Digital Skills and Research Methodology

This report focuses on the importance of virtual learning environment in the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on students' mindset. It also discusses research methodology and digital skills.

Digital skills and research
methodology

Table of Contents
Research Title..............................................................................................................................1
Rationale.....................................................................................................................................1
Research objectives.....................................................................................................................1
Research Questions.....................................................................................................................1
Literature review.........................................................................................................................2
Explain what is Virtual learning environment............................................................................2
Evaluate the importance of Virtual learning environment in the situation of COVID pandemic.
.....................................................................................................................................................2
Analyse the impact of Virtual learning on the mindset of students............................................3
Methodology...............................................................................................................................3
Research Philosophy...................................................................................................................3
Research Approach.....................................................................................................................4
Research Instrument....................................................................................................................4
Sources of data collection...........................................................................................................4
Research Design..........................................................................................................................4
Sampling.....................................................................................................................................5
Population profile................................................................................................................44435
Sampling Theories......................................................................................................................5
Sampling Size..............................................................................................................................5
Primary data collection...............................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
online sources...................................................................................................................................7

Research Title.
“Due to current situation of COVID 19 impact on the virtual learnings of students”
INTRODUCTIO
Virtual learning is the is an learning concept that improve through the use of computer
and internet in both internal and external environment of educational organisation. It is an online
platform that helps students in learning by the instructions provided by teacher but the teacher is
not physically present with the students. This report is based on University of Wales Trinity
Saint David London Campus, (Dishkova, and Papancheva, 2019) along with the learnings
experience offer by the students. This report contains various information about the learnings of
students such as Research informed literature, knowledge and understanding of subject, analysis,
practical applications and development, skills of professional practice.
Rationale
The reason behind this research is proper understanding of virtual learning of students
due the pandemic situation of coronavirus. This report helps in better knowledge of e learning
with the help of online survey for the protraction and safety of students. It also provide the
information about the pros and cons of online learning on the study of students.
Research objectives
 To have better knowledge about the virtual learning.
 To understand the importance of online learning in the situation of COVID pandemic
situation.
 To analyse the impact of Virtual learning environment on the students.
Research Questions
 Explain what is Virtual learning environment.
 Evaluate the importance of Virtual learning environment in the situation of COVID
pandemic.
 Analyse the impact of Virtual learning on the mindset of students.
1

Literature review
Explain what is Virtual learning environment.
As per the point of view of Margraet Rouse, 2020, Virtual learning refers to the tools that
are designed for the enhancement of learning experience of students. This learning includes
computers, internet, in the learning process of the students. The virtual learning includes online
experience of both teachers and students by curriculum mapping and student tracking with the
support of internet and computers. The teachers and students have electronic communication that
helps students in better learning, various online communication tools are e mail, dissection, web
publishing, chat etc. virtual learning students and teachers are assigns as ID, through the online
learning that links to the outside internet (Fleaca, and Stanciu, 2019) curriculum resources. In
this both teachers and students see the same web, but teachers have right to create some
curriculum changes, and track the activities and performance of students. The are many virtual
learning software are available including, Blackboard, WebCT, Lotus learning space and COSE.
This software helps in enhancing the experience of students and their online learning that could
improve the performance and skills of the students. The virtual learning environment also helps
in better understanding of learning aspects of the students and improve the level and capacity of
the learning at home.
Evaluate the importance of Virtual learning environment in the situation of COVID pandemic.
As per the point of view of Priyanka Gautam, 2020, in the situation of COVID the most
there increasing number of using online platform for the education of students. This pandemic
has trigger the new tools of online learning. In over all world the educational institution is
looking for the various ways that can improve the online learning by using various virtual
learning tools in the teaching system. The new normal trend in this situation is changing
education system with online education system that helps students in increase the level of
learning in pandemic situation. For many educational institution the online virtual learning
environment is totally new concept. But online line learning helps them to make efficient
learning through the virtual platforms. Online learning has many tools such as videos, PDF,
podcast and teachers can use these tools to improve the learning experience of student form their
home. It improve the accessibility of time and place, students can learn and attend the classes
from their home or the location of their choice. It helps the education institution to reach out the
students globally without any fear of COVID pandemic. It also allow students to have learning
2

materials on at the time they want according to their comfort. It also helps in improvement of
students attendance because online classes can be taken from the home or any location according
to the preference of students, it make fewer chances of students to miss out the classes. So in
COVID situation in across the globe virtual learning helps the students in better leaning with out
any impact of coronavirus pandemic on their education. It also helps the teachers to make their
teaching effective for their students in order to provide them growth in their educational career.
Analyse the impact of Virtual learning on the mindset of students.
As per the view point of Anne Dennon, 2020, many students were not prepared for the
closer of their collage and schools, and they face many challenges going forward with the
studies. Many educational institution starts online classes and students starts learning hybrid
models. The students starts learning form the virtual classes that helps them to study form their
home in pandemic situation. But they are also face many challenges due to the network
connection and unavailability of resources. Students are willing to reach out the collages and
schools because of discomfort from the online (Hamad, Al-Fadel, and Fakhouri, 2020)
learning. They feel gap between the their studies and the online structure of the educational
institutions. For those student who are new to the online learning is difficult to understand the
process of the virtual learning environment. There are also various pros of online learning such
students feel safe and secure during the virtual learning form their home. They are able to find
solution of problems from the online classes that provide better understanding and knowledge to
them. It also help them complete their studies without any educational gap, it could help them to
save time and handle this situation in most effective manner. There are various new technologies
and tools of online learning that help the student to grow and learn gain knowledge about the
various ways of study at home.
Methodology
It refers to the collection of information and data about the adequate topic by the
researcher in order to gain knowledge and information about the topic. It is the process of
development of an research report in order to gain knowledge and information.
Research Philosophy
It is an method by which researcher gather information and data in support of following
of certain phenomenon. It helps in enhance the ability to solve problems and find an accurate
3

solution of those problems. In order to have an accurate research two approaches can be used as
interpretivism and positivism. To complete this report in most effective way the positivism
approach to be used that helps in gaining of standardised outcomes. In this report an specific
topic to be completed in order to achieve specific outcome.
Research Approach
It is plan and process that consist the steps of broad assumptions and collection of
research data, analysis and interpretation. The research approach is essentially divided into two
categories, the approach of data collection and the approach of data analysis or resourcing. But in
this report the quantitative and qualitative methods can be use, in this qualitative methods are
used that helps in gather advanced information (Milenkova, Keranova, and Peicheva, 2019) that
helps in better interpretation of information and collection of data. In addition an data deductive
approach to be used that helps in enhancement of data and improvement of productiveness and
perfection.
Research Instrument
It is an tool that help to gather information and knowledge about the specific topic and
tool in order to achieve accuracy in the report. It usually get the data from interviews,
questionnaire, survey etc. in this current research the questionnaire is used to collect data and
information so the appropriate out come to be done. It helps in attain the sustain the specific
outcome and achieve the objectives of the report.
Sources of data collection
In order to conduct perfect research the researcher ensure that significant outcome could
be achieve from the report in order to gain knowledge and information. The researcher can use
various ways of data collection such as (Oggero, Rossi, and Ughetto, 2019) questionnaire,
observation, interviews, and surveys. It have both positive and negative impact of the research.
To collect an prominent outcome of report the secondary research to be done to get an
appropriate result of the report and research.
Research Design
It refers to the various ways and structure that used to get different components of the
research study. Research design is done by various techniques and implementation to achieve
effective outcome attached with the perfection. It the context of virtual learning environment,
4

researcher use descriptive research in order to gain information about the basic issues that
develop the understanding of pandemic situation and its impact on the students. It helps to
teachers and students to have appropriate solution of these problems that can include the path
way to its solutions.
Sampling
I is the method by which researcher choose accurate population as per the integrated out
come to be achieved. In this research the development of adequate research applied to all the
audience and its more explained below:
Population profile
It is an relevant theme that helps in improvement and development of outcome, this
research has an adequate learning that is suitable in all the situations. In this research report the
various impact of COVID situation on the virtual learnings.
Sampling Theories
It is used by the researcher in order to which sampling to be completed, in the terms of
probability and non probability sampling. In this research report researcher make an clear focus
on the methods of sampling, in this (Schmid, and Petko, 2019) research 30 respondent is
selected and considers both teachers and students. In this overall random sampling is done that
save time and cost. Furthermore, below is probability and non probability is used to make
complex solution for researcher.
Sampling Size
It is an effective process that researcher select sample size and than complete over all
research. Researcher use 30 candidates for the sample size.
Primary data collection
This data collection is done by the original sources as with the support of questionnaire
methods as explained below:
1. Do know about the concept of virtual learning? Frequency
 Yes 18
 No 12
5

From the above graph it can understand that from the total number of 30, 18 believe that
they have knowledge about the virtual learning environment, and the rest 12 are not. It reflect
that most of teachers and students(West, Kraut, and Ei Chew, 2019) are familiar with the
concept of VLE.
2. What are the importance of virtual learning environment over the
education of the student?
Frequency
 Better access of learning 10
 Direct feedback 15
 Time management 5
6
Yes No
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
18
12
Better access of learning Direct feedback Time management
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
10
15
5

7

From the above graph it is analysed that from the above 30 candidates 10 believe that
VLE helps in better learning, 15 agrees that virtual learning helps in direct feedback, and 5 state
that it helps in effective management of time.
3. Virtual learning environment is good for the students or not? Frequency
 Yes 20
 No 10
The above mention graph define that 20 thinks that VLE is important for the education of
the students and 10 candidates are disagree on that.
8
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
20
10

CONCLUSION
From above information it can be summarise that virtual learning is an platform that
helps in better development of online education of students and promoted on the timely frame. In
this educational institution offers online studies to their students for the better career and learning
in the COVID 19 pandemic situation. It helps students to continue their studies in this pandemic
situation by staying at their home safely.
9

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dishkova, M. and Papancheva, R., 2019. Digital skills and the cyber addiction at primary
school. New Trends and Issues Proceedings on Humanities and Social Sciences, 6(2),
pp.22-31.
Fleaca, E. and Stanciu, R.D., 2019. Digital-age learning and business engineering education–A
pilot study on students’ E-skills. Procedia Manufacturing, 32, pp.1051-1057.
Hamad, F., Al-Fadel, M. and Fakhouri, H., 2020. The effect of librarians’ digital skills on
technology acceptance in academic libraries in Jordan. Journal of Librarianship and
Information Science, p.0961000620966644.
Milenkova, V., Keranova, D. and Peicheva, D., 2019, July. Digital skills and new media and
information literacy in the conditions of digitization. In International Conference on
Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (pp. 65-72). Springer, Cham.
Oggero, N., Rossi, M.C. and Ughetto, E., 2019. Entrepreneurial spirits in women and men. The
role of financial literacy and digital skills. Small Business Economics, pp.1-15.
Schmid, R. and Petko, D., 2019. Does the use of educational technology in personalized learning
environments correlate with self-reported digital skills and beliefs of secondary-school
students?. Computers & education, 136, pp.75-86.
West, M., Kraut, R. and Ei Chew, H., 2019. I'd blush if I could: closing gender divides in digital
skills through education.
online sources
Margraet Rouse, 2020, what is Virtual learning environment. Available through;
<https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-learning-environment-VLE-or-managed-
learning-environment-MLE>
Priyanka Gautam, 2020, importance of online learning in the situation of COVID pandemic
situation. Availble through; <https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-
online-learning>
Anne Dennon, 2020, impact of Virtual learning on the mindset of students, available
through;<https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/coronavirus-impacts-on-students/>
10