Abstract
The advent of COVID-19 at the beginning of 2020 put universities worldwide into one of the most significant educational disruptions ever experienced. The unrelenting pandemic forced universities to turn to technology to ensure continuity of education. This abruptly changed learning modes for students, with potential implications on the quality of education and the student experience. Therefore, it became necessary to study experiences and sentiments toward learning under the pandemic through the lens of students. Perspectives on the new norm of learning can shed more light on digital technology's roles in learning. The new understanding is potentially useful for conceptualizing future technology-mediated higher education provision. This study follows qualitative research approaches, engaging eleven postgraduate students in three U.K. universities for in-depth semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis is adopted, interpreting sentiments into three interchangeable themes. The findings show that learning during the pandemic has raised many concerns for the future adaptations of online learning. A key finding from this study is that students are generally disappointed by their experiences of online learning effectiveness during the pandemic. One reason for this disappointment is the absence of adequate interactions amongst students due to the reduction in informal student engagement opportunities. The study also suggests that educators need to rethink current technology-mediated education delivery approaches to ensure effective learning. Similarly, students also need to be flexible and openminded, enabling them to adapt to the emerging higher education landscape.
Highlights
The year 2020 is one to be remembered as the year in which the novel COVID-19 pandemic spread and forced most countries into a lockdown state
This study suggests that switching to online learning environments significantly affect the learning experiences of students
To encapsulate the sentiments raised by participants, the missing key to effective education is the lack of interactions and socialization in current COVID-19 era online learning
Summary
The year 2020 is one to be remembered as the year in which the novel COVID-19 pandemic spread and forced most countries into a lockdown state. Since March 23, 2020, when the British government declared a lockdown state, urging the public to stay home, universities have suspended face-to-face teaching and shifted toward providing distance online education This situation opens doors to acceptance in online learning education and the application of technology to prepare for future changes. What is the impact of students' experiences of technology use during the COVID-19 pandemic on the future transformation of higher education? Given these concerns, this research explores the situation to learn specific details about the experiences and sentiments of postgraduate students in United Kingdombased universities on their use of digital technology in learning through the global crisis. These findings show dissatisfaction in learning experiences, they are all critical lessons for future development – which is the main contribution of this research
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
