Research Article
Olubanke M. Bankole
EUR J INTERACT MULTIMED ED, Volume 3, Issue 2, Article No: e02210
ABSTRACT
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic forced many academic institutions to shift from face-to-face classroom to online classes. This study investigates the adoption and perception of online learning under the COVID-19 outbreak among undergraduates of library and information science (LIS). Using descriptive survey approach, total enumeration technique was used to enlist all undergraduates (457 students) of LIS as participants. A structured questionnaire tagged “perception of adoption of online learning among LIS students” was administered to participants using online Telegram polls within a period of two weeks in February 2021. The findings revealed that 98.5% of respondents used their mobile phones for online classes, the most used learning platforms being telegram (79.05%) and zoom (33.0%). Those that rated their learning achievement ‘good’ comprised 75.5%, and 72.9% were satisfied to varying degrees with online classes, but just 19.0% of respondents expressed preference for only online lectures, while majority (44.4%) preferred hybrid mix of traditional classroom and online learning. The students considered learning from any location any time and time management as the major advantages of online learning, while inadequate infrastructure/lack of suitable devices, unstable internet connection and extra financial burden for internet data were the major identified disadvantages. The paper concludes by recommending key steps to be taken by university authorities, governments and other relevant stakeholders to make online teaching more familiar and acceptable to the students.
Keywords: online learning, COVID-19 pandemic, students’ perception, library and information science students, Tai Solarin University of Education
Research Article
Hassane Razkane, Adil Youssef Sayeh, Mohamed Yeou
EUR J INTERACT MULTIMED ED, Volume 3, Issue 1, Article No: e02201
ABSTRACT
The current paper discussed the challenges encountered by university teachers during online education in Morocco. It also investigated teachers’ attitudes towards their distance teaching experience. 156 Chouaib Doukkali University teachers, (male=85 and female=71) were administered an online questionnaire via their professional email addresses. The participants, belonging to five faculties, were kindly invited to fill out the question within two weeks. For triangulation purposes, 20 (male=12 and females=8) informants were interviewed about their experience with distance education. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics to extract demographic characteristics of the participants and provide measurements of mean values, standard deviations, and frequencies of the variables. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Findings showed that although the vast majority of the respondents used online teaching, many faced both technical and logistical barriers, which were reported to impede the good delivery of lessons. Also, the majority of the participants showed a negative attitude towards the COVID-19 online teaching experience. The study discusses some implications for online teaching practice in tertiary education in Morocco.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, higher education, distance learning, university teachers, challenges
Research Article
Vusumuzi Maphosa
EUR J INTERACT MULTIMED ED, Volume 2, Issue 2, Article No: e02109
ABSTRACT
After the coronavirus outbreak, face-to-face teaching was interrupted partially or entirely, and several universities adopted a variety of remote-based learning approaches. Most institutions in the developing world were not ready for such an abrupt change. Access to appropriate devices that facilitate students’ effective learning in developing countries remains a challenge. This study evaluates university students’ perceptions regarding e-learning deployment during COVID-19 and the factors that affected usage. The quantitative study employed an adapted Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model to guide the research process. The model has five exogenous and two endogenous variables. The survey research was administered to randomly selected undergraduate University students, with 314 completing the online questionnaire. The results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and the facilitating conditions positively influenced the students’ behavioural intentions to use Moodle. Thus, the students had a positive perception of online learning. Results indicate a significant loss of learning due to the unavailability of technology and the cost of data; nevertheless, students agreed that online learning represents the future of teaching and learning. The findings also show that subsidised access to resources and materials is critical for the effective adoption of e-learning. This study’s output provides valuable information to policymakers and researchers regarding students’ perceptions and the state of e-learning at institutions of higher learning.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face learning, blended learning, UTAUT, Moodle
Research Article
Sylvia Ndanu Mutua, Daniel Oloo Ong'ong'a
EUR J INTERACT MULTIMED ED, Volume 1, Issue 2, Article No: e02006
ABSTRACT
The outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic that purpoted to originate in the city of Wuhan draws a lot of questions on the extent of crisis health communication concerning the international media. At the inception stage, in January 2020, it was reported that about ten major cities in China had been affected by this virus at that time labelled as 2019 nCov. By March 10, 2020, the disease had spread to Europe, the UK, Middle-East, and Africa, with more than 114,344 confirmed cases reported globally. In this situation, various scholars have often criticized the media for framing, misinformation, or exaggeration in the news information. In contrast, others have hailed the media for playing an educative and informative role to the public. Utilizing content analysis, framing and consecutive day sampling, this study focused on examining the media coverage of the initial two months of the COVID-19 Pandemic by four international news media organizations namely; BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera and the People’s Daily. The article contributes to the discourse of mass media practice, and application of various research paradigm in deconstructing media framing during critical periods.
Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Online news media, misinformation, constructed week, media framing