Impact of Virtual Classrooms on Student Learning Outcomes

Caruth, G. D., & Caruth, D. L. (2013). The Impact of Distance Education on Higher Education: A Case Study of the United States. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education , 14 (4), 121–131. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1042587

The authors present a case study on the United States to study the effect of online education on higher education. They present two research questions. The first question is on the events unfolding the development of distance education in the United States. The second research question focuses on the emergent themes over time. The research uses a case study method in qualitative analysis. The method is effective in attempting to examine one area of concern using a single bounded system. Typical of case studies, the research focuses on using secondary sources, historical and document analysis to collect data. Thus, it derived information from online sources, journal articles, and books. The research performed a holistic analysis of the entire case study to identify emergent themes. As a result, it developed naturalistic generalizations, which are implications for applying higher education to a population of cases. The research found out that online education is a significant and growing part of higher education. Many complex changes have resulted from the study. The research calls for further studies on the impact and focuses on other countries.

This journal article lays the foundation for my argument. It acknowledges that online learning has presented various changes in United States education. Thus, the impact of online classrooms is significant and can be assessed. The article uses the correct rhetoric and advances on accessing the information from past sources which are compiled. I will use the information to develop my research and analysis. The article plays a major role in developing the point of argument. Some questions arise from this study which I can use to perform further assessments. One of them is on how long the growth will continue. This research is revolutionary. It is essential to use an article on online classes that are written before 2020. This is because online classes before the year 2020 were not so sophisticated in most areas, and there was no pressure like the one caused in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dhawan, S. (2020). Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems , 49 (1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018

Dhawan's study offers a SWOC analysis of e-learning in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research bases its background on India's online systems and their development in the pandemic period. According to Dhawan, India has not made enough advancements towards fostering online classes and has been using the traditional face-to-face learning system. The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has compelled the country's institutions to focus on online learning. The research conducts a SWOC analysis using data from different sources. The methodology is descriptive research considering the qualitative aspects. Data collected was from secondary sources such as websites, journal articles, reports, and other publications. The research paradigm presents results in four sections, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. The strengths of online classrooms are flexibility in time and location, wider audience, more availability of resources, and immediate feedback. The weaknesses were technical difficulties, learner's capability and confidence, distractions, lack of attention, and poor time management. The opportunities were the creation of scope for advancement in technology and innovation, designing flexible programs, improvement in essential skills, and all-inclusive systems. Unequal distribution of technology, low quality of education, lack of knowledge on the management of digital systems, and the technological cost were the challenges.

The research by Dhawan is essential in the study on the impact of virtual classrooms on learner outcomes. Dhawan explores the Indian online learning system and performs a SWOC analysis. This is essential in developing a research pathway. Since the system's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges are well explored, it is easier to understand the relation to the educational outcomes of the system. A SWOC analysis is an essential part of a research paper since it gives a better view of the situation. Online classes were new in India, and the country was trying to implement them despite some gaps in the system. A SWOC analysis explains how far it moved.

Zalat, M. M., Hamed, M. S., & Bolbol, S. A. (2021). The experiences, challenges, and acceptance of e-learning as a tool for teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic among university medical staff. PLOS ONE , 16 (3), e0248758. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248758

The research performs an analysis on the perceptions of the university medical staff on e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article explains that e-learning has not been used extensively in most countries till the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, which forced the entire world to resort to online mechanisms. The study accesses the experiences and challenges of the online study system—the institution under focus in the Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia Governate, Egypt. The study was performed on the institution for one month, from September 1st to October 1st, 2020. The study invited medical personnel who were engaged in teaching online classes. The data was collected through questionnaires that accessed four things: the participants' socio-demographic and occupation data, university staff perceptions, barriers and challenges, and acceptance of e-learning. According to the research results, 36.1 % of the staff strongly agreed, and 63.9% agreed that online study allows staff to teach at their own pace. 88% agreed that their educational experience was fostered by technological skills acquired from online classes. While 43.9% of the participants agreed that online course tests were more difficult for students, 44.2% of the staff disagreed. Using TAM, the research shows that 77.1% of the staff agreed to the usefulness of the research.

This research is more useful in understanding the impact of the online learning models on student learning outcomes. The research assesses the response of the teachers on online learning. The teachers support online learning. In my article, I will use the staff's response on online test difficulty for students in developing my research. This can be considered as a parameter to assess the student learning outcomes. For the teachers, we see their learning process, and online classrooms foster the teaching process, and most think the students find virtual tests easier. This can be used to build on the student satisfaction point.

Gopal, R., Singh, V., & Aggarwal, A. (2021). Impact of online classes on the satisfaction and performance of students during the pandemic period of COVID 19. Education and Information Technologies . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10523-1

The article presents a quantitative study used to understand the impact of online classes on the satisfaction and performance of students during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Like the other online classes, the article's background is based on the COVID-19 impact on human interactions, which results in the sudden adoption of online classes. The research has multiple hypotheses. The first hypothesis states that student satisfaction is positively affected by the quality of the instructor. The second hypothesis states that there is a positive correlation between the course design and student satisfaction. The third hypothesis states that student satisfaction is positively affected by prompt feedback. The fourth, student expectation positively affects student satisfaction. The fifth states that performance is positively affected by satisfaction. The sixth hypothesis considers satisfaction as a mediator.

The study was performed with 544 respondents. These were students of management (especially hotel management). The research comprised two sections: demographic variables and the second measuring student expectation, performance, satisfaction, prompt feedback, course design, and instructor quality. The research adopted a descriptive design. Independent variables were course design, prompt feedback. And student expectation, while the student performance was the dependent variable and student satisfaction a mediator. The results indicate that the independent variables positively affect student satisfaction and that student satisfaction positively affects performance. According to the results, student expectations have a positive correlation with student satisfaction. As well, prompt feedback increases student satisfaction. There is a positive relationship between the quality of the instructor and student satisfaction. Student satisfaction, in turn, improves student performance.

This research article is important in understanding the concept of student outcomes. Performance and satisfaction can be used to understand student outcomes. This article is important in helping my hypothesis formulation. When the instructor quality is elevated, the course design improved, student expectations are raised, student outcomes are increased.

Spitzer, M. W. H., & Musslick, S. (2021). Academic performance of K-12 students in an online-learning environment for mathematics increased during the shutdown of schools in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. PLOS ONE , 16 (8), e0255629. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255629

This article is more specific in assessing the impact of virtual learning on K-12 students in mathematics. The research used software to analyze data on students, which was tabulated before and after the closedown of schools. This data is from over 2500 K-12 students and includes over 124,000 mathematical problems. There were three dependent variables presented by the study which would help analyze performance. The first was an absolute error on every mathematical problem. The relative error was considered, which explains the relationship of the error to the difficulty of the problem. The third variable was problem set difficulty. The results show a steady decrease in absolute and relative error averages, while difficulty remains fairly constant. From the results and data analysis, the research presents an improved performance in the students' performance from before the onset of virtual classes to after they became the new normal. There were significant improvements in the performances for students with low performances before the studies were conducted. The gap between high achieving students and low achieving students increased, according to the study. In conclusion, the article deduced that online classes are important in preventing curriculum loss resulting from the closure of schools.

The information presented in this article is fundamental in my hypothesis formulation. The weakness of the research was in its coverage of progress. The research compared the results in two points in time, before the closure of schools and after. If the article presented information on the progress of the K-12 students after the pandemic, it would be better. However, the results are satisfactory and present a foundation for further studies on the progress. My research will use it and expound on the things the article left out. The research presents the improvement in performance by analyzing two variables: absolute error and relative error, both of which play an important role in understanding student performance.

Mpungose, C. B. (2020). Emergent transition from face-to-face to online learning in a South African University in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications , 7 (1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00603-x

This article makes a further step into studying virtual classrooms. It explores the digital divide problem in South Africa and approaches to enable access to e-learning for every student. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, South African universities have been forced to resort to using online learning and avoid face-to-face learning because of the problems it presents. The problem existing is the lack of access to e-learning resources by some students. The research uses a qualitative approach, and a research sample of 26 students was selected due to their accessibility. The research uses an explorative case study design to explore the student experiences with e-learning. There were two research questions evident in the study. The first was on the students' experience on the transition from face-to-face learning and the student's experiences in online learning. The research results were that the digital diversity in South Africa harmed the success of e-learning.

This article enables the exploration of the issue from both sides. There are advantages presented by virtual learning. However, this proves ineffective in places that present digital inequalities. Instructors expect that their students should access the resources for online learning. However, this is not achieved in some cases. There is a need for further studies on the best approaches that can help disadvantaged students in third-world countries access the resources. This would be important in preventing adverse effects if there is another pandemic in the future that may result in the closedown of face-to-face learning. Using this article, my research will focus on educational inequalities and what is needed to satisfy them. The paper will also include the article on SWOC analysis to check what is needed for the virtual classrooms to be developed in South Africa. Thus, we will give recommendations on the improvements that need to be done to remove the digital divide and open up to the opportunity of advancement of virtual classes.

AlAteeq, D. A., Aljhani, S., & AlEesa, D. (2020). Perceived stress among students in virtual classrooms during the COVID-19 outbreak in KSA. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences , 15 (5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2020.07.004

This article focuses on the effect of virtual classrooms on perceived stress in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, like other countries, was affected by the pandemic and resorted to online classes as opposed to face-to-face learning. The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted on 367 students in Saudi Arabia above 12 years of age. The research was comprised of an online survey that collected data from students. The data was: socio-demographic characteristics and the perceived stress scale. A qualitative question was asked on the emotions and concerns of the students. The research integrated qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve its aims. 74.7% of the respondents were female, and 79.8% were in secondary school. 55% of the participants had a moderate stress level, while 30.2% had a high stress level. The qualitative study reported students' anger, lack of motivation, fear, anxiety, stress, and depression of anger. The stress can be attributed to distance learning and the mandatory curfew imposed in Saudi Arabia.

This is a good research article on the negative impact of virtual classes on students. Focusing on the Saudi Arabian students, mostly female, the researchers find out that virtual classes result in higher stress levels. This research is important to use in my review of the literature. High stress in students hypothetically leads to poor performance. The relationship between stress and student performance is analyzed in another article. The article lays the foundation for the understanding of the negative impacts of virtual classrooms. However, the article may not be accurate since other factors resulting in stress are not virtual classrooms. The article did not expound on the PSS of the participants when they were not subjected to virtual classes either. However, using the information given in the article, we can explore a source that can connect the health aspects of the student brain like stress and anxiety and the role they play in affecting performance, directly or indirectly.

Pascoe, M. C., Hetrick, S. E., & Parker, A. G. (2019). The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth , 25 (1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823

This article is related to the previous article on the relationship between distance learning and stress in students. The article relates the previous article to learning outcomes. This is a secondary study. It was based on online articles to understand the effect of stress on student performance. The research finds out that there is a positive relationship between self-reported stress and anxiety. Using cognitive, psychological, and social measures, it is determined that there is lower well-being for students who report high academic-related stress. Poor quality of life is reported for students who undergo stress in higher institutions. Thus, the health of the students is impacted by stress. Stress, depression, and anxiety are responsible for affecting academic achievement. Focusing on research in the United States on undergraduate students, students with high stress have low performance in classwork. High stress is also related to poor reading and writing outcomes. Swedish studies also indicate that it is unlikely for a stressed individual to continue to pursue higher education. Academic-related stress is reported to cause drug and substance use which affects performance. Stress negatively affects normal sleep patterns. Thus, the students undergoing stress are less likely to have adequate sleep. This, in turn, affects the performance of the students. Test performance for students is recorded to be lower when they are under stress.

The previous article indicated that virtual classes result in stress in students. This research explores the stress in students and how it affects their academic performance. The secondary research was satisfactory in collecting data from various sources. It uses logos rhetoric and logically explains the impact of stress on performance, drug abuse, and lack of sleep. We can use this article as a connector. The article relates the previous article to our aims of understanding the impact of virtual classes on learners. It plays an important role in gaining information from secondary sources.

Çakıroğlu, Ü. (2014). Evaluating students' perspectives about virtual classrooms with regard to Seven Principles of Good Practice. South African Journal of Education , 34 (2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.15700/201412071201

This study uses the Seven Principles of Good Practice to assess the use of virtual learning in higher education. Since the article was written before the COVID-19 pandemic, it is best to analyze online learning without focusing on the pressures presented by the pandemic. The study used a questionnaire and observed student behavior in an online class introducing a programming language. It included 77 participants, 31 of whom were female and 46 males. The introductory programming language course was taught for five hours a week for fourteen weeks. The research results suggested that the SPGP principles were evident in the virtual classroom. This was done y analyzing the contact between the student and the faculty, the cooperation among students, time on task for teachers, prompt feedback, and high expectations. For the learners, active learning was assessed together with diverse talents and ways of learning. The author of the article places more importance on interaction in improving corrective feedback. Thus, instructors need to set up interactive conditions. 

The research is essential in understanding the perspectives of the teachers and students on virtual classrooms. It presents an SPHP-based evaluation in its study. The article is important in my research because it provides evidence for the positive sides of virtual learning. It does not deal with the impact but the quality of virtual classrooms in fostering learning. From the article, the quality of virtual classrooms is considered to be satisfactory, and thus they are convenient means of learning. Despite the educational inequalities in play in the current world and the lack of access to resources, virtual learning remains an important way to dispense knowledge. Our research is more focused on the impact of virtual classrooms on student outcomes, which integrates learning with satisfaction and performance. The article connects with other articles to understand the issue.

Paskin, N. (1999). Toward unique identifiers. Proceedings of the IEEE , 87 (7), 1208–1227. https://doi.org/10.1109/5.771073

This article was important, including in my research, due to its summative assessment. The research paper assesses online literature sources and explains the history of distance learning its advantages and disadvantages. The article presents five advantages of distance learning. The first is the ability to study from anywhere. Virtual classrooms ensure inclusivity and accessibility. The author mentions international learning and how it has been fostered by online learning. The second advantage is the saving of money which is related to the first advantage. Students don't have to move to new places and study there. The third advantage is on commuting. Online classes do away with commuting as they need an internet connection and a computer device. In addition, online learning is presented to be more flexible, time-saving and may enable students to maintain the balance between learning, hustling, and fun. The disadvantages presented include high chances of distraction, complicated technology, lack of social interaction, lack of direct contact with the instructors, and the job markets which do not accept online degrees. The article makes suggestions for improved distance learning. It goes hand in hand with one of the research articles presented before by supporting an improvement in teaching quality to foster student satisfaction. As well, there should be clear communication and delivery of prompt feedback. Enough resources should be made available to improve learning too.

It is important to include this article in my research since it helps me understand the bigger picture of virtual classrooms and their impacts. The advantages and disadvantages are discussed clearly, which makes it easier to understand. This article gives more information and supports some articles developed after it. Thus, it is important to be included in the research. Even though it was not primary research, it ensures synchronization between the secondary sources used to achieve the aim. My research shall use the article to analyze the advantages and disadvantages and connect it with the other sources.