REVOLUTIONISING TERTIARY EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA THROUGH WHATSAPP: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the education sector, including tertiary education in Malaysia. To adapt to the new normal, online learning has been adopted, but challenges such as limited resources, lack of interaction, and high dropout rates persist. This study aims to explore the potential of using WhatsApp to revolutionise tertiary education in Malaysia using a mixed-methods approach. A descriptive analysis was conducted to investigate students' perceptions of blended learning using WhatsApp at a public university. A sample of 105 students from a local public university was selected for the study, using random sampling. After applying WhatsApp during lessons for 14 weeks, a questionnaire was distributed to the students to identify their perceptions on WhatsApp application, to investigate the influence of gender differences on perceptions and to explore the students’ suggestions on ways to improve WhatsApp application in lessons. The findings revealed positive perceptions among students regarding the playfulness, usefulness, ease of use, and interaction aspects of using WhatsApp for learning. On the other hand, gender differences did not significantly influence students' perceptions of the WhatsApp application. Finally, suggestions provided by students to enhance the utilisation of WhatsApp in the classroom included incorporating interesting activities, providing clearer instructions, and using various teaching tools. These findings offer insights for improving the quality of tertiary education in Malaysia. The study highlights the potential of WhatsApp as a convenient tool for communication and collaboration between teachers and students in tertiary education settings, particularly during times of crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic.