project on online education system

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• Published: 25 January 2021

Online education in the post-COVID era

• Barbara B. Lockee 1  

Nature Electronics volume  4 ,  pages 5–6 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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The coronavirus pandemic has forced students and educators across all levels of education to rapidly adapt to online learning. The impact of this — and the developments required to make it work — could permanently change how education is delivered.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to engage in the ubiquitous use of virtual learning. And while online and distance learning has been used before to maintain continuity in education, such as in the aftermath of earthquakes 1 , the scale of the current crisis is unprecedented. Speculation has now also begun about what the lasting effects of this will be and what education may look like in the post-COVID era. For some, an immediate retreat to the traditions of the physical classroom is required. But for others, the forced shift to online education is a moment of change and a time to reimagine how education could be delivered 2 .

Looking back

Online education has traditionally been viewed as an alternative pathway, one that is particularly well suited to adult learners seeking higher education opportunities. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has required educators and students across all levels of education to adapt quickly to virtual courses. (The term ‘emergency remote teaching’ was coined in the early stages of the pandemic to describe the temporary nature of this transition 3 .) In some cases, instruction shifted online, then returned to the physical classroom, and then shifted back online due to further surges in the rate of infection. In other cases, instruction was offered using a combination of remote delivery and face-to-face: that is, students can attend online or in person (referred to as the HyFlex model 4 ). In either case, instructors just had to figure out how to make it work, considering the affordances and constraints of the specific learning environment to create learning experiences that were feasible and effective.

The use of varied delivery modes does, in fact, have a long history in education. Mechanical (and then later electronic) teaching machines have provided individualized learning programmes since the 1950s and the work of B. F. Skinner 5 , who proposed using technology to walk individual learners through carefully designed sequences of instruction with immediate feedback indicating the accuracy of their response. Skinner’s notions formed the first formalized representations of programmed learning, or ‘designed’ learning experiences. Then, in the 1960s, Fred Keller developed a personalized system of instruction 6 , in which students first read assigned course materials on their own, followed by one-on-one assessment sessions with a tutor, gaining permission to move ahead only after demonstrating mastery of the instructional material. Occasional class meetings were held to discuss concepts, answer questions and provide opportunities for social interaction. A personalized system of instruction was designed on the premise that initial engagement with content could be done independently, then discussed and applied in the social context of a classroom.

These predecessors to contemporary online education leveraged key principles of instructional design — the systematic process of applying psychological principles of human learning to the creation of effective instructional solutions — to consider which methods (and their corresponding learning environments) would effectively engage students to attain the targeted learning outcomes. In other words, they considered what choices about the planning and implementation of the learning experience can lead to student success. Such early educational innovations laid the groundwork for contemporary virtual learning, which itself incorporates a variety of instructional approaches and combinations of delivery modes.

Online learning and the pandemic

Fast forward to 2020, and various further educational innovations have occurred to make the universal adoption of remote learning a possibility. One key challenge is access. Here, extensive problems remain, including the lack of Internet connectivity in some locations, especially rural ones, and the competing needs among family members for the use of home technology. However, creative solutions have emerged to provide students and families with the facilities and resources needed to engage in and successfully complete coursework 7 . For example, school buses have been used to provide mobile hotspots, and class packets have been sent by mail and instructional presentations aired on local public broadcasting stations. The year 2020 has also seen increased availability and adoption of electronic resources and activities that can now be integrated into online learning experiences. Synchronous online conferencing systems, such as Zoom and Google Meet, have allowed experts from anywhere in the world to join online classrooms 8 and have allowed presentations to be recorded for individual learners to watch at a time most convenient for them. Furthermore, the importance of hands-on, experiential learning has led to innovations such as virtual field trips and virtual labs 9 . A capacity to serve learners of all ages has thus now been effectively established, and the next generation of online education can move from an enterprise that largely serves adult learners and higher education to one that increasingly serves younger learners, in primary and secondary education and from ages 5 to 18.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also likely to have a lasting effect on lesson design. The constraints of the pandemic provided an opportunity for educators to consider new strategies to teach targeted concepts. Though rethinking of instructional approaches was forced and hurried, the experience has served as a rare chance to reconsider strategies that best facilitate learning within the affordances and constraints of the online context. In particular, greater variance in teaching and learning activities will continue to question the importance of ‘seat time’ as the standard on which educational credits are based 10 — lengthy Zoom sessions are seldom instructionally necessary and are not aligned with the psychological principles of how humans learn. Interaction is important for learning but forced interactions among students for the sake of interaction is neither motivating nor beneficial.

While the blurring of the lines between traditional and distance education has been noted for several decades 11 , the pandemic has quickly advanced the erasure of these boundaries. Less single mode, more multi-mode (and thus more educator choices) is becoming the norm due to enhanced infrastructure and developed skill sets that allow people to move across different delivery systems 12 . The well-established best practices of hybrid or blended teaching and learning 13 have served as a guide for new combinations of instructional delivery that have developed in response to the shift to virtual learning. The use of multiple delivery modes is likely to remain, and will be a feature employed with learners of all ages 14 , 15 . Future iterations of online education will no longer be bound to the traditions of single teaching modes, as educators can support pedagogical approaches from a menu of instructional delivery options, a mix that has been supported by previous generations of online educators 16 .

Also significant are the changes to how learning outcomes are determined in online settings. Many educators have altered the ways in which student achievement is measured, eliminating assignments and changing assessment strategies altogether 17 . Such alterations include determining learning through strategies that leverage the online delivery mode, such as interactive discussions, student-led teaching and the use of games to increase motivation and attention. Specific changes that are likely to continue include flexible or extended deadlines for assignment completion 18 , more student choice regarding measures of learning, and more authentic experiences that involve the meaningful application of newly learned skills and knowledge 19 , for example, team-based projects that involve multiple creative and social media tools in support of collaborative problem solving.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, technological and administrative systems for implementing online learning, and the infrastructure that supports its access and delivery, had to adapt quickly. While access remains a significant issue for many, extensive resources have been allocated and processes developed to connect learners with course activities and materials, to facilitate communication between instructors and students, and to manage the administration of online learning. Paths for greater access and opportunities to online education have now been forged, and there is a clear route for the next generation of adopters of online education.

Before the pandemic, the primary purpose of distance and online education was providing access to instruction for those otherwise unable to participate in a traditional, place-based academic programme. As its purpose has shifted to supporting continuity of instruction, its audience, as well as the wider learning ecosystem, has changed. It will be interesting to see which aspects of emergency remote teaching remain in the next generation of education, when the threat of COVID-19 is no longer a factor. But online education will undoubtedly find new audiences. And the flexibility and learning possibilities that have emerged from necessity are likely to shift the expectations of students and educators, diminishing further the line between classroom-based instruction and virtual learning.

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Lockee, B.B. Online education in the post-COVID era. Nat Electron 4 , 5–6 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-020-00534-0

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Digital learning and transformation of education

Digital technologies have evolved from stand-alone projects to networks of tools and programmes that connect people and things across the world, and help address personal and global challenges. Digital innovation has demonstrated powers to complement, enrich and transform education, and has the potential to speed up progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) for education and transform modes of provision of universal access to learning. It can enhance the quality and relevance of learning, strengthen inclusion, and improve education administration and governance. In times of crises, distance learning can mitigate the effects of education disruption and school closures.

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Project-Based Approach to Enhance Online Learning: A Case of Teaching Systems Thinking and System Dynamics Modeling

• First Online: 23 September 2023

Cite this chapter

• Sreenivasulu Bellam 4  

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Teaching online poses challenges in terms of meaningful student engagement, physical interactions, and also delivering the content. To keep students actively engaged and motivated for their learning and to achieve the intended learning outcomes of a course, it is essential to implement appropriate learner-centric pedagogy. For this, project-based approach favors collaborative learning in small groups and offers opportunities to engage students for effective and active participation online. Any systems thinking course also requires a project/problem-based approach to enable students to learn to model real-world problems. This chapter presents an example of the implementation of a project-based approach to teach systems thinking and system dynamics modeling while engaging students in online settings. It also focuses on how students can be engaged online effectively to learn collaboratively from the project, and through a workable framework of TPACK. The author integrates content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and technology-enabled learning (TPK) via Zoom as the online platform.

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Integrated Experience: Through Project-Based Learning

An Educational Experience with Online Teaching – Not a Best Practice

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Bellam, S. (2023). Project-Based Approach to Enhance Online Learning: A Case of Teaching Systems Thinking and System Dynamics Modeling. In: So-Sum Wai-Cook, M., Saleh, A., Bista, K. (eds) Online Teaching and Learning in Asian Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38129-4_5

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

The influence of online education on pre-service teachers’ academic experiences at a higher education institution in the united arab emirates.

• College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Online education has gained widespread adoption in recent years due to several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the growth of online education, with universities transitioning to online platforms to continue their activities. However, this transition has also impacted the preparation of pre-service teachers, who receive training to become licensed or certified teachers. This study investigates the influence of online education on the academic experiences of 130 pre-service teachers attending the Postgraduate Diploma Program at Al Ain University in the UAE. It also explores the relationships between pre-service teachers’ demographics and five academic experiences. A quantitative questionnaire consisting of five newly-developed scales was used for data collection. Pre-service teachers’ demographics were found not to impact effective teaching and learning, skill development, or satisfaction. Age and employment status were found not to influence pre-service teachers’ views of faculty online assessment and feedback or course organization and management. However, online course organization and management and faculty online assessment and feedback were significantly correlated with marital status as engagement and motivation with employment status was, but not with age or marital status. Effective teaching and learning, faculty assessment, and feedback positively impacted pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation, while effective teaching and learning and course organization correlated with pre-service teachers’ skill development and satisfaction. Research on online education and pre-service teachers’ experiences post-pandemic is limited. Thus, future studies should explore this relationship to understand better pre-service teachers’ online learning experiences, involvement, and success.

Introduction

The widespread adoption of online education is variously attributed to technological advances, revolutionized delivery of educational content, and the flexibility and convenience of anytime, anywhere access. Enrolment in online education grew steadily for a decade in the United States, reaching 6.3 million students in 2016 ( Jiang et al., 2019 ). However, many students and faculty members had little or no online teaching/learning experience until the COVID-19 pandemic ( Rajab et al., 2020 ), when growth accelerated as campuses closed and higher education (HE) institutions rapidly transitioned to online teaching platforms ( Liguori and Winkler, 2020 ).

The pandemic also impacted the training and instruction of pre-service teachers on programs delivering the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to teach effectively. While the transition to online education has brought opportunities for pre-service teachers, impediments to its effectiveness include technical difficulties, unfamiliarity with online tools, and limited access to reliable devices and internet connections ( Salifu and Owusu-Boateng, 2022 ), underscoring the need for effective online teaching strategies and support for students and educators ( Okyere et al., 2022 ). For example, online education requires pre-service teachers to develop digital literacy and technological skills, such as proficiently navigating online platforms and adapting to video conferencing tools and learning management systems ( Aristeidou and Herodotou, 2020 ). During the pandemic, Lee et al. (2022) report that pre-service teachers became more familiar with online technologies, enhancing their digital competencies to effectively transform course materials to online versions, deliver instruction, provide academic support to future students in virtual classrooms, and resolve technical issues. Thus, pre-service teachers’ technological integration and competence will likely continue to expand and be an asset for their future teaching practices ( Özüdoğru and Cakir, 2020 ).

Pre-service teachers worldwide face several hurdles during the shift to online education, such as problems related to internet connectivity, student engagement, and pedagogical abilities ( Bunyamin, 2021 ; Gustine, 2021 ). However, additional issues become relevant while considering the particular circumstances of pre-service teachers in the UAE. A study by Mohebi et al. (2022) suggests that the socioeconomic and cultural disparities in UAE classrooms can present distinct difficulties during online practicum, in contrast to Western environments. Moreover, Emirati pre-service teachers may encounter particular difficulties associated with the presence of diverse students in inclusive classrooms ( Saqr and Tennant, 2016 ).

Although research has shown that online teacher training programs effectively prepare pre-service teachers for inclusive teaching, it is important to note that the findings may not be widely applicable due to the small number of participants and the specific settings, such as private universities in the UAE. This highlights the necessity for doing more extensive research that considers a wider variety of institutions and participants to fill the research gap and comprehend the difficulties and possibilities encountered by pre-service teachers in the UAE. Examining the shift to online education for pre-service teachers in the UAE is important because it enables the customization of teacher education programs to suit the unique requirements of this setting. To better equip future educators for success in the UAE educational system, teacher education programs should focus on recognizing and tackling the distinct problems pre-service teachers encounter.

Higher education in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has invested heavily in becoming a global HE hub, attracting foreign students through international branch campuses and programs ( Karabchuk et al., 2021 ). The COVID-19 pandemic impacted HE in the UAE as institutions adapted to online learning ( Mukasa et al., 2021 ), compelling HE institutions in the UAE to switch to online learning to protect students’ safety while continuing the broader transition to entirely online learning ( Al Dulaimi et al., 2022 ). This impacted the academic experience of learners and teachers and the provision of educational continuity and quality ( Omar et al., 2021 ). For example, the UAE Ministry of Education implemented a virtual learning initiative delivering financial aid, resources, and support for teachers and students to access remote learning tools and technologies such as tablets and laptops ( Shah, 2023 ). It is significant that while COVID-19 accelerated the acceptance of online learning, it was not uncommon pre-COVID, when training programs and colleges began shifting toward more online, self-directed learning ( Silkens et al., 2023 ).

Reforms to HE in the UAE, primarily in reaction to the pandemic, have also impacted the education of pre-service teachers. For example, in order to ensure that they receive essential practical training and assistance, it has been necessary to amend the methodologies and approaches of their training programs. The abrupt move to online/ hybrid learning has significantly impacted the pre-service teacher observation and training components, according to Quirke and Saeed AlShamsi (2023) , who explored a “phygital” community of interest, combining physical and digital components to enable pre-service teachers to provide reflective peer observation of teaching in online learning contexts within the UAE. This involved observing colleagues’ teaching to provide constructive feedback, ensuring that pre-service teachers continue to receive beneficial practical instruction and assistance.

The postgraduate Professional Diploma in Teaching Program

Al Ain University in the UAE offers a Professional Diploma in Teaching Program (PDTP) for holders of bachelor’s degrees in relevant disciplines. Its curriculum of theoretical coursework and practical teaching experience covers a range of teaching-related topics, including educational psychology, assessment and evaluation, classroom management, curriculum development, and educational technology, emphasizing the development of the teaching skills these pre-service teachers will need. They are exposed to many pedagogical approaches and techniques and are urged to use what they learn in actual classroom situations. The PDTP strongly emphasizes how technology can be used effectively to enhance teaching and learning, offering pre-service teachers the knowledge and skills to design stimulating and dynamic learning environments. Its graduates should have the knowledge, competencies, and skills necessary to succeed in education and contribute to the growth of the sector in the UAE by working as teachers in a range of public and private educational settings. During the pandemic, Al Ain University had to shift the PDTP entirely online to ensure continuity of education for pre-service teachers, using platforms such as Moodle, Teams, and Google Classroom to deliver remote learning.

Literature review

This section reviews literature on the challenges and advantages of online learning for pre-service teachers; the quality of online teaching; engagement, motivation, skill development, and satisfaction in online education; and online education and pre-service teachers’ characteristics.

Challenges of online learning for pre-service teachers

The significant challenges for pre-service teachers of switching to online learning and adjusting to new platforms and technologies include poor internet connections, lack of enthusiasm, and increased stress ( Zheng et al., 2021 ). They may have been affected socially and emotionally by the lack of face-to-face connection and physical classroom presence ( Dergham et al., 2023 ). Some may also have been poorly prepared for online learning. In Kosovo, Nikoçeviq-Kurti (2023) found pre-service teachers had lower readiness in computer/internet self-efficacy, communication self-efficacy, and learning control.

Moreover, personal traits and individual variances can impact the effectiveness of online education. Kaspar et al. (2023) found that personality factors, educational attainment, and gender all significantly affected the online learning outcomes of university students during the pandemic, while anxiety was found to moderate pre-service teachers’ inclination to use digital technologies. Thus, individual circumstances may influence the success of online education. Other challenges were related to the quality of online teaching and overall learning outcomes and satisfaction with online education. A qualitative study by Nikoçeviq-Kurti (2023) found that pre-service teachers encountered challenges including technological skills, unrealistic assessments, and students being overloaded with assignments not counted in final assessments. Some participants reported that the practical portion of online classes was entirely absent, despite its importance for them, while some educators lacked motivation when teaching online. Martin et al. (2019) discovered that faculty new to online education felt unprepared and required pedagogical and technological support, emphasizing the importance of pinpointing the skills needed to train faculty for online instruction.

Advantages of online learning for pre-service teachers

Despite such difficulties, educators benefit from the flexibility of online learning, enabling them to reconcile their personal and academic obligations ( Lemay et al., 2021 ). Online education is recognized for its effectiveness, practicality, and adaptability, allowing students to work at their own pace and in the setting of their choice, control their learning schedules, and access course materials ( Zapata-Cuervo et al., 2021 ). Lemay et al. (2021) assert that pre-service teachers have benefited significantly from this flexibility because they frequently have other obligations, such as part-time work or family responsibilities, which online learning can help them to manage efficiently. Moreover, by fostering ownership and motivation, the flexibility and autonomy of online courses has helped pre-service teachers to engage in effective self-directed learning ( Uyen et al., 2023 ).

Crucially, online education has allowed future teachers to advance their technological expertise ( Ogbonnaya et al., 2020 ). Using learning technologies and online platforms enhances active learning, facilitates collaboration, discussion, and communication between pre-service teachers, their classmates, and educators, and allows them to exchange resources and feedback, thus improving the quality of education ( Irfan and Asif Raheem, 2023 ).

Quality of online teaching

Phillips (2021) notes that the transition from face-to-face to online pedagogies presents challenges and opportunities for postgraduate students who are themselves teachers. Therefore, HE institutions must ensure robust and flexible pedagogical practices to deliver quality teaching and learning. Effective online teaching of pre-service teachers requires faculty to have a comprehensive understanding of pedagogical principles and the ability to create interactive and engaging learning experiences. Among insights into the best strategies and practices for effective teaching in online education, Byrka et al. (2022) list 12 principles for effective online teaching in postgraduate education, covering course design, lecture readiness, assessment and feedback, and student engagement. Educators must also acquire appropriate technological skills for effective online teaching and learning ( Biedermann and Ahern, 2023 ). According to Ramaila and Mavuru (2022) , online education gives pre-service teachers sustainable development opportunities to boost their capacity to implement online teaching and learning. Effective teaching of pre-service teachers also requires the ability to create engaging and interactive learning experiences. Engagement entails enthusiastic participation and immediacy of communication, using applications and platforms such as online forums to facilitate dialog and interaction ( Mendelowitz et al., 2022 ) and reduce anxiety, essential to enhance postgraduate students’ learning experience ( Kumar and Verma, 2021 ).

Moreover, effective teaching and learning in postgraduate diploma programs, particularly online, requires careful planning, clear alignment of objectives, and innovative pedagogical approaches, to help pre-service teachers understand what is expected of them while enhancing their learning experience, which varied during the pandemic. Rafiq et al. (2022) found that pre-service teachers of English as a foreign language varied in readiness for online learning and in technological/pedagogical content knowledge. A study of pre-service English teachers in Hong Kong found that online education provided limited opportunities for immediate and extensive feedback ( Atmaca, 2023 ). Yildirim (2022) explored 72 pre-service teachers’ perceptions of online education during the pandemic, finding that 80% considered face-to-face classes more productive. Participants identified contributory factors including internet connection problems, digital literacy, readiness for online learning, lack of communication and interaction, lack of motivation and self-regulation, and feedback mechanisms.

Among research into the effects of the epidemic on online instruction, Khoiriyah et al. (2022) found that collaborative lesson planning improved pre-service teachers’ motivation and self-efficacy and shaped their professional identities, illustrating the importance of considering their specific knowledge and skills and the required professional development.

Assessment and feedback are important in guaranteeing the quality of teacher education programs, particularly online. COVID-related changes to online teaching/ learning have introduced obstacles and opportunities for faculty to assess and deliver feedback to pre-service teachers. In India, Joshi et al. (2020) examined the impact of the pandemic on instructors’ attitudes toward online teaching and assessment, identifying challenges including lack of technical support and awareness of online teaching platforms, security concerns, and personal issues such as technical incompetence, negativity, and weak enthusiasm. Having examined faculty readiness for online crisis teaching during the pandemic, Cutri et al. (2020) concluded that they must have adequate training and resources to transition effectively.

Engagement, motivation, skill development, and satisfaction in online education

Numerous research studies have found the engagement and motivation of pre-service teachers to be significantly impacted by online education. Uyen et al. (2023) found that the incorporation of online project-based learning into teacher education during the pandemic positively affected how pre-service teachers developed their knowledge, professional abilities, and learning attitudes. However, it also presented difficulties for educators, such as the need for teachers and students to possess the necessary knowledge and abilities and access to facilities and technology.

Motivation and engagement are influenced by attitudes and preparedness. Düzgün and Kaşkaya (2023) report that pre-service teachers’ views of online instruction were more positive in certain programs, such as social studies and early childhood education, than in others, while Chibisa et al. (2022) found that pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the usage of online learning influenced their readiness to adopt it, concluding that for online learning to be implemented successfully, pre-service teachers’ attitudes must change. According to Atmaca (2023) , the effectiveness of online education could be improved by raising the caliber of online learning platforms and the instruction given to pre-service teachers and their educators. Malabanan et al. (2022) established that pre-service teachers had the pedagogical skills necessary for the 21 st century and were prepared for online learning. Similarly, Uyar (2023) concluded that pre-service teachers had 21 st -century skills at high level.

Online education and pre-service teachers’ characteristics

Several studies have investigated the effects of demographic factors including age, employment status, gender, and marital status on pre-service teachers’ academic performance, knowledge, and skills. While no research has been identified as specifically addressing these in the context of the UAE, there are pertinent studies of how demographic factors affect teaching methods and online academic experiences in general.

One such factor is age. Yang et al. (2022) found that younger people frequently possess greater technological knowledge and expertise, which can enhance their online learning opportunities. They emphasize that other characteristics, such as digital competency and access to technology, may nonetheless have more impact on online academic experiences.

Another demographic factor, albeit rarely examined, that may affect online academic experience is marital status, whose influence may extend to educational ambitions. Married people, for instance, may have obligations and responsibilities that limit their capacity to engage in online learning ( Chen et al., 2021 ).

As to employment status, working people may struggle to balance their academic goals with their professional obligations, especially in an online learning setting, and they may have different reasons for wanting to pursue an online degree and different objectives, which can affect how engaged and satisfied they are with the learning process ( She et al., 2021 ).

Gender has also been found to affect teachers’ attitudes toward online learning and digital competencies ( Yang et al., 2022 ). Yalley et al. (2022) found that pre-service teachers’ demographic characteristics, including program of study, gender, and major and minor areas of expertise, were important predictors of technological competence.

In conclusion, there has been limited research into relationships of pre-service teachers’ demographic traits (age, marital status, work status, and gender) with their online academic experiences in the UAE, although existing literature on factors affecting such experiences may shed light on the possible impact of demographic traits. Therefore, further detailed research is required to investigate this association in the particular context of pre-service teachers in the UAE.

Theoretical framework

The Community of Inquiry paradigm developed by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer ( Duncan and Barnett, 2009 ) offers a suitable theoretical foundation for a study on online education for pre-service teachers. This framework prioritizes the educational experience of persons in online environments, with a specific emphasis on the significance of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Using this framework, researchers can examine how pre-service teachers participate in online learning, create educational material, and manage the intricacies of teaching in virtual settings. Within the scope of a research project examining online education for pre-service teachers in the UAE, the Community of Inquiry framework would be crucial for comprehending the manner in which these teachers engage with online platforms, cooperate with peers and instructors, and enable significant learning opportunities for students. This theory would offer a systematic methodology for analyzing the difficulties and possibilities encountered by pre-service teachers as they shift to online teaching methods.

Using the Community of Inquiry framework can help to examine the particular factors of online education that affect pre-service teachers in the UAE, including digital literacy, technological expertise, and the capacity to develop captivating online learning environments. By employing this theoretical framework ( Figure 1 ), a thorough examination may be conducted to investigate how pre-service teachers in the institution under study adjust to online teaching methods and acquire the essential skills needed to succeed in virtual educational environments.

Figure 1 . Theoretical framework.

The literature review above indicates that positive online academic experiences for pre-service teachers require adaptation to new online platforms and technologies ( Zheng et al., 2021 ). Personal traits and individual variances impact the effectiveness and quality of pre-service teachers’ online education ( Kaspar et al., 2023 ), which also require faculty to have a comprehensive understanding of pedagogical principles and the ability to create interactive and engaging learning experiences ( Byrka et al., 2022 ). Understanding faculty’s readiness and providing them with the required training and resources, along with effective assessment and feedback, are crucial for the transition to high-quality online teacher education programs ( Cutri et al., 2020 ; Joshi et al., 2020 ). Online education significantly involves pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation ( Uyen et al., 2023 ). Finally, factors including age, employment status, gender, and marital status can affect online academic experiences ( Chen et al., 2021 ; She et al., 2021 ; Yang et al., 2022 ).

Study rationale

Rapid advances in educational technology have promoted online learning, significantly impacting pre-service teachers’ academic experiences. This quantitative study investigated the effects of online education on pre-service teachers’ academic experiences at Al Ain University, paying particular attention to the quality of teaching and learning, engagement and motivation, assessment and feedback, organization and management, and skill development and satisfaction. We believe that investigating pre-service teachers’ online learning experiences is critical to understanding how the change from face-to-face to online learning can affect the experiences of prospective teachers. This study is significant because pre-service teachers often rely on applying theoretical knowledge in real classroom contexts to develop their classroom management techniques and pedagogical skills, so the shift to online education may have challenged them by limiting their practical teaching experience and in-person classroom observations. Given the paucity of UAE-specific research into demographic influences noted above, we also believe that insights regarding pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the pedagogical approaches employed by faculty members in online education will be valuable in designing and implementing future online teacher education programs in the UAE. Therefore, we anticipate that the findings of this study can guide the development of effective training programs, inform policy development and practice and suggest tactics to improve pre-service teachers’ online learning experiences.

Research questions

The study sought to answer the following questions:

1. Is there any relationship between pre-service teachers’ demographic characteristics (age, marital status, and employment status) and their academic experiences, which include: quality of teaching and learning; engagement and motivation; assessment and feedback; organization and management; and skill development and satisfaction?

2. Do perceptions of effective teaching and learning (ETL) and faculty assessment and feedback (FAF) predict pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation (PTEM)?

3. Do ETL and course organization and management (COM) predict pre-service teachers’ skill development and satisfaction (PTSDS)?

In this study we utilized a descriptive survey design with quantitative technique to investigate the impact of online education on the academic experiences of pre-service teachers. The research design was chosen to investigate the effects of online education on different aspects of pre-service teachers’ academic experiences, including the quality of teaching and learning, engagement, motivation, assessment and feedback, organization and management, and skill development and satisfaction. The study sought to investigate potential correlations between demographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, and work status of pre-service teachers and their academic experiences.

The choice of a descriptive survey design is consistent with the nature of the research questions presented in the study. Descriptive survey methods are particularly suitable for creating a comprehensive overview of important concepts within a specific environment. This makes them an excellent choice for examining the impact of online education on the academic experiences of pre-service teachers ( Güler, 2022 ). This design facilitates gathering data that may be subjected to quantitative analysis to get insights into the connections between various variables, such as demographic features and academic experiences among pre-service teachers ( Obispo et al., 2023 ), yielding valuable insights for educational practitioners and policymakers.

In addition, applying a quantitative technique in the descriptive survey design allows to systematically collect numerical data on the many scales created to assess the various aspects of pre-service teachers’ academic experiences. This methodology simplifies the examination of the data to detect patterns, trends, and possible correlations among the variables being studied ( Asanga et al., 2023 ).

A descriptive survey methodology was developed, using Microsoft Forms to collect quantitative data on demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, and employment status) and on five scales developed by the researchers to measure quality of teaching and learning, engagement and motivation, assessment and feedback, organization and management, and skill development and satisfaction. These had five response options, from Strongly Disagree = 1 to Strongly Agree = 5.

The target population comprised all 450 pre-service teachers enrolled in the Professional Diploma in Teaching Program during the Spring semester of the 2021–2022 academic year, who were sent a link to the survey through their university Microsoft Teams accounts. An accompanying document stated the study’s purpose, assured respondents of confidentiality, and gave detailed instructions on accessing and completing the survey. Recipients were given 2 weeks to respond, during which polite reminders helped to increase response rates. Responses were received from 130 teachers, constituting 34.6 percent of those invited and exceeding the recommended minimum sample size of 10% of the population for descriptive quantitative research ( Purbasari et al., 2023 ).

Data analysis

The following statistical procedures were employed to analyze the data using IBM SPSS Statistics 26:

1. Descriptive statistics, which involved calculating the means and standard deviations of participants’ scores on each scale.

2. The independent-samples t -test investigated the effects of participants’ marital and employment status on their academic experiences: quality of teaching and learning; engagement and motivation; assessment and feedback; organization and management; skill development and satisfaction.

3. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to quantify the effects of age on the same dependent variables.

4. Regression analysis was used to investigate the association of engagement and motivation with effective teaching and learning and with faculty assessment and feedback and that of course organization and management with skill development and satisfaction.

Gender was excluded from the analysis because only 1.5% of respondents were male.

In order to examine the influence of online education on the academic experiences of pre-service teachers, data gathering involved the use of five created scales. These scales evaluate several elements, including the effectiveness of teaching and learning, the level of engagement and motivation, the quality of evaluation and feedback, the efficiency of organization and management, and the extent of skill development and satisfaction.

The creation of these scales followed a strict methodology to guarantee their accuracy and consistency in measuring the essential aspects of teaching and learning quality, student engagement and motivation, assessment and feedback, organization and management, and skill development and satisfaction in online education. Therefore, creating these scales involved the participation of some experts, testing with a sample of pre-service teachers, analysis of individual items, running factor analysis to verify the validity of the measures, and testing for internal consistency to determine reliability. Accordingly, the scales were improved through expert and participant feedback to ensure they precisely represented the intended concepts and were appropriate for assessing the academic experiences of pre-service teachers in online education. The following are descriptions of all scales:

Effective teaching and learning scale

The ETL scale was developed to assess the efficacy of instructional techniques, curriculum materials, and educational achievements in the context of online learning. This scale consisted of instructional design items, information delivery lucidity, and learning activities’ applicability ( Liang, 2023 ). The ETL scale, developed initially, comprised 13 items, reduced to 10 and again to eight, following successive reviews by the researchers and by experts in the field. Assessing the internal consistency of the scale on a sample of 60 pre-service teachers yielded a Cronbach’s alpha (α) value of 0.80.

Pre-service teachers engagement and motivation scale

The PTEM scale, developed to gather data on online engagement and motivation, originally had 10 items, reduced as above to eight, then to six. This scale included factors such as student motivation, active engagement, and the perceived worth of the learning process ( Vasyukova et al., 2022 ). Its internal consistency, assessed as for ETL, was α = 0.78.

Faculty assessment and feedback scale

The FAF scale, developed to gather data on online assessment and feedback by faculty. It encompassed items pertaining to the equity of evaluations, promptness of feedback, and transparency of evaluation methods ( Rossettini et al., 2021 ). The FAF scale started with seven items, was reduced to five, and then to four. This small number of items may explain the low internal consistency value of α = 0.58.

Course organization and management scale

The COM scale, developed to gather data on course organization and management, began with six items, reduced to five, and then to four as above. The COM scale encompassed items about the arrangement of the course, availability of resources, and the promptness of teachers and support staff in addressing concerns ( Atkinson et al., 2022 ). Again, internal consistency appeared low (α = 0.72), perhaps because there were so few items.

Pre-service teachers’ skill development and satisfaction scale

The PTSDS scale measured how participants developed various skills through engaging in online teaching and learning and their satisfaction with this approach. It aimed to assess the attainment of new skills, knowledge, and general contentment with the online learning process. The PTSDS scale consisted of items pertaining to the enhancement of skills, the perceived worth of the program, and the general contentment with the achieved learning results ( Alhusban et al., 2023 ). Its original nine items were reduced on review to eight, then to six. Table 1 shows that it had the highest internal consistency value of the five scales (α = 0.81).

Table 1 . The research scales and their reliability.

Participants

Table 2 lists demographic data on the 130 pre-service teachers who participated, showing that the great majority were female, so the two males were removed from the analysis. Ages ranged between 20 and 40+ years ( M  = 2.08, SD  = 0.671), more than two-thirds being between 25 and 29. As only three participants were over 34, they were also removed from the analysis. Slightly more respondents were married than single. Only two respondents were widowed, divorced, or separated, so again, these categories were removed from the analysis. The great majority of respondents were employed, with only eight being unemployed.

Table 2 . Demographic data.

Demographic characteristics and academic experiences (research question 1)

Perceptions of effective teaching and learning in relation to age, marital status, and employment status.

A one-way between-subjects ANOVA revealed a statistically insignificant relationship between ETL and participants’ age (20–24, 25–29, 30–34 years): F (2, 127) = 0.511, p  = 0.601. The independent-samples t -test found no significant relationship of ETL with marital status, t (128) = −1.591, p  = 0.114, nor with employment status, t (128) = 0.243, p  = 0.808. Thus, pre-service teachers’ marital and employment status did not influence their online teaching and learning. In conclusion, age, marital status, and employment status did not impact participants’ effective teaching and learning.

Engagement and motivation in relation to age, marital status and employment

The independent-samples t -test and one-way between-subjects ANOVA revealed no significant association of PTEM with age, F (2, 127) = 1.04, p  = 0.356, nor with marital status on PTEM, t (128) = −0.164, p  = 0.104, but it was significantly related to employment status (employed: M  = 23.13, SD  = 6.01; unemployed: M  = 25.66, SD  = 2.95), t (128) = −2.17, p  = 0.032. Taken together, these results suggest that teachers’ online engagement and motivation was more effective when they were unemployed.

Perceptions of faculty online assessment and feedback in relation to age, marital status and employment

A one-way between-subjects ANOVA found no significant impact of age on teachers’ views of faculty online assessment and feedback, F (2, 127) = 0.215, p  = 0.807, but the independent-samples t -test revealed a significant relationship between these views and their marital status (single: M  = 15.52, SD  = 2.91; married: M  = 16.56, SD  = 2.17), t (128) = − 2.33, p  = 0.021. Thus, pre-service teachers’ views of faculty online assessment and feedback appear more effective among married ones. However, the t -test found no significant relationship of teachers’ views on faculty online assessment and feedback with employment status, t (128) = −1.22, p  = 0.225, meaning employment status did not impact participants’ views on faculty online assessment and feedback.

Perceptions of online course organization and management in relation to age, marital status, and employment

The one-way between-subjects ANOVA found no significant association between participants’ age and their views of online course organization and management, F (2, 127) = 0.459, p  = 0.633; nor did the t- test find these views to be significantly related to employment status, t (128) = −0.120, p  = 0.905. The only significant correlation of views on course organization and management was with marital status (single: M  = 15.68, SD  = 2.81; married: M  = 16.69, SD  = 1.83), t (128) = −2.44, p  = 0.016. These results suggest that pre-service teachers’ views of online course organization and management were more effective when they were married.

Online skills development and satisfaction in relation to age, marital status, and employment

The same t -test and ANOVA procedures revealed no significant relationship of PTSDS with age, F (2, 127) = 0.811, p  = 0.446, marital status, t (128) = −0.564, p  = 0.574, or employment status, t (128) = −0.300, p  = 0.764. This indicates that age, marital status, and employment status did not impact participants’ views on online skills development and satisfaction.

Engagement and motivation in relation to effective teaching and learning and to faculty assessment and feedback (research question 2)

A multiple regression was run to predict PTEM from ETL and FAF. These variables significantly predicted PTEM, F (2, 127) = 118.367, p  < 0.0005, R 2  = 0.651. The two variables (ETL & FAF) added significantly to the prediction, p  < 0.05. This means that FAF had a significant effect on PTEM, t (127) =3.56, p  < 0.05, as did ETL, t (127) =10.41, p  < 0.05. It also means that with one-unit increase in FAF, the PTEM score increased by 0.280 and with one-unit increase in ETL, it increased by 0.550. Overall, the regression model is a good fit for the data. Therefore, the multiple regression analysis reveals that ETL and FAF as predictors were able to explain 65.1% of PTEM, meaning that as predictors, Effective Teaching and Learning and Faculty Assessment and Feedback explained pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation well ( Table 3 ). The regression equation is as follows:

Table 3 . Total PTEM by total FAF and total ETL.

Effective teaching and learning, and course organization and management as predictors of skill development and satisfaction (research question 3)

A multiple linear regression was fitted to explain participants’ skill development and satisfaction in terms of course organization and management, and effective teaching and learning. COM and ETL as independent variables statistically significantly predicted PTSDS, F (2, 127) = 63.456, p  < 0.0005 , R 2  = 0.500. These two variables (ETL and COM) added statistically significantly to the prediction, p  < 0.05. This means that COM had a significant effect on PTSDS, t (127) =3.07, p  < 0.05, while ETL also had a significant effect on PTSDS, t (127) =5.89, p  < 0.05. Thus, the PTSDS score increased by 0.388 for every one-unit increase in COM and by 0.455 for each one-unit increase in ETL. Overall, the regression model is a good fit for the data. The multiple regression analysis reveals that ETL and COM as predictors were able to explain 50% of PTSDS, meaning that as predictors, Effective Teaching and Learning and Course Organization and Management explained pre-service teachers’ skill development and satisfaction well ( Table 4 ). The regression equation is as follows:

Table 4 . Total PTSDS by total COM and total ETL.

Summary and discussion

Various factors affect the online academic experiences of pre-service teachers. There follows a summary and discussion of the main results for each research question.

Research question 1

The results of the current study indicate that pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation in online education are more effective when they are unemployed. This finding of a positive relationship of engagement and motivation with employment status is consistent with some studies ( Ogbonnaya et al., 2020 ; Malabanan et al., 2022 ) but inconsistent with others. For example, Gussen et al. (2023) concluded that many pre-service teachers have negative attitudes toward research and lack the motivation to conduct it, while Ye et al. (2021) found that pre-service teachers demonstrated better motivation than beginners, except for a few factors like intrinsic value and teaching skills. These discrepancies imply that motivation levels may vary over a teacher’s tenure. Meanwhile, Calderón et al. (2019) and Plak et al. (2022) , for example, found no significant correlation between these variables.

The current finding that views of faculty online assessment and feedback were more effective in married pre-service teachers is consistent with Chibisa et al. (2022) and with Yıldırım and Tekel (2023) , who found that married pre-service teachers reported a positive impact of online assessment on their academic performance, crediting their stronger engagement in online education to the comfort of their home environment. Conversely, Nikoçeviq-Kurti (2023) found no significant effect of marital status on positive aspects of online teaching and quality of teaching activities. Other studies, such as Elshami et al. (2021) and Saribas and Çetinkaya (2021) , did not specifically seek correlations of assessment and feedback with marital status, but suggest that pre-service teachers’ analysis of feedback is extremely important whatever their marital status.

Current results also suggest that pre-service teachers’ views of online course organization and management were positively correlated with their marital status. While no studies address this relationship, some do address perceptions of the management and organization of online courses. Thus, Kulal and Nayak (2020) and Vakaliuk et al. (2022) emphasize the value of teachers’ development and technical proficiency. Conversely, Hulda (2022) and Tao and Gao (2022) emphasize teacher preparation programs and classroom management techniques, while Estaji and Zhaleh (2022) and Moore and Hong (2022) note that social presence, explicit training, and instructional design can help manage and structure online courses.

We found no literature consistent with our finding of no significant association of effective teaching and learning in online education with pre-service teachers’ age, marital status, or employment status. Nevertheless, some studies reveal factors influencing online teaching effectiveness generally, such as effective communication ( Liu et al., 2022 ), self-confidence and technology use ( Teoh et al., 2023 ), challenges ( Nikoçeviq-Kurti, 2023 ), and support ( Pourdavood and Song, 2021 ). Although demographic characteristics may not have a substantial impact on the efficiency of online teaching and learning for pre-service teachers in this study, research conducted in other locations on in-service teachers, such as in the Philippines ( Sacramento et al., 2021 ), indicates that the factors impacting the success of online education can fluctuate depending on the specific setting. Therefore, it is crucial to consider geographical differences and modify online education approaches to cater to the individual needs of various groups of learners.

Similarly, no existing research appears to focus on the relationship between pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation in online education and their age and marital status, which we found to be statistically insignificant. However, some studies support a positive relationship between motivation and engagement in online learning contexts ( Zapata-Cuervo et al., 2021 ; Malabanan et al., 2022 ).

Our finding of no significant relationship of pre-service teachers’ views of faculty online assessment and feedback with age and employment status is again not addressed in the literature, although some studies consider how online testing affects the emotional states of pre-service teachers ( Yıldırım and Tekel, 2023 ) and how pre-service teachers find online teaching effective but not for evaluation ( Saha et al., 2022 ).

Our results also suggest that age and work status do not significantly influence teachers’ perceptions of online course management. While the literature appears not to address this, Tao and Gao (2022) offer insights into online teaching and learning, highlighting the importance of efficient class management tactics and addressing anxiety and satisfaction factors.

We failed to find a significant effect of age, marital status, or employment status on pre-service teachers’ online skill development and satisfaction. Again, we identified no consistent prior findings, although other studies found online classroom management ( Taghizadeh and Amirkhani, 2022 ), 21st-century pedagogical competencies ( Malabanan et al., 2022 ), and interest in job choices ( Shen and Chee Luen, 2022 ) to be relevant factors in pre-service teachers’ online skill development. These findings suggest that demographic factors do not significantly impact online skill development.

Research question 2

The current results indicate that effective teaching and learning and faculty assessment and feedback predict pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation, consistent with Li et al. (2022) and Rojabi et al. (2022) . The latter identifies gamification as an online teaching strategy effective in boosting motivation and student involvement. Similarly, by increasing motivation through rewards and enhancing the quality of training, institutional support can increase faculty satisfaction with online instruction ( Basbeth et al., 2021 ). However, studies inconsistent with our finding imply that the accessibility and caliber of educational technology tools may impact the functioning of online courses ( Hayat et al., 2021 ). The degree to which new teachers believe they are competent at teaching online may vary, and students’ technical proficiency may partly determine their online performance ( Stewart and Baker, 2021 ). Further research into these factors would help to make online teaching and learning and faculty assessment and feedback more effective at fostering pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation.

Various studies show that pre-service teachers’ engagement and motivation can be predicted through faculty assessment and feedback, that realistic learning experiences and evaluation tools are crucial for effective online teaching ( Hayat et al., 2021 ), and that feedback on instructional strategies can increase motivation and engagement ( Bradley and Kramer-Gordon, 2023 ), as can effective online instruction and participation in online classrooms, making inexperienced teachers who receive support and training more motivated and at ease, boosting their interest in online education ( Tanguay and Many, 2022 ). Successful online teaching depends on the use of authentic learning experiences, assessment tools, and feedback systems to increase the involvement and motivation of pre-service teachers ( Byrka et al., 2022 ). Research conducted by Hunukumbure et al. (2021) has demonstrated that offering feedback on teaching tactics substantially enhances students’ motivation and engagement in the learning process. Additionally, faculty calibration and the utilization of instructional rubrics are acknowledged as efficacious approaches to strengthen the caliber of feedback and assessment in educational environments ( Gosselin and Golick, 2020 ). Moreover, studies have emphasized the significance of utilizing online feedback systems to foster transparent conversations between students and teachers, encouraging meaningful feedback exchanges ( Hidayah, 2020 ). Thus, the success of online teaching practices relies heavily on faculty attitudes toward motivational principles, the utilization of online feedback systems, and the incorporation of experiential learning.

Research question 3

Effective teaching and learning and course organization and management were found to be good predictors of pre-service teachers’ skill development and satisfaction, consistent with much existing research ( Atmaca, 2023 ). A vital predictor of self-assurance and effectiveness in online instruction is self-efficacy in instructing ( Naz et al., 2021 ). Using technology in online instruction positively impacts the development of pre-service teachers’ skills and satisfaction ( Şahin and Şahin, 2022 ; Teoh et al., 2023 ).

Previous research findings have indicated that effective teaching and learning, as well as course organization and management, are essential factors that strongly influence the skill development and satisfaction of pre-service teachers in online education. Ogbonnaya et al. (2020) emphasized that online learning’s adaptability enhanced students’ motivation to study, demonstrating a favorable influence on the teaching and learning procedure. Also, Pourdavood and Song (2021) highlighted the significant impact of social and cultural aspects on the teaching practices of mathematics teachers in online education. They underlined the crucial role of course organization and management in meeting the different demands of learners ( Pourdavood and Song, 2021 ). In addition, Rafiq et al. (2022) provided evidence of the efficacy of a program designed to enhance pre-service teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) in the context of online education. Their findings revealed a favorable relationship between the organization of the course and preparedness for online instruction. Paetsch and Drechsel (2021) provided additional evidence by demonstrating that the perceived quality of teacher training during the online semester significantly impacted students’ intentions to utilize digital learning materials. This highlights the importance of effective course organization in influencing teaching methods.

Other less consistent findings include face-to-face instruction as the most effective way to build critical thinking skills, indicating that some skills are more appropriate for traditional classroom settings Gómez-Parra (2021) , while Pei and Wu (2019) found online and offline learning to have similar outcomes in terms of knowledge and skills. Finally, students’ engagement, lack of interpersonal skills, and curriculum modifications are among the difficulties teachers encounter when switching to online teaching ( Leech et al., 2022 ).

Conclusion and limitations

This study has shown that pre-service teachers’ online engagement and motivation are stronger when they are unemployed, while their views of faculty online assessment and feedback and course organization and management are more effective when they are married. Additionally, online effective teaching and course organization significantly impact pre-service teachers’ skill development and satisfaction. Factors such as course structure, technological integration, motivation, teaching activities, and satisfaction with online learning environments shape these experiences and outcomes. Teacher education programs should consider these factors and provide appropriate support and resources to ensure the effective development of pre-service teachers’ skills and overall satisfaction with the online learning experience. Moreover, the perceived value and quality of the course, the platform, website support, and expected achievement all affect how satisfied pre-service teachers are with their online learning experiences; thus, providing an excellent, user-friendly online learning environment can aid in the skill development and overall satisfaction of pre-service teachers.

The study has some limitations that should be considered. Firstly, the sample utilized in the study was unrepresentative of male teachers, participants being overwhelmingly female. The gender disparity may lead to the introduction of bias in the findings. Additionally, very little literature directly addresses the associations of age, marital status, and work status with characteristics of the online academic experiences of pre-service teachers generally and within the UAE particularly.

In order to overcome these constraints, further studies should consider a broader range of participants, encompassing a more varied and inclusive selection of individuals with an equitable distribution of both male and female educators. In addition, researchers should investigate alternate techniques of data gathering that go beyond relying solely on self-reported surveys. This will help reduce biases and enhance the accuracy of the findings. Furthermore, additional research is necessary to explore the connections between demographic characteristics and the online academic experiences of pre-service teachers, particularly in the distinct environment of the UAE.

Recommendations

The study concluded that various factors have an impact on pre-service teachers’ online engagement, motivation, views of faculty assessment, course organization, effective teaching, and overall satisfaction. From this conclusion, several meaningful insights and policy lessons can be derived to improve teacher education programs. Firstly, it is recommended that teacher education programs should offer specialized assistance and resources to employed pre-service teachers to improve their participation in online activities. Furthermore, teacher education programs should investigate methods to integrate components that align with the experiences of married adults to enhance the efficiency of online evaluation and course structure for all pre-service teachers. Moreover it is imperative for teacher education programs to focus on the augmentation of online teaching excellence and course arrangement to guarantee favorable results in skill advancement and overall contentment among pre-service teachers. Finally, teacher education programs should prioritize the optimization of elements, such as the organization of courses, the incorporation of technology, the level of motivation, the teaching methods employed, and the level of satisfaction with online learning environments in influencing the experiences and results of pre-service teachers, to establish an online learning environment that is conducive to skill development and satisfaction for pre-service teachers.

Implications

While much research addresses online education in general and pre-service teachers’ experiences in particular, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, there is scant research on the association of online education with demographic characteristics, particularly age and marital and employment status. Future studies should address this lacuna, seeking insights into factors potentially influencing the success and involvement of students in online courses, particularly pre-service teachers. Investigating the correlation between demographic characteristics and online education among pre-service teachers has significant social implications for fostering inclusivity, practical implications for improving teaching strategies, and policy implications for successfully integrating online learning into teacher education programs.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

Written informed consent was obtained from the individual(s) for the publication of any potentially identifiable images or data included in this article.

Author contributions

SQ: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing – original draft preparation, Writing – review & editing. SD: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing – original draft preparation, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: pre-service teachers, online education, academic experiences, Professional Diploma in Teaching, United Arab Emirates, demographic characteristics

Citation: Qiqieh S and Dukmak S (2024) The influence of online education on pre-service teachers’ academic experiences at a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. Front. Educ . 9:1398642. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1398642

Received: 10 March 2024; Accepted: 11 April 2024; Published: 24 May 2024.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2024 Qiqieh and Dukmak. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Sura Qiqieh, [email protected] ; [email protected]

† ORCID: Sura Qiqieh, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0047-0224 Samir Dukmak, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6036-7299

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Demand for online education is growing. Are providers ready?

Interest and participation in online learning continues to grow: 2020 saw record enrollment, 1 Data are from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education, accessed March 2022. and universities have launched new online programs to meet this increased demand. 2 For examples, see Sydney Lake, “Alabama State University to launch online MBA program,” Fortune , May 16, 2022; Jenna Tarleton, “Colorado State University Global launches new online Master of Business Administration,” GlobeNewswire, June 1, 2022; and 2U, “edX and University of Maryland launch new online product management master’s degree,” Cision: PR Newswire, May 17, 2022. From doctoral students to lifelong learners, people are increasingly accessing online tools to learn and acquire new skills. Though the increase in demand is undeniable, creating compelling offerings that appeal to prospective students is an ongoing challenge for many providers.

Many players are vying for a piece of the online education market, from local and national universities to emerging online education giants and newer nondegree providers. The magnitude of these market shifts and the increasing competition they herald suggest that online education providers may be compelled to go beyond incremental improvements and initiate big, bold moves to survive, grow, and thrive.

Major market forces

Four core market forces are reshaping the online education space, including increased competition, consolidation by a handful of big players, an influx of investments, and rising standards for quality (Exhibit 1).

As demand for online education has grown, the market has become increasingly competitive, with providers vying for attention from a broad set of prospective students.

From 2011 to 2021, the number of learners reached by massive open online courses (MOOCs) increased from 300,000 to 220 million. 3 Dhawal Shah, “A decade of MOOCs: A review of stats and trends for large-scale online courses in 2021,” EdSurge, December 28, 2021. Between 2012 and 2019, the number of hybrid and distance-only students 4 As a proxy for online learners. at traditional universities increased by 36 percent, while the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 rapidly accelerated that growth by an additional 92 percent. 5 IPEDS, distance education status as of fall 2020, accessed March 2022.

Against this backdrop of growing student interest, the market for online education has consolidated around a handful of dominant online-degree players. A recent analysis of Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) total enrollment data showed that while the overall market for degree programs decreased approximately 3 percent from 2019 to 2020, four of the largest open-access online education providers—Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), Liberty University, Western Governors University (WGU), and Grand Canyon University (GCU)—grew their total enrollment by 11 percent on average. 6 IPEDS, distance education status as of fall 2020, accessed March 2022.

But online degree-granting universities have newer, digital-native entrants nipping at their heels and targeting the same student segments. Numerous digital-education start-ups are disrupting the space, driven by a rise in venture capital funding. US venture funding for education technology (edtech) grew from $1 billion to $8 billion between 2017 and 2021. 7 “Global edtech venture capital report - Full year 2021,” Holon IQ, January 3, 2022. In 2021, the public appetite for these investments was evident in the successful IPOs of multiple edtech companies, including that of Coursera (valuation of more than $4 billion). 8 Marina Temkin, “Edtech backers rewarded as IPO pipeline heats up,” PitchBook, November 1, 2021. Edtech investment could be poised for more growth as online offerings surge and as institutions continue to shift toward blended learning grounded in cutting-edge digital technologies.

The forces propelling demand have been accompanied by rising standards for online education quality. For example, new offerings are blurring the lines between degree and nondegree learning, creating a new category of educational competitors. Google’s Grow with Google program, in partnership with Coursera, 9 The Keyword , “Opportunity for everyone,” blog entry by Sundar Pichai, Google, October 12, 2017. offers courses in high-demand areas such as user experience design and data analytics and has made significant gains in enrollment. These programs give prospective learners cost-effective, expeditious options beyond a degree program. Traditional digital-education providers that are primarily degree-focused may want to consider including such offerings in their strategies to compete and grow in the online education space.

Greater demand and rising quality standards also suggest that students are growing savvier about the returns of their educational investments. For some prospective students, especially those moving into high-paying fields such as IT, the opportunity to learn high-demand skills is more important than a program or institution’s brand. Nearly half of respondents to our learner segmentation survey said they would only consider paying for education programs that have an expected positive return on career outcomes, while 21 percent indicated they would consider attending a school to get a degree only if the school was “top ranked.” 10 McKinsey Learner Segmentation Survey (n = 3,709).

Five strategic moves that could unlock opportunities

Amid these market forces are potential growth opportunities for online education providers, but successfully unlocking these opportunities may require providers to make bold moves in adapting and pivoting strategies.

Employers in fields from healthcare to cybersecurity are struggling to find qualified workers, 11 WorkCare Blog , “Employers struggle to find qualified workers,” August 3, 2021; Matt Ferguson, “Employers struggle to find skilled workers,” CNN, 2008; David Ramel, “‘Great Resignation’ depletes already hard-to-find cybersecurity talent,” Converge360, March 24, 2022; Dave Muoio, “Staffing shortages force long-term care facilities to limit admissions, hire agency workers,” Fierce Healthcare, September 22, 2021. and online education can help adults of all ages quickly gain the skills needed to fill these positions and improve their career trajectories. At the same time, workers are reevaluating their career opportunities and looking to enter better-paying fields.

To meet these needs, capture the attention of prospective students, and distinguish themselves from competitors, online education providers could consider five strategic moves (Exhibit 2): integrate skill building and degree attainment to meet student and labor market needs, transform career planning and coaching services, revolutionize employer relationships, deliver a distinctive learning experience, and build a bold and distinctive brand.

1. Meet student and labor market needs

Educational institutions have traditionally focused on learning and knowledge building first and careers second. But students, especially prospective online learners, are focused on the ROI of their degree—specifically, what jobs their degree will prepare them for. 12 McKinsey analysis. Moreover, labor market needs are rapidly changing. As a primary pool of talent, institutions could align themselves with these shifts by rethinking program development and degree attainment to better prepare their students for a dynamic work environment. Institutions have three actions to consider:

Align programs with the needs of the market. At many institutions, including nontraditional online institutions, programs are developed through an outdated and often drawn-out process that is frequently divorced from the needs of employers and industries. This process not only leads to a mismatch in graduates’ skills but also rarely allows for the rapid development of new programs to meet current needs.

Institutions could stay ahead of the curve by adopting an iterative ‘learn and design’ program creation process that includes understanding current trends across industries, identifying shifts in technical and nontechnical skills, and revamping current programs or designing new ones to best prepare students.

For example, a university in Mexico found that new programs drove 34 percent of all new enrollment between 2016 and 2019. This institution focused on new-program development by identifying changes in job market trends and in-demand occupations, evaluating whether competitors were offering relevant programs to meet these workforce shifts, and making rapid decisions about which new programs to offer based on these factors. The creation of new programs was then centralized through an agile content development team (rather than spread across different “schools”) to ensure efficiency and speed to launch, enabling new programs to be built in less than three months. 13 McKinsey analysis.

Institutions could stay ahead of the curve by adopting an iterative ‘learn and design’ program creation process.

Integrate degree and nondegree offerings. The education sector has traditionally treated degree programs and nondegree certification programs as wholly separate. Each is valuable, and each has its shortcomings. More recently, a broader set of education programs have been gaining acceptance among adult learners, with certificate providers increasingly being considered equivalent to more traditional institutions of higher education. 14 McKinsey Learner Segmentation Survey (n = 3,709). This suggests that institutions could most effectively serve the student population by removing barriers between degree and nondegree programs and by offering an integrated package that incorporates credit-bearing credentials and certificates into the broader journey of earning a degree.

Universities don’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel to build such integrated programs. To develop an end-to-end solution for students, traditional institutions could partner with established nondegree players such Udacity or Grow with Google. Conversely, nondegree providers could seek to partner with full-degree programs so that their students could earn credit for their work and move toward a degree if they chose to.

City University of New York (CUNY), for example, partnered with the New York Jobs CEO Council to launch the EverUp Micro-Credential Program, which offers 100-hour online intensives alongside traditional degree programs. Shaped by input from the largest employers in New York City, these credentials aim to better prepare students for jobs or internships by helping them master specific job-related skills. 15 “Launch your career with EverUp Micro-Credentials!,” CUNY, accessed March 2022.

Offer multiple models for degree attainment. Respondents to the McKinsey learner survey identified a lack of hands-on experience as a top concern with online learning, with 30 percent saying it was their biggest frustration. Many learners in online-only degree programs are adults or traditional-age students from nontraditional backgrounds who cannot wait until the end of a degree program to apply their practical technical skills in paid or part-time roles. By offering stackable credentials with clear “on-ramps” and “off-ramps” that allow concurrent or sequenced work experience opportunities, programs could meet students’ unique needs and support their overall skill-building trajectory while keeping them engaged and driving completion rates.

2. Transform career planning and coaching services

According to McKinsey’s learner survey, 35 percent of respondents said their top motivation for considering additional education was a stalled career or a stalled career search (Exhibit 3). To provide learners with stronger and better-aligned career outcomes and increase job placement potential in high-paying positions, online institutions could proactively and consistently engage with students to set specific goals, work toward those goals, and adjust programming as needed.

Historically, students have started their career journeys by choosing a major in the first year or two of a degree program and trying to find a job in a related field sometime before graduation. This model assumes that learners are well informed about which programs or courses to pursue and does little to actually support learners throughout their journeys. Merely providing an educational experience with little connection to a learner’s postgraduation context is likely not enough to help students achieve career goals, especially in digital environments where networking, information sessions, and other forms of exposure to careers may lack in quality and quantity. A Strada survey revealed that more than a third of adults would change their field of study if they could do it all over again, with lower levels of regret among higher earners. 16 On second thought: US adults reflect on their education decisions , Strada Education Network, June 2017.

Provide up-front opportunities to explore interests. Before selecting a major, students could take a survey or assessment that captures their passions, skills, and experiences and points them toward multiple majors and related career options that align with their profile. Some institutions, such as Dickinson College and Boston College, have begun to integrate strength and interest exploration into summer orientation sessions to encourage students to think about majors and careers before they even start classes. 17 Jon Marcus, “Some colleges ease up on pushing undergrads into picking majors right away,” The Hechinger Report , July 23, 2021. Equipped with data and information about students’ passions and interests, institutions could help students create personalized studies and skill-building plans early in the program. Unlike degree maps that direct students to follow a predetermined path, personalized plans could break down the process of acquiring a degree and show students how they could accumulate skills over time.

Offer integrative exposure to career pathways. It is important for learners to know whether the careers that are aligned to a prospective major are a solid fit. Institutions could expand and prioritize student access to immersive career experiences, including project-based learning, research opportunities, shadowing, and career-aligned mentoring. 18 “Student outcomes beyond completion: National findings from the 2021 Strada Alumni Survey,” Strada Education Network, October 27, 2021.

Wake Forest University has garnered attention for its revitalized approach to career services. The institution emphasizes career exploration and customized exposure to careers early in the student journey by using profiles on Handshake (a job search and matching platform) to connect students with organizations and companies based on their interests and qualifications. 19 Andy Chan and Christine Cruzvergara, Outcomes and metrics that matter: Embedding career services at higher education’s core , Handshake, September 2021.

Other institutions help students build digital portfolios of work that they can show to potential employers during interviews. This allows firms to see precisely what skills students are learning and how those skills relate to specific job roles through, for example, an employer-facing dashboard that links courses, student activities, and work experiences to specific skills and industries. 20 “Career e-portfolios to help land a job,” San José State University, accessed May 2022.

Adjust and iterate on studies and career plans. As a student progresses through the educational journey, institutions could perform check-ins, advise, and reevaluate personalized course plans more frequently. For example, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Program in Exploratory Studies provides personalized attention to help undergraduate students discover their interests, realign on a major and potential career paths, and adjust course plans accordingly. When the program launched in 2019, about 40 percent of Boulder students were switching majors after realizing a new one might be a better fit. The new advising approach gives students the ability to shift plans with ease. 21 “Some colleges,” July 23, 2021. Some other institutions also offer the ability to flex major requirements or stack credentials when pivoting to another field.

3. Revolutionize employer relationships

Online education providers are uniquely positioned to develop close B2B partnerships with organizations looking to upskill their employee bases and attract new talent. The ability of these providers to rapidly adjust their curricula, combined with their history of serving adult students looking to advance their careers, suggests that such partnerships could be a strong driver of growth.

A recent study by Udacity found that roughly 60 percent of employers said talent gaps are having a major or moderate impact on their business, while a majority of younger people across all regions believe their employers should invest in their future by giving them skill training. 22 Talent transformation global impact report , Udacity and Ipsos, January 2022. However, few educational institutions have made B2B a meaningful source of enrollment growth. Traditional B2B strategies often fail to sufficiently address the talent transformation needs of corporate partners. With employers facing unprecedented talent challenges and prospective students looking for career linkages, the moment may be ripe for rethinking how digital educators pursue B2B partnerships. While the nature of B2B strategies may vary across institutions, we have identified a few emerging, innovative approaches that could help institutions build strong B2B partnerships.

With employers facing unprecedented talent challenges and prospective students looking for career linkages, the moment may be ripe for rethinking how digital educators pursue B2B partnerships.

Focus on career-specific skills that can quickly address employer pain points. Many online institutions offer a broad range of certificate and training programs and seek to show the general value of their education to a potential partner instead of focusing on the skills needed for a specific industry or job function. By researching certain industries or roles, online education providers could identify very specific and practical skills that may meet the most acute talent development pain points. A skills-based approach often requires institutions to develop new content, bundle it, and sequence it in new ways while incorporating project-based learning. Scarce resources can make it difficult for universities to modularize all content simultaneously. Focusing on specific industries and professions can help them get started.

Develop comprehensive enterprise plans for upgrading and adding talent. Online education providers could differentiate their B2B offerings by thinking of themselves as talent development partners or as part of a “corporate academy.” By partnering with learning and development (L&D) teams to offer value-added services such as enterprise-wide assessments for talent transformation, these institutions could increase the value of educational partnerships and help ensure that it results in meaningful ROI for B2B partners. Once a business is enrolled, online education providers could develop personalized plans for each employee and create enterprise-specific reporting platforms that track and display the collective progress of the company’s talent pool. Moreover, providers could offer select student support services that are tailored for a given partner. In addition to developing existing talent, online education providers could innovate go-to-market approaches for attracting new talent to fields with significant labor shortages. For example, they could develop degree and training programs in partnership with employers who promise tuition assistance and jobs for students who complete the program. Talent attraction and development are more important than ever; by solving these problems, an online education provider could become integral to the core business instead of simply a benefit for employees.

Measure impact and ROI. Deeper partnerships that meet the specific needs of employers could drive real business value by filling talent gaps. However, very few, if any, online education providers have measured that impact or demonstrated the full ROI of upskilling employees. This suggests there is a unique opportunity for a nimble, forward-thinking provider to structure partnerships in which ROI is front and center. Measuring the impact of programs that build digital skills could also help unlock more B2B partnerships and greater enrollment growth.

4. Deliver a distinctive learning experience

The COVID-19 pandemic has further influenced consumer behavior and expectations across industries, 23 For more, see “ US consumer sentiment and behaviors during the coronavirus crisis ,” McKinsey, December 14, 2021. including education. Approximately 20 percent of respondents to our survey of US learners said their biggest frustration with online learning was “engaging in real-time conversations through a virtual medium.” About 18 percent of respondents said their top frustration with online learning was “getting the technology to work.”

To meet evolved student expectations, online institutions may want to upgrade their overall digital experience across core content delivery, build supporting tools and infrastructure, and apply best practices in customer experience. In our recent article on improving online higher education, 24 Felipe Child, Marcus Frank, Mariana Lef, and Jimmy Sarakatsannis, “ Setting a new bar for online higher education ,” McKinsey, October 18, 2021. we share the findings of our survey on academic research as well as the practices of more than 30 institutions, including both regulated degree-granting universities and nonregulated lifelong-education providers.

To deliver an outstanding learning experience and better outcomes for students, institutions could focus their efforts on three overarching principles (Exhibit 4):

Seamless journeys. Exceptional delivery includes a user-centered learning platform that is easy to navigate and highly interactive. Elements could include movie trailer–like course previews presented by top instructors, real-time progress dashboards across programs and courses, and integrated, timely alerts that let students know when they are not investing enough time on a topic and offer suggestions for study resources.

An engaging teaching approach. While top-notch faculty and teachers, interactive lessons, and high-quality content are all critical, exceptional delivery also includes supporting a variety of learning settings to adapt to different learning needs. Enabling students to choose a learning format they prefer is one example. Real-time collaboration via group work, breakout rooms for discussion classes, Q&As with professors, and free, embedded access to external resources—such as professional-association standards and newspaper articles—could also help strengthen learning.

A caring network. Strong networks offering both academic and nonacademic support could help institutions accelerate learning and foster the well-being of students. This could include easily accessible, 24/7 troubleshooting support via a live service desk for urgent learning and teaching problems. Other initiatives to consider are program-specific opportunities to enhance student life online, such as personalized meet and greets, special academic invitations, and thematic social clubs, as well as using the right technologies to allow for just-in-time community or adviser support where needed.

5. Build a bold and differentiated brand

In today’s highly competitive market, building a distinctive brand is more important than ever. Our independent analysis of the fastest-growing online universities revealed that their success was due, at least in part, to investing marketing dollars in raising broad-based awareness of their educational offerings. By sustaining these efforts over time, they were able to increase awareness and inbound interest, which ultimately helped drive enrollment. Through our work and our research, we’ve identified three marketing and branding benchmarks providers may want to consider:

A compelling brand message. By initiating the four moves listed above, online education providers could lay the foundation for a distinctive brand message that cuts through the “sea of sameness” that typifies most online education advertising. Simply emphasizing affordability and flexibility may not be enough. Successful brands are not afraid to be bold and elicit both emotional and rational responses from consumers. Shaping a brand message that speaks to people’s dreams for the future, and shows how an institution is innovating to deliver on that promise, could help the institution stand out and motivate prospective students to learn more about it. There are many ways for an institution to differentiate its brand, including focusing on a particular student segment (such as veterans), focusing on a particular field of study (such as healthcare or nursing), or focusing on a distinctive student experience (such as through a differentiated online platform or student support network).

A balanced marketing media mix that delivers sustainable student acquisition costs. Many online education providers developed their marketing strategies during a time of ever-growing demand and limited competition. Those strategies tended to emphasize “bottom of the funnel” tactics such as affiliate marketing and paid-search marketing that aimed to convert prospective students who were close to making a decision. Given the marked increase in competition and growing per-click costs, this strategy may not prove sustainable. Our research shows that the most successful institutions invest at least half of their marketing dollars in broad-reach media that drives organic traffic. While investing more in brand marketing does require patience, it could establish a brand that generates sustainable student acquisition costs over time while helping increase conversion rates across all channels and throughout the enrollment process. The use of digital channels such as video, social media, and audio could allow institutions to reach a broad but still relevant audience. These tactics may also allow institutions to track the impact of these broader marketing efforts by looking at organic traffic and search data.

Our research shows that the most successful institutions invest at least half of their marketing dollars in broad-reach media that drives organic traffic.

Use of authentic voices to build credibility. Institutions may benefit from creating opportunities for current and former students to communicate the value of their programs to the broader public. Successful students take great pride in their accomplishments and are often happy to share their experiences. Moreover, they can deliver authentic and credible messages. As more and more prospective students turn to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to research schools, promoting user-generated content could go a long way toward driving interest and enrollment growth.

Institutions may also want to ensure that their branding is sustained throughout the admissions process. Instead of using a rigid, sometimes overly persistent model that focuses on outbound phone calls and cookie-cutter information, institutions can instead adopt a flexible engagement model that provides personalized information and respects the audience’s time.

Admissions teams could also diversify how they interact with prospective students and work seamlessly across SMS, email, phone, and videoconferencing to provide information and answer questions. In this new model, admissions officers become more than a single point of contact, instead connecting students to online information and to people in other parts of the organization, such as alumni or faculty, who could help them make informed decisions.

This new approach to branding and admissions might sound like common sense, but many organizations have optimized their old models over decades. Thoroughly changing a branding strategy often requires a fundamental restructuring of the way institutions work, the skills they employ, and how they measure success.

While making progress in these five strategic areas could yield growth, doing all five in unison is likely to produce the greatest impact.

To compete and grow, digital-learning providers may benefit from moving fast and cross-functionally and making rapid decisions based on data. Executing these five big moves will likely require the investment and involvement of the full organization. McKinsey analysis suggests that for most institutions, this path will represent a full transformation of current operations; lessons discussed in other education insights may be helpful in that effort. This path also requires a willingness to look beyond education for ideas and expertise and to find new technologies from across the digital economy. Blazing the path to a new frontier of online education is daunting, but those that do it could grow their impact while supporting students.

Nadine Diaz-Infante is an associate partner in McKinsey’s Mexico City office, Michael Lazar is a partner in the New York office, Samvitha Ram is a consultant in the New Jersey office, and Austin Ray is a consultant in the Atlanta office.

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Online Schooling System – Python Project

In this article, we are going to build an Online schooling system United School for all students where they can study online and get an equivalent degree affiliated with a well-known organization. Many of the schools were shut and many are facing problems in teaching online through any platform. Here in this project, a well-organized Online learning platform will be provided to both schools as well as the students with which they can easily manage online studies. This platform includes all the features from taking online exams for students as well as for recruitment purposes of teachers, to taking attendance of the students easily. You can check demo on the link given unitedschool.herokuapp.com .

Tools and Technologies Used in the Project: 

• Web Technology: HTML, CSS
• Database: POSTGRES
• Editor: VSCODE

Required Skillset to Build the Project:

• FrontEnd : HTML, CSS, BOOTSTRAP, JAVASCRIPT .
• BackEnd: Flask, Postgresql, SqlAlchemy, Python, AJAX.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Firstly we decided the whole architecture of our idea. We collected all the information needed to implement this project.We learnt FLASK , SQLAlchemy etc. to make project Dynamic.

Step 2: After deciding the whole architecture, we started working on the FrontEnd of the project. Firstly we designed the landing page of our website. Which looks like this. 

Below is the code snippet for nav bar home page

Step 3: Now We will use Flask to make it a webapp and connect all the html pages. We used POSTGRESQL for the database. 

Step 4: Now we write the app route for each HTML page. As shown in the example below:

Step 5: After this, we create tables in POSTGRES using SQLAlchemy Code. Below is the code snippet for creating the table student.

Step 6: After this, we implement features like EXAM , student login, teacher login, Library. Here we implemented a feature of Cheating Detection through which a person can be get caught if he cheats .

This is how the complete project structure looks like:

Student View: Students can login through the mail provide by admin. He can use the portal for submitting fees, assignments, Giving exams, Getting Results, Download books PDF, Can post any notice on student portal.

Teacher View: Teachers can login and use the portal for taking live classes, Evaluating Students, Providing Assignments, Take Attendance.

Admin View: Admin can manage students, teachers, new admission application Form, Carousel images, Announcements etc.

Third Person View: Announcement section, Information about schools, Services of school, Enquire admin for more information, and apply for admission as well.

The output video for the demo is shown below:

ER-diagram:

Project Application in Real-Life:

It provides a media to efficiently manage the schooling system. It will help all the students as well as schools which are facing issues in teaching online also will help the people who migrate from one place to another place for higher studies. With the help of this project one can easily complete his degree from wherever he wants. Also this project will ensure that exams are taken without any cheating and if anyone does cheating will automatically be detected and will get disqualified.

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Computer Science > Machine Learning

Title: automatic ai model selection for wireless systems: online learning via digital twinning.

Abstract: In modern wireless network architectures, such as O-RAN, artificial intelligence (AI)-based applications are deployed at intelligent controllers to carry out functionalities like scheduling or power control. The AI "apps" are selected on the basis of contextual information such as network conditions, topology, traffic statistics, and design goals. The mapping between context and AI model parameters is ideally done in a zero-shot fashion via an automatic model selection (AMS) mapping that leverages only contextual information without requiring any current data. This paper introduces a general methodology for the online optimization of AMS mappings. Optimizing an AMS mapping is challenging, as it requires exposure to data collected from many different contexts. Therefore, if carried out online, this initial optimization phase would be extremely time consuming. A possible solution is to leverage a digital twin of the physical system to generate synthetic data from multiple simulated contexts. However, given that the simulator at the digital twin is imperfect, a direct use of simulated data for the optimization of the AMS mapping would yield poor performance when tested in the real system. This paper proposes a novel method for the online optimization of AMS mapping that corrects for the bias of the simulator by means of limited real data collected from the physical system. Experimental results for a graph neural network-based power control app demonstrate the significant advantages of the proposed approach.

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Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

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Pulitzer Center Update June 28, 2024

Open Call for Proposals for Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Fellowships (2024-2025)

The Pulitzer Center is now accepting applications for its third cohort (2024-2025) of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Accountability Fellowships .

AI and other predictive technologies have been used to make policy decisions, understand disease, teach our children, and monitor our work for years. The hype around generative AI is now supercharging the spread of these systems while citizens have little insight into how they work, who profits from them, and who gets hurt.

Through the AI Accountability Fellowships, the Pulitzer Center aims to support in-depth, high-impact reporting projects that document and explain the opportunities, harms, and regulatory and labor issues surrounding AI systems. The Fellowship program provides selected journalists with financial support, a community of peers, mentorship, and training to pursue in-depth reporting projects that interrogate how AI systems are funded, built, and deployed by corporations, governments, and other powerful actors.

Launched in 2022, the AI Accountability Fellowships have so far supported 18 journalists from five different continents . Previous Fellows reported on a vast range of in-depth stories that gives us a nuanced look at the real-life consequences of AI technologies. Their reporting has triggered policy reforms , sparked official inquiries, and inspired college newspapers to start their own investigations and student poets to examine AI accountability .

Specialty Fellowships

The Pulitzer Center is recruiting eight to ten journalists from anywhere in the world to report on the impacts of algorithmic and automated systems in their communities. We encourage journalists from the Global South and from communities that are underrepresented in the media to apply.

While we welcome projects on a broad range of issues, this year we are also placing special emphasis on certain topics. We are seeking to support at least one project on transparency and governance in relation to AI. This includes projects that follow the money across borders; shed light on opaque and harmful AI supply chains; or report on legislation, business practices, and organizations that exacerbate the lack of accountability and transparency of AI systems.

Applications for the 2024-2025 AI Accountability Fellowships are now open. The deadline is August 10, 2024.  Find more information here . Apply here .

Fellowship overview and requirements.

The ten-months-long Fellowship starts in September 2024. Journalists selected as AI Accountability Fellows will be provided up to $20,000 to pursue their reporting projects. Funds can be used to pay for records requests, travel expenses, data analysis, and stipends, among other costs. In addition, the Fellows will have access to mentors from different fields and relevant training with a group of peers that will help strengthen their reporting projects.

Successful applicants will be expected to join a mandatory 90-minute meeting held every month and to engage with other Fellows in virtual meetings and on the community’s dedicated online platform. Such collaborations and participation in training sessions and meetings are requirements of the Fellowship program. Working and learning with a diverse group of journalists from around the world can illuminate unforeseen connections among stories and strengthen everyone’s projects with new perspectives. If you are pursuing a good story but cannot commit to the requirements of a Fellowship, you can try applying for an AI Reporting Grant .

We also require the sharing of methodologies and lessons learned so each story may serve as a blueprint for other newsrooms pursuing similar projects.

Find out more about the Fellowship by reading Frequently Asked Questions .

The AI Accountability Fellowship is a program under the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network . The AI Accountability Network launched in 2022 to expand and diversify the field of journalists reporting on AI and with AI in the public interest. The Network is managed by Pulitzer Center Senior Editor Boyoung Lim , with the support of Executive Editor Marina Walker Guevara and the Pulitzer Center’s Editorial team.

Other programs supported by the AI Accountability Network include: 

• Machine Learning Reporting Grants support journalists seeking to use machine learning to augment their reporting capacity on big data projects.
• AI Reporting Grants support shorter term, in-depth reporting projects that explore the impact of AI systems in communities around the world. 
• The AI Spotlight Series is an online training series, free of charge, designed to equip reporters and editors with the knowledge and skills necessary to cover and shape coverage of AI and its profound influence on society.

The AI Accountability Network is funded with the support of the Open Society Foundations (OSF), MacArthur Foundation, Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab, and individual donors and foundations who support our work more broadly.   

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