The Implementation of Online Learning in Conventional Higher Education Institutions During the Spread of COVID-19: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate and explore the degree of success of the implementation of online learning in conventional higher education institutions instead of face-to-face learning during the spread of the Covid-19 Pandemic during the 2019/2020 academic year, via exploring the undergraduate students' perceptions of the application of the online learning system at Ajman University in UAE, and Griffith University in Australia. In the study, the descriptive approach was used. A questionnaire consisting of 40 items was designed and distributed to 630 students from Ajman University and 675 students from Griffith University, who were randomly selected from different faculties of the two universities during the 2019/2020 academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study revealed that students' a moderate satisfaction with the University's readiness, training, and technical support for online learning and the university's teaching and learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic, with female students finding them more satisfaction than male students. Disciplines and computer skills also showed an impact on such satisfaction, with Pharmacy & Health Science College students at Ajman University and Architecture, Art, and Design discipline students at Griffith University, and those with excellent computer skills in both Universities. In addition, the results showed positive attitudes of students towards the use of online learning at the two universities during the COVID-19 pandemic.