Student Satisfaction with Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study at State Universities in Sri Lanka

Sujeewa Hettiarachchi,Bwr Damayanthi,Manjula Ranagalage,Lalith Ananda,Dmslb Dissanayake,Shirantha Heenkenda

doi:10.3390/su132111749

Sujeewa Hettiarachchi, Bwr Damayanthi + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111749

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Abstract

This quantitative study investigated the determinants of students’ satisfaction with their online learning experience at Sri Lankan universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was collected from 1376 undergraduates enrolled in various courses in humanities and social sciences at three state-owned universities in the country. The results of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that the independent variables of the model, namely perceived learner motivation, perceived challenges of e-learning, and interaction significantly affected students’ satisfaction with their new online learning experience. Out of the three variables, learner motivation exerted the strongest effect on students’ satisfaction, implying the crucial role self-regulated learning—characterized by motivation—plays in online learning environments. The study has several implications for both creating and ensuring the long-term sustainability of productive and student-friendly online learning spaces in higher education.

Highlights

Online learning is the buzzword in contemporary discourse on education as it has become the only viable option to provide uninterrupted education in a world that values seclusion over socialization to curb the spread of COVID-19
The results show that Perceived Learner Motivation (PLM) has the strongest effect on students’ perceived satisfaction
This study started with the goal of investigating the determinants of student satisfaction with online learning in Sri Lankan universities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Introduction

Online learning is the buzzword in contemporary discourse on education as it has become the only viable option to provide uninterrupted education in a world that values seclusion over socialization to curb the spread of COVID-19. Even though ‘e-learning’ and ‘online learning’ have commonly been used interchangeably, the two terms have been distinguished based on how education is provided in a given context. The modern use of the term ‘online learning’ is mostly ambiguous as it can encompass both synchronous (e.g., videoconferencing, live chat, and instant messaging) and asynchronous (e.g., web-based course materials) modes of teaching and learning [1,3]. In a nutshell, online learning can currently mean anything from uploading materials on an online platform to teaching live using various software applications such as Zoom which facilitate “the bridging of the space between the teacher and the student through the use of web-based technologies” [5,6]

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