Participation style and social anxiety as predictors of active participation in asynchronous discussion forums and academic achievement.

Learners in asynchronous discussion forums are inundated with diverse options when it comes to interaction. This enables the embodiment of various styles of participation. On the other hand, the affective domain tends to be overlooked in the online discussion context. The modeling of discussion activities based on both cognitive and affective indicators constitutes this study's unique aspect. In the study, the impact of social anxiety and participation styles on active participation in discussions were investigated using three-factor social anxiety and four-factor participation style models. In addition, the impact of active participation on academic achievement was also examined. Path analysis was used to explain the predictive correlation among these indicators. Students' participation behaviors in discussions during a three-week implementation were analyzed within the scope of a course taught during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The findings showed that social anxiety and participation styles had a significant impact on active participation, which, in turn, significantly affected academic achievement. The study provides crucial inputs in portraying the characteristics of learners in such a way as to tailor online discussions to their needs.

A quantitative content analysis of Turkish state universities' official websites in terms of their preparedness and actions during emergency distance education in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Most universities worldwide had to temporarily interrupt face-to-face education and start Emergency Distance Education (EDE) due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It is useful to identify the difficulties and problems that universities faced in this process in order that they can carry out a similar process more efficiently in the future. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct an in vivo examination of EDE from the institutional perspective within the scope of universities during the pandemic period in Turkey. To this end, all state university websites were searched according to 27 criteria which were determined to set out the EDE readiness status of universities. The results revealed that higher education institutions had difficulty in providing sufficient pedagogical and technical guidance to academic staff due to the rapid transition. With respect to students, distance course contents, activities and announcements were not equitably accessible for students from foreign countries and those with disabilities owing to the lack of information and communications technology (ICT) tools, internet connection, translation, etc. A remarkable number of higher education institutions preferred the features of distance education tools such as cost, familiarity, stability, availability of technical support, and short preparation time rather than their pedagogical affordances.

Social anxiety in E-Learning: Scale validation and socio-demographic correlation study.

During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, over 1.5 billion students worldwide have been deprived of access to traditional learning. This situation has necessitated the use of social distancing-based educational methods; consequently, a tremendous shift towards e-learning has been observed. This study assesses medical students' social anxiety levels in e-learning environments. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the original Turkish Social Anxiety Scale for E-Learning Environments (SASE) was adapted in English and tested for validity and reliability. This instrument has two subscales: social anxiety in learner-learner interaction and in learner-instructor interaction. In the second stage, we explored the associations of gender, age, and perceived academic performance with medical students' social anxiety levels in e-learning environments. A total of 325 responses were analysed. Consistent with the original version, the adapted scale is a reliable and valid measure of social anxiety in e-learning. Social anxiety in e-learning was related to gender (p = 0.008) and age (p = 0.013). Social anxiety levels were higher in students with lower perceived performance during e-learning compared to students with enhanced performance, but the difference was not significant. The SASE is a useful instrument for evaluating social anxiety in e-learning environments across English educational frameworks. Considering the shift in social interaction environments, efforts are required to reduce medical students' social anxiety levels and enhance learning.

Structure elucidation of laser-dye coumarin-540A by joint application of X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, prompt fluorescence, UV and visible spectroscopy.

X-ray, ultraviolet, and visible light induced photophysical changes of coumarin-540A in ethanol has been studied by the joint applications of X-ray, ultraviolet, and visible spectroscopy. Some impurities were found by X-ray fluorescence measurements. During the high power optical pumping, coumarin showed photochemical changes. Photoproduct emission spectra characteristics showed that photoproduct molecules could also be used as a laser-dye at a different emission frequency in the ultraviolet region.

Structure elucidation of laser dye coumarin-540A by joint application of X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, prompt fluorescence, UV and visible spectroscopy.

X-ray, ultraviolet, and visible light induced photophysical changes of coumarin-540A in ethanol have been studied by the joint applications of X-ray, ultraviolet, and visible spectroscopy. Some impurities were found by X-ray fluorescence measurements. During the high power optical pumping, coumarin showed photochemical changes. Photoproduct emission spectra characteristics showed that photoproduct molecules can also be used as a laser dye at a different emission frequency in the ultraviolet region.