Utilizing online video conference platforms to teach English at universitas Bengkulu: Non-English department students' perceptions and their problems

Abstract

Learning English at Bengkulu University before and after the Covid-19 pandemic showed a very different process. Face-to-face learning has turned into a learning process called Learning from Home. This study aims to describe the perceptions of Bengkulu University students from the Non-English Department and describe the problems they face in participating in online learning of MKU Bahasa Inggris. The data collected by using a Google Form questionnaire were described in a qualitative descriptive method. The results showed that students' perceptions of learning English online during the covid-19 pandemic had a positive perception. This can be seen from the percentage of the data based on several dimensions, namely the dimensions of performance expectations, learning atmosphere, and student interaction. With this positive perception result, it is hoped that the implementation of the Bengkulu University Rector's Decree No. 25 of 2020 regarding certain TOEFL score requirements for UNIB graduates can be achieved. The process of learning English using an online video conference platform at Universitas Bengkulu is generally well implemented so that it can support the implementation and achievement of the Rector's Decree in the future if the pandemic is still ongoing. Furthermore, most of the problems faced by the students in online learning are not in understanding the subject matter or in carrying out activities and doing the given assignments but in technical barriers, such as signal and electrical problems.