University students' perceptions through e-learning implementation during COVID-19 pandemic: Positive or negative features dominate?

Mulyani Mulyani,Halimatussakdiah Halimatussakdiah,Fidyati Fidyati,Suryani Suryani,Murnia Suri

doi:10.24815/siele.v8i1.17628

Abstract

English language instruction that moves away from offline to online should become the EFL lecturers’ concern for their students’ successful learning outcome. The students must be kept in the lecturers’ mind when they plan and program the instruction. This study aims at investigating the students’ perceptions and preferences on English instruction through e-learning implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research applies a qualitative approach in a descriptive method design by involving 106 English class students from three different higher educations in Aceh, Indonesia. The thematic and comparative analyses are applied in analyzing the data. The findings of the study show that 50% of the students impress negative features concerning the internet network, a high need of internet quotas, the limitation of learning material explanation and absorption, and the social media influences. The study also reveals that 59.6% of positive features dominate the findings associated with the students’ interest in e-learning implementation as a new learning experience/exploration, engagement and enthusiasm, the flexibility of time and place, and the advance of digital technology usage and adaptation. Besides, WhatsApp, Opensimka, Google Classroom, and Google Meet have become the four most preferable e-learning platform among the respondents. It implies that e-learning implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic gives a variety of practical benefits to university students in the virtual English class. Yet, this still requires sufficient mentoring and extra supporting digital tools for the students and the lecturers.

Highlights

The Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak, which has struck many countries globally, has caused educational institutions to change the teaching-learning process. Sikirit (2020) noted that over 60 million students in Indonesia have been temporarily out of school since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak
The participants were students of English as a foreign language (EFL) of higher education from three different universities in Aceh. They consisted of two private universities, namely Sekolah Tinggi Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan (STKIP) Bina Bangsa Getsempena which is located in Banda Aceh, and Universitas Abulyatama which is located in the Great Aceh regency, and one state university, namely Universitas Malikussaleh which is located in North Aceh regency
The first research question was about the positive features of e-learning implementation for university students and the second research question involved the negative features in e-learning implementation during COVID-19 for the university students

Summary

Introduction

The Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak, which has struck many countries globally, has caused educational institutions to change the teaching-learning process. Sikirit (2020) noted that over 60 million students in Indonesia have been temporarily out of school since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Sikirit (2020) noted that over 60 million students in Indonesia have been temporarily out of school since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. This affects their learning process in unparalleled conduct from elementary school to university students. In anticipating the spread of the virus, the government has issued various policies, including the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (Syakriah, 2020). This condition requires people to work and study from home to keep themselves and their families from the virus exposure. This system is significant for the continuity of the learning process during this pandemic, so teachers, lecturers, and students can avoid physical contact with other people

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