ONE would expect for a generation that is exposed to the use of technology and are mostly digitally literate since young, university students would embrace the prospect of a totally online learning environment that follows the imposition of the movement control order (MCO).
While basically mentally prepared to undergo a longer confinement period because of the Covid-19 pandemic, students interviewed by Higher ED said they do have concerns about learning in an online mode fully despite having been initiated to online learning through activities such as online lectures and coursework previously.
Aisyah Raihana Abd Razak, 23, who is pursuing a degree in English for Intercultural Communication at Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam said not being in a physical face-to-face environment may be a little awkward but it is something students can get used to.
However, her concern is whether all students will have an effective learning experience if faced with unstable Internet connection.
“I am staying with my parents and the Internet is steady and fast enough for learning from home. Other classmates may not have the same privilege. So that may cause some disruption to groupmates or the class during presentations, for example, as there will be glitches and this can affect their performance and grades,” she said.
Aisyah said to address this issue, institutions should provide a clear guideline to lecturers on how to overcome this concern especially in terms of assessment.
“Some assessments may need reconstructions and conducted in a more convenient way.”
The delivery of lectures could also be affected if network bandwidth issues occur.
Shalini Magandran, 23, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Accounting (Honours) at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College said unstable network access will disrupt live lectures.
“In such a situation, students would not be able to raise questions during the lecture. A point in case is my course where there are hundreds of students. Hence, if that happens, only the lecturer is able to speak in a live lecture involving a large group due to network constraints.
“Universities can encourage lecturers or tutors to do pre-recorded lectures so that students will be able to watch them as and when they want. This way, questions can be easily raised as well without any confusion,” she said.
Shalini said a two-way learning method for lectures and tutorials should also be encouraged so there is better lecturer-student engagement.
Student ethics during exams is a concern voiced by Asia Pacific University student Mirza Abdul Mutalib Muhammed Hafiz.
The 18-year-old pursuing a Diploma in ICT (Software Engineering) said if assessments and tests are conducted through online means, what is stopping the students from checking answers in their notes and books.
“In my personal opinion, lecturers and universities have done enough to educate students on ethics. The students must be responsible enough to undertake online learning and assessments ethically,” he said.
Foundation in Science student at UCSI Chooi Xian Wern, 17, is finding online learning during the MCO period quite refreshing.
“I find it super convenient and fun to wake up in the morning and just start my laptop and boom, everything and everyone is present for the online class. And I'm fortunate enough to have really good lecturers that make learning fun and are happy to help with any questions or problems we have.
“I was kind of concerned about how we as a class were going to interact with each other during this whole stay-at-home thing, but actually we all interacted more via texting. It was fun as during in-person classes, we would usually all be silent and keep to ourselves. Online classes gave us a medium to chat and talk while learning and get to know each other better,” she said.
To ensure students don’t get distracted, Chooi suggested that lecturers make use of online applications so students can really engage in learning through a plethora of mediums.
“I know some have used YouTube videos as examples to teach, as well as online quizzes, games and such. It makes learning fun and interactive for the student instead of just having to sit in front of a computer and stare at the screen,” she said.