Learning Effectiveness of Virtual Land Surveying Simulator for Blended Open Distance Learning Amid Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Many universities worldwide were forced to physically close campuses due to lockdown and resumed the in-person classes compliant with a stringent set of SOPs as Covid cases drop. This has profoundly disrupted the hands-on lab face-to-face learning process that is harder to be moved online. Virtual simulation lab could be the answer and its use in many courses has been extensively studied. However, it is relatively little studied when it comes to land surveying courses. The purpose of the study is to explore the learning effectiveness of virtual surveying field lab for blended open distance learning (ODL) students at Wawasan Open University (WOU) in the time of Covid-19. This study used a mixed-method that combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to get a fuller picture and deeper meaning of learning behavior. Respondents were selected using the purposive sampling method. Survey questionnaires were designed and distributed to students before and after lab simulation classes. Instructors were interviewed after the lab simulation class. Students’ learning results for the surveying course were compared with the past-year examination results at pre-Covid-19 times before the virtual simulator was introduced. Both qualitative and quantitative data set were collected and analyzed together using descriptive and inferential statistical methods in the SPSS platform. The findings revealed that the virtual simulator has enhanced students’ learning interest and efficiency for surveying courses in an ODL setting. Both students and instructors have responded positively towards the virtual simulator learning experiences. Students’ achievement in the final examination amid Covid-19 was better than pre-Covid-19 performance.