English language, based in full-fledged universities, and with these five keywords: (i) synchronous online learning, (ii) engagement, (iii) interest, (iv) MCO/Covid-19 and (v) HEI, were included. Papers focussing on synchronous and asynchronous online learning in schools and colleges were excluded. Each paper was reviewed by two reviewers in order to confirm the eligibility based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: We found 31 papers of which six papers were related to SOL, engagement and interest in HEIs in the MCO environment. Our review presents three major findings: (i) limited research has been conducted on SOL associated with students’ engagement and interest, (ii) studies related to the context of HEIs in the MCO environment are limited, and (iii) the understanding of the new phenomena through qualitative research is insufficient. We highlight the SOL alignment with students’ engagement, interest, style preference, learner interaction effectiveness, behavior and academic performance. Conclusions: We believe that the findings of this study are timely and require attention from the research community.

University students’ and educators’ perceptions on the use of digital and social media platforms: A sentiment analysis and a multi-country review

“…In the case of Turkey and other European or Asian countries such as Romania, Poland, Malaysia and China, which are considered as technologically advanced countries that already promoted technological competences in HEIs curricula, 15 , 38 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 online learning had already been provided in some universities, including various LMS and asynchronous modes of teaching. Additionally, the literature reports the established centers in these HEIs dedicated to providing technical assistance, such as the Continuing Education Center (CEC) in Turkish universities or the Center for Distance Education (CDE), specialized in carrying out online education services.…”

“…As many students and faculty members alike—mostly females—choose not to turn on their cameras, due to privacy and cultural constraints, a full learning experience could not be achieved in many of these settings. 83 , 94 , 103 , 104 In the following Section 3.2 , there is more perusal of the challenges learners and educators faced and the opportunities that emerged from the crisis, as well as a sentiment analysis are depicted.…”