E- Learning from University Students' Perspectives

Abstract

The use of technology has indeed contributed to supporting and improving education, making learning approachable and obtainable to a large number of students, especially during the epidemic lockdown of schools where people are forced to stay at home. Therefore, universities shift to online mode of teaching which is conducted through e-learning system. However, the success of e-learning approach in Iraqi universities depends mainly on the attitudes of students towards online learning and their acceptance of it. Thus, this paper investigates the perspectives of university students, males and females, on the use of e-learning by their instructors at Basra university during COVID-19 pandemic. Using SPSS software for the analysis of the collected data, the equations of Weighted Mean and Percentile Weight, the results of the study demonstrate that university students view that though e-learning is beneficial and flexible. That is, they have to struggle to stay in touch with their virtual classes and teachers. Some of them do not even have an access to laptops or smart phones, while some others have poor or non-existent Wi-Fi connections. This is due to the lack of strong and effective internet networks, in addition to the lack of sufficient experience on how to use the internet and manage e-learning platforms. To overcome these obstacles, there should be more forward planning on the part of the educational institutions and policy makers. They should improve the quality of internet connectivity and provide facilities as well as good communication services to students.