The aim of this paper is to evaluate the usefulness of educational software among teachers in Italy (N = 559). The evaluation of usefulness was conducted on the latest and most popular web-based software used by European teachers, namely: Quizizz, Mentimeter, Wakelet, Padlet, Canva, Emaze, Answergarden, Jamboard, Coggle, Createley, Wordwall, LearningApps, Prezi, Kahoot, Plickers, Trimino, Dobble, Genial.ly, ClassDojo, Explain Everything, KhanAcademy, and Easelly. Based on data collected in the first half of 2022 using an online survey, it was noted that: 1) The majority of teachers are not able to evaluate modern software because they do not use such teaching resources as those listed; 2) About 9.3% of teachers rate the listed software highly; 3) Most commonly teachers use and also rate highly: Canva, Wordwall, Padlet, LearningApps, Kahoot, Coggle, Jamboard, and Prezi; 4) Seniority and workplace does not always differentiate the evaluation of educational software.

The 21st century has seen an explosion of knowledge and a way to transfer it, a situation comparable to the spread of movable type printing in the 15th century. Promoting online education means providing training opportunities for everyone, including those who would normally be excluded from the credential system. It is precisely within this framework that the microcredentialing system is situated. Relevant elements emerge from the latest Horizon report (Pelletier et al., 2021) to map the current state of microcredentialing in the world. First, investment in micro-qualifications is expected to grow substantially over the five-year period 2021-2026 (Holon IQ, 2021). With this in mind, starting from the Horizon report, this paper declines through an exploratory survey aimed at learning about the training implications and future developments of the microcredentials system. In particular, the survey places a focus on the microcredentialing system in Europe with a particular lunge on the prospects of online education and the future prospects of microcredentialing in Italy and Europe. Systems such as Bestr, the first digital credentialing platform born in Italy, at the behest of the Cineca consortium, and best practices related to MOOCs are taken into analysis: such as Federica, an online learning platform, and EduOpen, a project funded by the Ministry of Education, University and Research aimed at the realization and fruition of MOOCs. However, it is necessary to conduct in-depth studies on the microcredentialing system, analyzing the models, means available and tools that can be used by making a comparison with current Italian, European and international conditions.

Background The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of 2019 and the Russian-Ukrainian war in February 2022 created restrictions and uncertainties that affected the general population’s mental health. One of the affected groups was students. This systematic review summarizes the current literature on the prevalence, outcomes, and interventions for stress and anxiety among university, college, graduate, or postsecondary populations. Methods A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and ProQuest, following PRISMA guidelines. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and screening was performed to identify the definitive studies. Results The prevalence of anxiety was relatively high, ranging from 88.9 to 13.63%, and the prevalence of stress ranged from 56 to 28.14%. The predictors of stress and anxiety included young age, gender being female, STEM course, loneliness, low academic level in school, urban lockdown, confinement, having a preexisting disease, having relatives or friends infected with COVID-19, and proximity to a COVID-19 zone. The predictors of stress included gender being female, living with family, living in a household with many people, being confined rather than having the freedom to relocate, proximity to confirmed cases of COVID-19, lack of access to materials on COVID-19, preexisting mental disorders, and lack of knowledge on the preventable nature of COVID-19. The sources of anxiety among the university students identified in the study included academics, postponement of graduation, cancelation or disruption of planned events, inability to achieve goals, and finances. In addition, the students used trauma-focused, forward-focused, task-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidance-oriented coping strategies. Conclusion The included studies showed that stress and anxiety increased during the pandemic and the war, with gender and uncertainty playing a critical role. The studies provide insights into the widespread use of problem-focused and task-focused coping strategies despite their impact on increasing stress and anxiety.

Covid-19 pandemic has increased the use of technology in the educational field. While previous literature has demonstrated the benefits of using technology in educational environments, the risks related to problematic digital behaviors have been less investigated. Digital resilience represents a protective factor for students’ learning outcomes and emotional wellbeing. The main aim of this study was to explore Italian university students’ digital resilience levels and their psychological wellbeing in terms of stress and psychological resilience. 94 students (F=57.4%) aged 19-57 (M=31.11, SD=9.04) completed an ad-hoc questionnaire on digital resilience which included the Perceived Stress Scale, the KOP-26, and the Brief Resilience Scale. Descriptive statistics, item analysis, and bivariate correlations were performed. Results showed that Italian students reported higher levels of stress (M=21.53, SD=6.92) than the Italian normative sample. In addition to this, they perceived good levels of both psychological and digital resilience: they reported being aware of potential strategies for preparing for and responding to cyber threats and how to face negative online experiences. These results could usefully inform interventions aimed at helping them to recognize and manage risks and threats when online

The methodology of quantitative research in psychology was essentially addressed in the presence to investigate certain dimensions in training such as motivation, perception, etc. Since 2019, after the pandemic, it has been necessary to move the surveys online as new tools. The researcher would like to investigate this phenomenon of sampling, research designs of the instruments validated in the last three years which is 2019–2021. Investigating these concerns has allowed researchers to perform systematic studies on the effects of online teaching on learning, social participation, and feeling of community. The specific setting in which the phenomena were investigated altered the theoretical framework of the research designs. The techniques and methods of data gathering are fundamentally innovated once the research issue has been conceived. Even the tools used to measure the variables involved in the researched processes are improvised or subjected to rewriting or alteration. The population has changed: subjects are sampled in different ways, and there could be a considerably higher number of subjects to search. As a result, there's a chance for new inaccuracies that weren't present in face-to-face surveys or previous online research. As a result, the statistical analysis of the data must take care to avoid reasoning errors. Validity, as well as the processes’ reliability and replicability, remain top priorities in these researches. Furthermore, the methodologies of experimental or quasi-experimental research, the correlation research approach, the questionnaire survey, the interview, and participant observation have all required redefining of their internal characteristics. In light of the diversity of the landscape investigated, the researcher made a comprehensive evaluation of the literature on quantitative research technique in connection to online training.