Online Learning Challenges and Students' Preference On Mode of Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic

International Journal of Advanced Research in Education and Society
e-ISSN: 2682-8138 | Vol. 2, No. 3, 72-79, 2020

http://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ijares
Online Learning Challenges and Students’ Preference on Mode of

Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic
Norbaiti Tukiman1*, Ahmad Khudzairi Khalid1, Munirah Onn2, Ng Set Foong1,

Muhammad Afief Mohd Amran3
1
Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Pasir Gudang,
Malaysia
2
Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Pasir Gudang, Malaysia
3
Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Pasir Gudang, Malaysia
*Corresponding Author: norbaiti289@uitm.edu.my
Accepted: 15 October 2020 | Published: 15 November 2020

_________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract: The outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the year of 2020 has forced
many people in the world to opt for a different lifestyle, a new way of work as well as an
alternative way to learn. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face class is the most
common learning method. However, online learning has become a popular choice after the
movement control order is enforced. In this paper, a study is done to investigate the students’
preference on mode of learning and the challenges faced by students during COVID-19
pandemic. A quantitative method was used and a set of questionnaires by Google form have
been distributed to the students in UiTM Johor Kampus Pasir Gudang. The result shows that
most of the students fairly or neutrally agree using online learning in the tertiary education.
Students felt that bad coverage on internet facility is one of the challenges faced by them
during online learning. The result of this paper can help tertiary education institutions to
decide the suitable mode of learning for students in future.
Keywords: Online learning, face-to-face learning, COVID-19

_________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
In the lights of recent events, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is viewed as the
biggest worldwide emergency and it had created an impact on the financial and social
catastrophe around the globe. On 18 March 2020, Malaysia started the practice of movement
control and as a result, the educational organizations are closed temporarily. Millions of
pupils, educators, academics, and professional staff have been severely affected by the
situation. Subsequently, a discourse has taken place investigating elements such as
surrounding downturn, depression and descending financial measurements as a preoccupation
(Mangan, Gramano, & Kullmann, 2020). As electronic communication becomes increasingly
common in the 20th century, flexible learning became the primary platform during this
pandemic as universities practised compromising learning chances such as teaching using
virtual mode, online activities and discussions (Kemp, Nenagh, & Rachel, 2014). It is stated
in Claude et al. (2018) that flexible learning could be beneficial for the pupils to gain access
and flexibility with regard to at least one of the following aspects such as of time, place,
learning style and pace, subject matter, learning path or evaluation are taken into
consideration.
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e-ISSN: 2682-8138 | Vol. 2, No. 3, 72-79, 2020
An ongoing debate has been going on for decades among scholars regarding which mode of
education is dominant. A few scholars argue that online is dominant and some could agree
that online is less efficient than traditional face-to-face curriculum (Alsaaty, 2016).
Therefore, in this research, a study on the students’ preference on mode of learning was done
among Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) students. This research identified the students’
preference on mode of learning and the challenges during COVID-19 pandemic. The result of
this paper can help tertiary education institutions to decide the suitable mode of learning for
students in future.
2. Literature Review
Currently, most university students in Malaysia are still practising face-to-face (F2F)
instruction. Most educators chose the F2F mode but this could be perceived as an ultimatum
for the educators as the inability to fully exhibit caring behaviours receptive to students’
needs. Research endorses the presumption of an authentic bond between an educator and his
pupils (Baig, 2011). As Malaysia is a developing country, students in the rural area are facing
several issues such as poor internet connection, lack of technical device, poor technological
infrastructure and unconducive study environment at home. A study by Tamargo (2010)
discovered that the instructions in F2F classroom could be seen as an obstructing
environment for pupils and its structure can be pressurizing and daunting. However, F2F
instruction could also enhance a better lecturer-student engagement. It plays a role as an
efficient medium to induce traits such as foreboding as students are able to interact with their
peers and lecturers (Tamargo, 2010). According to the Malaysian New Straits Times recent
research, students who are used to being in a physical face-to-face environment might find it
difficult and awkward to adapt at first but it is something students can get used to. On the
contrary, online learning in rural and lower socioeconomic areas could be a compelling issue
if the lecturers lacked in successfully implementing a meaningful learning experience through
online delivery and methodologies where the fulfilment of the online program will be
jeopardized.
Many educational institutions and universities implemented an online learning mode due to
current pandemic Covid-19. According to Abdul Rabu (2018) and Al Bahrani et al. (2015),
the educational sector is one of the sectors that widely use communication platforms and
indicators as well as online interaction approaches. Online interaction approaches are a very
interesting learning because it is equipped with digital resources. This learning concept is
known as e-Learning. e-Learning is defined as an online learning platform which relies on
training and technical-based tuition whereas an Online Learning Environment (OLE) is a set
of teaching and learning devices aimed to strengthen a student's academic experience by
incorporating computer and the internet as primary parts of the schooling process (Alsaaty,
2016). Diversity of applications, systems and even platform causes many educators to
intensify e-Learning. The rise of e-learning has efficiently fostered the practice of students
being in charge of their own attainment of knowledge (Ituma, 2011). Moreover, e-learning
promotes the usage of interactive features that stimulate the motivation of undergraduate
students for a meaningful learning experience to take place (Garza, Alejandro, Blythe, & Fite,
2014). This type of learning plays a role as a virtual environment for the students to
participate and engage with one another through numerous activities like computer
interactive game and etc. (Mahat et al. 2018). These activities promote aspects such as audio-
visual interaction and inquiry within a diverse range of subjects. It serves as a proficient
medium that offers students and teachers the chance to interact with each other. Therefore,
student’s acceptance of e-learning should also be emphasized because each student has a
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specific reason for the use of e-learning (Shafie, 2020). This is also stated by Samir Abou El-
Seoud et al. (2014) that educational institutions including higher education institutions need
to ensure smooth access to these virtual courses for e-learning to recognize the significance of
e-learning.
3. Methodology
This study uses quantitative method where the respondents consist of a total of 41 students
from various faculties which are Faculty of Business Management, Faculty of Civil
Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and
Faculty of Chemical Engineering in UiTM Johor Kampus Pasir Gudang. This study used
simple random sampling and the instrument used to collect the data was questionnaire. The
questionnaire contained 15 questions and there were 3 sections namely demographic profile,
students’ preference on mode of learning and the challenges during COVID-19. Different
question types such as ranking, yes-no listing and category were used in the questionnaire.
The questionnaires were distributed into the group social media platform. Respondents who
get the questionnaires need to fill up all the questions in the form by using their electronic
devices such as smart phone, tablet, laptop or computer. The questionnaires were made by
Google form. The questionnaires in the electronic version is easier for the respondents to
answer the questions. The questionnaires will be randomly answered by students who open
the Google form as the form was distributed in the group social media platform.
4. Discussion
In this survey, there are 61% of male respondents and the rest are female respondents. The
respondents are students from diploma level study. The age of respondents are between 18 –
24 years old. The students from all faculties and all semester (part 1 to part 6) are involved in
this survey.
In order to investigate the students’ preference on mode of learning, four questions are
designed in this survey. The first question asked the opinion whether online learning is better
than face-to-face learning. The result is shown in Figure 1. The highest percentage of
respondents have neutral opinion and the percentage is 36.6%. The second highest percentage
of respondents disagreed on this opinion and the percentage is 24.4%. There are 14.6% of the
students strongly disagree with this opinion. Students who strongly agree with this opinion
consist of the third highest percentage with 19.5% while there are 4.9% of respondents agreed
with this opinion. It shows that there are more students who oppose that online learning is
better than face-to-face learning.
Figure 1: Students’ opinion whether online learning is better than face to face learning .
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The second question is about the understanding of the online lectures. Figure 2 shows the
result.
Figure 2: Students’ understanding of the online lectures.
Based on the Figure 2, the percentage of students who answered they sometimes understood
the online lectures is the highest and the percentage is 63.4%. There are 19.5% of students
who could not understand online lectures. The percentage of students who answered they can
understand online lectures is the lowest and the percentage is 17.1%. It shows that most of the
students could not fully understand during the online lectures. Only 17.1% of students fully
understood when the lectures were delivered online. The percentage of students who did not
understand is higher than the students who fully understood the lectures.
The third question is about the opinion of whether online assignments and online presentation
are easier than the assignments and presentation in the face-to-face mode. The result is shown
in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Students’ opinion of whether online assignments and online presentation are easier.
From the Figure 3, there are more students disagreed that online assignments and online
presentation are easier than the assignments and presentation in the face-to-face mode. The
percentage of students who answered “no” is 65.9% and this percentage is higher than those
who answered “yes” (34.1%). It shows that the students are having difficulties in completing
the online assignments and performing online presentation. It could be due to the inefficient
communication with the groupmates or classmates because most of the students stay in
different locations and different states. The level of internet coverage is different in different
locations in Malaysia. Based on the survey, most of the students are having medium internet
coverage. Online presentation was done using video conferencing applications such as
Google Meet. These video conferencing applications require very good internet connection in
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order to have a smooth presentation. Due to issue of internet connectivity and speed, most
students were finding online presentation is disadvantage for those who do not have very
good internet connection.
The forth question is about the opinion on whether online learning should replace face-to-
face learning permanently. The result is displayed in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Students’ opinion about whether online learning should replace face-to-face learning
permanently
The results show that most students have neutral opinion. There are 34.1% of students fall
into this category. There are 24.4% strongly agreed while 9.8% agreed that online learning
should replace face-to-face learning permanently. On the other hand, 17.1% are strongly
disagree and 14.6% disagreed on this opinion. The result shows that there is about one third
of the students supported that online learning should replace face-to-face learning
permanently. There is about one third of students who opposed it. There is also almost one
third of students who have neutral opinion. Therefore, there is no single mode of learning
clearly dominates in the students’ preference of mode of learning.
In order to investigate the online learning challenges faced by students during COVID-19
pandemic, three questions are designed in this survey. The first question is about how often
students face problem when attending online classes. The result is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Students experienced problem when attending online classes
Figure 5 shows that the percentage of students who sometimes faced a problem when
attending online classes is the highest, that is 53.7%. The percentage of students who always
faced problems when attending online classes is 22%. There are only 24.4% of students who
did not have problem when attending online classes. Therefore, there is only about a quarter
of students who can attend online classes with adequate facility and without disturbance.
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The second question asked about the challenges faced by the students during online learning.
Figure 6 shows the result.
Figure 6: Challenges faced by the students during online learning
The result shows that most of the students (43.9%) overslept and this is the challenge for
them in online learning. There are 31.7% of students answered that bad internet coverage is
the challenge. The rest of the challenges include having problems with their devices and not
knowing the time table. The result shows that there are about half of the students opined that
the challenges are due to the internet facility and electronic devices. There are about another
half of the students agreed that personal discipline is the challenge during online learning.
The third question surveyed on the internet coverage in the area where the students stay. The
result is shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7: Internet coverage in the area where the students stay.
Five options are given about the internet coverage in the area where the students stay. The
options are: very strong, strong, medium, poor and very poor. From Figure 7, it shows that
majority of the students have medium internet coverage in their area of stay and the
percentage of this category is the highest, that is 46.3%. There are 2.4% of students who have
very poor internet coverage while 9.8% of students have poor internet coverage in the area
where they stay. The result shows that there are students who do not have good internet
facility to follow the online learning effectively.
5. Conclusion
The purpose of this study is to investigate the students’ preference on mode of learning and
the challenges during COVID-19 pandemic. The survey shows that there are more students
who are in negative opinion that online learning is better than face-to-face learning. Majority
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of students could sometimes understand the online lectures. There are more students
disagreed that online assignments and online presentation are easier than the assignments and
presentation in the face-to-face mode. It could be due to poor internet connectivity and speed,
most students were finding online presentation is disadvantage for those who do not have
very good internet connection. Most students prefer face-to-face learning as they can
understand quickly when lecturer deliver the teaching while discussion can be happened
freely in face-to-face learning. Sometimes, students love to learn together with their
classmates. On the opinion of whether online learning should replace face-to-face learning
permanently, there are about equal percentage of students who support it and who oppose it.
Regarding the online learning challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is only about
a quarter of students who can attend online classes with adequate facility and without
disturbance. The challenges faced by the students include overslept, bad internet coverage,
problems with their devices and not knowing the time table. These challenges can be
categorized as the internet facility, electronic devices and self-discipline. The result of the
survey shows that majority of the students have medium internet coverage in their area of
stay and there are students who do not have good internet facility to follow the online
learning effectively. Weather is also a factor that can cause the internet connectivity to be
disturbed.
As the conclusion, students need more time to adapt to online learning because some students
are still trying to explore the new technology and techniques use in online learning process.
Therefore, a mixture of the mode of learning could be one of the options for the higher
learning institution to be considered in future.
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International Journal of Advanced Research in Education and Society

e-ISSN: 2682-8138 | Vol. 2, No. 3, 72-79, 2020

Online Learning Challenges and Students’ Preference on Mode of

Norbaiti Tukiman1*, Ahmad Khudzairi Khalid1, Munirah Onn2, Ng Set Foong1,

*Corresponding Author: norbaiti289@uitm.edu.my

Accepted: 15 October 2020 | Published: 15 November 2020

Keywords: Online learning, face-to-face learning, COVID-19

Figure 2: Students’ understanding of the online lectures.

Figure 5: Students experienced problem when attending online classes

Figure 6: Challenges faced by the students during online learning

Figure 7: Internet coverage in the area where the students stay.

Mahat, A. B., Kasmin@Bajuri, N. K. B., Khalid, A. K. B., Semil@Ismail, G. B., Othman, Z.

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