PREFERENCES, PERCEPTION OF READINESS AND SATISFACTION TOWARDS ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN MALAYSIA DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Abstract
There are abundance of studies regarding ODL among university students. However, information regarding ODL among undergraduates in Malaysia is limited, more so during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate undergraduates’ perception of readiness and satisfaction towards online distance learning (ODL), platform preferences, attitudes and motivations, barriers towards ODL and also factors contributing to these variables. This was a cross-sectional online survey in design with a total of 308 undergraduates participating from various universities in Malaysia. Questionnaires that include Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) and additional information regarding challenges faced by undergraduates and their satisfaction levels towards ODL were obtained. The results showed that the undergraduates preferred a combination of face-to-face and online learning (68.8%) rather than online learning on its own (5.5%). Majority of the respondents preferred having synchronous classes as compared to asynchronous classes (37.7%) and they rated Google Meet as their most preferred platform for their classes. In addition, the undergraduates rated fairly good perception and neutral satisfaction towards ODL. Factors such as ethnicity and the state where the undergraduates lived were found to more likely cause them to have poor satisfaction towards ODL. While, undergraduates who have handphones have a higher satisfaction level towards ODL. Several challenges were encountered throughout ODL such technical problem and unsupportive environment, in turn causing the undergraduates to be distracted and losing focus during ODL. Our findings highlighted that majority undergraduates preferred a combination of face-to-face and online learning rather than online learning on its own. These findings will be beneficial for educators in the planning for future T&L methods. Future studies with a larger sample size are needed to evaluate the independent risk factors related to low motivations, perceptions and satisfaction among undergraduates using ODL.
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