Covid-19 pandemic has affected learning across the globe. As one way of curbing the spread of the virus, physical learning in schools has been brought to a halt. Most of the learning institutions have ventured into online learning as a way of continuing with the curriculum. The majority of individuals have only been focusing on the positive implications of online learning. However, there is a need to pay attention to some of the negative implications of e-learning. The essay will address a statement of common findings among the selected articles. Also, there will be a common conclusion that will be drawn from all the articles combined. The last section of the essay will discuss how the selected articles have effectively addressed the identified research gap.
Statement of Common Findings Addressed in each Article
The statement of common finding in Hasan & Bao's (2020) article is that e-learning has resulted in distress among learners. The pandemic has disrupted physical learning, and there is a broken connection between the learners and the instructors. The process has made learners be subjected to a challenging situation to cover a wide range of content within a short period. Waterhouse et al. (2018) posit that there is overworking of the learners as they cannot balance between learning online, chores, and the needs of the family members. The findings of the investigation related to that of Hasan & Bao (2020). When the students are being overworked for not having a balance, they end up being victims of mental health issues. A common finding by Kecojevic et al. (2020) is that being concerned with the Covid-19 news is a crucial contributor to the distress that students are experiencing. The common ground established by Kecojevic et al. (2020) differs from that of Hasan & Bao (2020) and Waterhouse et al. (2018). The article emphasizes the need to consider other factors that might be causing distress among learners, such as hearing the Covid-19 news. Lischer et al. (2018) posit that the pandemic has affected learners at different levels. A common finding stipulated in the article is that the effects of the pandemic on students' mental health are attributed to a lack of learning materials. The statement of common findings presented in the article is similar to Al-Kumain et al. (2021). The two articles agree that information overload and the anxiety of using technology in the learning process have resulted in distress among learners.
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According to Fawaz & Samaha (2020), the level of satisfaction of learners in the e-learning platforms varies from each other. A common finding in the article is that there is a variation in the level of distress among the learners based on their perception. The finding is similar to the one presented by Chandra (2020) and Bolatov et al. (2020). The two have an expected outcome suggesting that the distress experienced by learners in the various e-learning platforms is attributed to the shift that the students are facing from traditional physical learning to an online space. How a learner perceives the transition will impact the level of distress they are likely to experience. Most research has focused on the interruption that e-learning has had on the relationship between the teacher and the learner. Dumford & Miller (2018) establish a common ground where there is a need to shift focus on how the broken connection between the learners has resulted in distress. Amiri et al. (2018) establish a common finding of Dumford & Miller (2018). Amiri et al. (2018) posit that the relationship between the learners is one of the resources which contributed to improved performance among the learners. Failure to incorporate such resources like discussion groups in the e-learning platforms has resulted in students' distress.
Conclusions Drawn from the Articles when they are Together as a Single Entity
As a single entity, all the articles agree that e-learning has effectively ensured there is a continuation in the learning process. However, the articles conclude that there is a lot of disturbance resulting from distance learning because there is no balance between chores and studying. The issue has increased psychological distress among the learners. The articles have a common ground of agreement that physical learning was influential in creating a scheduled time for each activity. For instance, while physical learning was taking place, learners could specifically spend most of the time during the day in school or the various learning institutions. However, e-learning has forced learned to attend classes online while at home. Some chores need to be done, at it has been challenging to strike a balance between the two. It is not easy to have smooth learning since there is a lot of disruption that takes place.
How the Studies Inform the Research Gap
The study by Hasan & Bao (2020) informs the research gap by addressing learners' psychological well-being through the various e-learning platforms. Amid the pandemic, learning can only take place online to curb the spread of the virus. However, there is a need to evaluate the mental implications that online learning has on students. The study conducted by Waterhouse et al. (2018) informs the research gap by identifying the leading cause of learners' are experiencing. The information posits that a fundamental cause is not being able to create balance in the responsibilities and school work. Kecojevic et al. (2020) inform the research gap by identifying other factors causing distress among learners, such as unemployment and the Covid-19 news. Technology is good for learning. However, continuous interaction with technology has negative implications. Al-Kumain et al. (2021) and Lischer et al. (2018) inform the research gap by identifying the negative implication of technological learning that causes distress among the learners.
Fawaz & Samaha (2020), Chandra (2020), and Bolatov et al. (2020) inform the research by closing in on the gap where the transition of the learners is put into consideration. There is a need to consider how the learners perceive the whole e-learning process and its effects on their distress level. Dumford & Miller (2018) inform the research gap by highlighting the key factors such as student engagement contributing to their distress. Studies fail to recognize the broken connection between the learners that have negatively impacted the entire learning process. Amiri et al. (2018) inform the research gap by highlighting the resources present in the physical learning process but are mining in the e-learning platforms. An essential resource is a group works. Failing to allocate such resources is one of the primary causes of the distress that learners' are experiencing. The article's outcomes support the idea that there is a need to have a broad perspective while addressing distress among learners in an online learning platform.
References
Al-Kumaim, N.H., Alhazmi, A.K., Mohammed, F., Gazem, N.A., Shabbir, M.S, & Fazea, Y. (2021). Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students' learning life: An integrated conceptual motivational model for sustainable and healthy online learning. Sustainability , 13(4), 2546-2565. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052546
Amiri, M., Mohammad-Khanli, L., & Mirandola, R. (2018). An online learning model based on episode mining for workload prediction in the cloud. Future Generation Computer Systems , 87 , 83-101. DOI:10.1016/j.future.2018.04.044
Bolatov, A. K., Seisembekov, T. Z., Askarova, A. Z., Baikanova, R. K., Smailova, D. S., & Fabbro, E. (2020). Online learning due to COVID-19 improved mental health among medical students. Medical Science Educator , 31 (3), 183–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-01165-y
Chandra, Y. (2020). Online education during COVID-19: Perception of academic stress and emotional intelligence coping strategies among college students. Asian Education and Development Studies, 10 (2), 229-238. DOI 10.1108/AEDS-05-2020-0097
Dumford, A. D., & Miller, A. L. (2018). Online learning in higher education: exploring advantages and disadvantages for engagement. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 30 (3), 452-465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-018-9179-z
Fawaz, M., & Samaha, A. (2020). E-learning: Depression, anxiety, and stress symptomatology among Lebanese university students during COVID-19 quarantine. Nursing Forum, 56 (1), 52-67. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12521
Hasan, N., & Bao, Y. (2020). Impact of "e-Learning crack-up" perception on psychological distress among college students during COVID-19 pandemic: A mediating role of "fear of academic year loss. Children and Youth Services Review, 118 (3), 53-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105355
Kecojevic, A., Basch, C. H., Sullivan, M., & Davi, N. K. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the mental health of undergraduate students in New Jersey, cross-sectional study. PloS one, 15 (9), 23-42. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239696
Lischer, S., Safi, N., & Dickson, C. (2021). Remote learning and students' mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: A mixed-method inquiry. P rospects , 12 (3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09530-w
Waterhouse, P., Samra, R., & Lucassen, M. (2020). Mental distress and its relationship to distance education students' work and family roles. Distance Education, 41 (4), 540-558. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2020.1821606
