Key indicators informing students’ perceptions of online learning and academic performance during the COVID- 19 pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/ijtl.v18i1.17095Keywords:
online learning, student perceptions, COVID-19, higher education, key indicatorsAbstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine students’ perceptions of their online learning experience during the first wave of COVID-19. The paper highlights the actions taken by the institution in transitioning to online learning and key indicators which influenced students’ perceived online learning and academic performance during the pandemic. The study was conducted at a university and reports on quantitative and qualitative data collected from an online survey of 3257 students. Tinto and Pusser’s (2006) model of institutional actions was used as a framework to guide the study. The study’s findings forced the university to re-look at student support through new lenses. The findings from the data provided the basis for the institution to re-invent three academic policies to include a more holistic approach to learning, teaching, and student success. The policies developed were: Flexible Learning and Teaching Provision (FLTP), Assessment, and Curriculum Transformation and Renewal, which placed the student at the centre of university actions.
References
Agung, A.S.N., Surtikanti, M.W. & Quinones, C.A. (2020) Students’ perception of online learning during COVID- 19 pandemic: A case study on the English students of STKIP Pamane Talino. SOSHUM: Jurnal Sosial Dan Humaniora 10(2) pp.225-235. https://doi.org/10.31940/soshum.v10i2.1316 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31940/soshum.v10i2.1316
Al-Jarf, R. (2020) Distance learning and undergraduate Saudi students’ agency during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Philology and Cultural Studies 13(62) No.2. https://doi.org/10.31926/but.pcs.2020.62.13.2.4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31926/but.pcs.2020.62.13.2.4
Almahasees, Z., Mohsen, K. & Amin, M.O. (2021) Faculty’s and Students’ Perceptions of Online Learning During COVID-19. Frontiers in Education 6:638470, doi: 10.3389/feduc.2021.638470 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.638470
Bali, S. & Liu, M.C. (2018) Students’ perceptions toward online learning and face-to-face learning courses. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1108, 012094. https://doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1108/1/012094 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1108/1/012094
Barber, H. (2020) Determinants of Students’ Perceived Learning Outcome and Satisfaction in Online Learning during the Pandemic of COVID 19. Journal of Education and eLearning Research 7(3) pp.285-292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.509.2020.73.285.292
Baczek, M., Zaganczyk- Baczek, M., Szpringer, M., Jaroszynski, A., & Wozakowska- Kapton, B. (2021) Students’ perception of online learning during the COVID- 19 pandemic: A survey study of Polish medical students. Medicine 100(7) e24821. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000024821 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000024821
Bolliger, D.U., Supanakorn, S. & Boggs, C. (2010) Impact of podcasting on student motivation in the online learning environment. Computers & Education 55(2) pp.714-722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.03.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.03.004
Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3(2) pp.77-101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Carrillo, C. & Flores, M.A. (2020) COVID-19 and Teacher Education: A Literature Review of Online Teaching and Learning Practices. European Journal of Teacher Education 43 pp.46-487. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1821184
Code, J. (2020) Agency for learning: Intention, motivation, self-efficacy and self-regulation. Frontiers in Education 5(19). https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00019 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00019
Creswell, J.W. & Plano Clark, V.L. (2011) Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Curelaru, M., Curelaru, V. & Cristea, M. (2022) Students’ Perceptions of Online Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Approach. Sustainability 14 8138. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su14138138 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14138138
Dhawan, S. (2020) Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of educational technology systems 49(1) pp.5-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018
Dowling, M. (2007) From Husserl to van Manen: a review of different phenomenological approaches. International Journal of Nursing Studies 44(1) pp.131-142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2005.11.026
Littlefield J. (2018) The difference between synchronous and asynchronous distance learning. https://www.thoughtco.com/synchronous-distance-learning-asynchronous-distance-learning-1097959
Mahlaba, S.C. (2020) Reasons why self-directed learning is important in South African during the COVID-19 pandemic. South African Journal of Higher Education 34(6) pp.120-136. https://doi.org/10.20853/34-64192 DOI: https://doi.org/10.20853/34-6-4192
Mukhtar, K., Javed, K., Arooj, M. & Sethi, A. (2020) Advantages, limitations and recommendations for online learning during COVID-19 pandemic era. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences 36, http://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.COVID-19-S4.2785 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.COVID19-S4.2785
Muthuprasad, T., Aiswarya, S., Aditya, K.S. & Jha, G.K. (2021) Students’ perception and preference for online education in India during COVID -19 pandemic. Social Sciences & Humanities Open 3(1) 100101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100101 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100101
Nguyen, T., Netto, C.L.M., Wilkins, J.F., Bröker, P., Vargas, E.E., et al., (2021) Insights Into Students’ Experiences and Perceptions of Remote Learning Methods: From the COVID-19 Pandemic to Best Practice for the Future. Frontiers in Education 6:647986 doi: 10.3389/feduc.2021.647986 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.647986
Pather, S., Booi, E. & Pather, S. (2020) An Assessment of Student Resource Readiness for Online Learning during Covid 19: A South African Case Study. Conference proceedings of the 13th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation 9-10 November 2020, Virtual Conference, Spain. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2020.2186
Pather, S. & Chetty, R. (2016) A conceptual framework for understanding pre-entry factors influencing first year university experience. South African Journal of Higher Education 30(1) pp.1-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20853/30-1-548
Pather, S., Lawack, V. & Brown, V. (2022) University Students’ Perception of Online Learning Experiences during COVID-19 Pandemic. The 3rd Barcelona Conference on Education (BCE2022), University of Barcelona, Spain. 20-23 September 2022.
Perveen, A. (2016) Synchronous and asynchronous e-language learning: A case study of virtual university of Pakistan. Open Praxis 8(1) pp.21-39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.8.1.212
Singh, V. & Thurman, A. (2019) How many ways can we define online learning? A systematic literature review of definitions of online learning (1988-2018). American Journal of Distance Education 33(4) pp.289-306. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2019.1663082
Swan, K. & Shih, L.F. (2005) On the Nature and Development of Social Presence in Online Course Discussions. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Network 9 pp.115-136. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v9i3.1788
Tashakkori, A. & Teddlie, C. (2009) Foundations of Mixed Methods Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Tinto, V. (1975) Dropout from higher education: a theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research 45(1) pp.89-125. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543045001089
Tinto, V. & Pusser, B. (2006) Moving from theory to action: Building a model of institutional action for student success. Washington, DC: National Postsecondary Education Co-operative.
Tuohy, D., Cooney, A., Dowling, M., Murphy, K., & Sixmith, J. (2013) An overview of interpretive phenomenology as a research methodology. Nurse Researcher 20(6) pp.17-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7748/nr2013.07.20.6.17.e315
Yan, L., Whitelock-Wainwright, A., Guan, Q., Wen, G., Gasevic, D., Chen, G. (2021) Students’ experience of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a province-wide survey study. British Journal of Educational Technology pp.2038-2057. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13102
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Subethra Pather
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
.png){kind=spacer}