Graduate students’ experiences and evaluation of online instruction

Abstract

The focus of adopting online instruction is to provide instructional activities that can yield equal or better learning experiences than the traditional teaching approach. This study examined the quality of online instructional approach from the perspectives of Sandwich Graduate Students through the lens of the Seven Principles of Good Practice Framework. A cross-sectional survey was employed. A sample of 230 students from three faculties in a university in Ghana was purposively selected to complete a questionnaire (close- and open-ended items) following their engagement in online instruction during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. Mean, standard deviation and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyse the close-ended items, while the thematic approach was used to analyse the open-ended items. The results of the study indicated varied and mixed experiences of the students about the quality of online instruction. ANOVA test showed no statistically significant difference in the overall perceived quality of online instruction by students across the three faculties. Thus, students across the three faculties shared common beliefs about the effectiveness of online instruction. The study also reported some contextual issues associated with adopting online instruction. These included: unstable internet supply, cost of purchasing internet bundles by students, delay of feedback from students and lecturers, and insufficient knowledge and skills of some lecturers in interacting with applications of the online instructional platforms. The results of the study suggest that the online instructional approach has the potential to promote student-lecturer interaction and health safety, especially in situations where physical classroom engagements are impossible in the event of a pandemic such as COVID-19.