Background
The sudden and fast propagation of coronavirus-19 illness (COVID-19) has disrupted face-to-face lectures and sensible periods at Iraqi universities. E-learning has surfaced in most international locations as a substitute solution to proceed academic packages. This examine aimed to find out the diploma of satisfaction and perceived boundaries amongst school college students with E-learning.
Strategies
College students of two Iraqi universities finding out by a web-based platform participated on this cross-sectional examine. A web based survey questionnaire was used to evaluate scholar perceptions of the extent of satisfaction with and boundaries to E-learning. Individuals’ non-identifying demographics have been additionally collected.
Outcomes
Nearly all of college students (70.9%) have been females, and greater than half (57.9%) have been from the College of Science. About 64.8% of the scholars weren’t happy with the E-learning expertise. Solely 35.5% of the scholars attended synchronous digital courses whereas the remainder used asynchronous studying actions. College students’ stage of satisfaction was poor, as solely 6.4% of scholars strongly believed that tutoring was informative and that expertise and academic expertise have been enough. Quite the opposite, 69% of scholars strongly agreed that E-learning saved them money and time. Boundaries that have been perceived by the scholar have been sluggish web pace, energy interruption, and the dearth of face-to-face interplay.
Conclusions
E-learning has important boundaries that require funding in infrastructures and instructing abilities growth to make college students studying passable.
Introduction
The unprecedented outbreak of coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted schooling worldwide [1]. Because of this, all academic establishments have been compelled to shut [2], a step that has led to a drastic and full switching to the digital studying (E-learning) mode to cease the COVID-19 from spreading [3]. Globally, an estimated two billion college students have been impacted by faculty delays because the starting of the COVID-19 pandemic [4]. To keep up the academic course of’s sustainability, E-learning has surfaced as a handy platform for studying [5-6].
The time period E-learning is used right here to point distance studying that makes use of on-line programs and supplies by digital gadgets and is therefore known as E-learning. E-learning has a number of benefits in addition to disadvantages. A few of its benefits embrace strengthening scholar centricity, offering extra flexibility [7], and rising scholar interplay by asynchronous and synchronous assets [8-9]. Furthermore, the E-learning platform gives learners content material and time management; thus, serving the educational targets and learner’s wants in a extra advantageous method [10]. Moreover, it gives swift accessibility since it’s web-based, and as soon as the content material is printed, customers can entry it at any time and wherever, supplied that web entry is obtainable [11]. Navarro and Shoemaker have proven that college students who used E-learning have been capable of assimilate abilities maybe higher than college students who studied historically [12]. E-learning was additionally efficient within the case of college students who’re quiet, simply intimidated, and sluggish learners who’re unable to talk up and present themselves in a classroom atmosphere [13].
Alternatively, a number of drawbacks, akin to lack of curiosity, delayed suggestions or encouragement, or emotions of loneliness as a result of lack of bodily presence of classmates have been reported with E-learning techniques [14]. Due to this fact, each tutors and college students got here throughout many challenges, and universities are dealing with challenges in preserving course content material constant and legitimate [8]. Therefore, additional research are wanted to determine the specifics that improve some great benefits of E-learning, particularly in techniques with restricted academic experiences on this subject the place E-learning continues to be in its infancy [15]. In Iraq, alongside standard school rooms, many public universities have launched restricted makes an attempt to make use of the E-learning providing most of their studying companies on-line in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with lectures and varied evaluations throughout a number of platforms. The intention of this examine is to guage the satisfaction of school college students utilizing E-learning and to analyze the perceived boundaries that have an effect on the flexibility to ship on-line programs.
Supplies & Strategies
A structured questionnaire was ready to incorporate 4 essential sections. Part 1 comprised socio-demographic knowledge. Part 2 was associated to the amenities, gadgets, Web community, E-learning program, and the educational system of the faculty. Part Three included college students’ views of tutor efficiency and school help. Part Four comprised questions concerning boundaries skilled by college students. With just a few minor modifications, the questionnaire is borrowed from the earlier findings by Ibrahim NK [16]. Sections Three and Four of the questionnaires have been analyzed utilizing the 5-point Likert scale. The Medical Council of Wasit College/School of Drugs deemed the examine exempt from moral approval for the anonymity of members.
This questionnaire was piloted with 20 randomly chosen college students who have been excluded from the ultimate examine to boost questionnaire readability. The questionnaire was despatched out to all undergraduate college students of the Humanity and the Science schools of the 2 largest Iraqi universities, AL-Iraqia College and Wasit College (research ending up with bachelor’s levels). First and second-year college students have been excluded, as they didn’t have any on-campus studying expertise. Information have been collected from the fifth to the 20th of January 2021.
Statistical evaluation
Information have been analyzed utilizing the SPSS software program program model 26 launched in 2019 by IBM Corp, Armonk, NY. Descriptive statistics have been completed utilizing frequency and proportion for categorical knowledge and utilizing imply ± commonplace deviation for quantitative knowledge. The members’ satisfaction stage was divided into ‘happy’ and ‘not happy’ by the cutoff level imply of three.40 (the imply above 3.40 is akin to the agree and strongly agree responses), and that is primarily based on the imply of the 5-point Likert scale system concerning tutor high quality, perceived usefulness, and facilitating situation. The chi-square check was used to evaluate any affiliation between a categorical variable, and a number of linear regression was completed to know the predictors for the satisfaction and boundaries. A P-value equal to or lower than 0.05 was thought of important.
Outcomes
Out of a complete variety of 870 college students who have been invited to take part on this survey, 800 college students (91.95%) responded and have been included within the evaluation. The imply age of the members was 22.05±1.95 years. In Desk 1, the females represented (70.9%) of the members. Greater than half of the members 473 (59.1%) reside in city and metropolis facilities. Three-hundred fifty-five (44.4%) members have been from households with a month-to-month wage between 500 and 1-million Iraqi Dinars (400-800 American USD).
| Socio-demographic variables | Frequency | Proportion | |
| Gender | Male | 233 | 29.1 |
| Feminine | 567 | 70.9 | |
| Place of dwelling | Cities | 473 | 59.1 |
| Districts and sub-districts | 264 | 33.0 | |
| Villages and peripheries | 63 | 7.9 | |
| Month-to-month household wage in Iraqi Dinar | Lower than 500,000 | 245 | 30.6 |
| Between 500,000 – 1,000,000 | 355 | 44.4 | |
| Greater than 1,000,000 | 200 | 25.0 | |
| School kind | Science Schools | 463 | 57.9 |
| Humanity Schools | 337 | 42.1 | |
| School stage | Third stage | 331 | 41.4 |
| Fourth stage | 351 | 43.9 | |
| Fifth stage | 72 | 9.0 | |
| Sixth stage | 46 | 5.8 | |
| Preferable kind of digital studying | Synchronized studying | 162 | 20.3 |
| Non-synchronized studying | 142 | 17.8 | |
| Blended studying | 324 | 40.5 | |
| Flipped studying | 172 | 21.5 | |
| The system used for digital studying | iPad | 143 | 14.7 |
| Cellphone | 701 | 72.0 | |
| Pc | 129 | 13.3 | |
| Web supply | Cellular 3G | 162 | 18.2 |
| Residence Wi-Fi | 726 | 81.8 | |
| Platform used to entry E-learning | Google Meet | 526 | 35.5 |
| Google Classroom | 466 | 31.5 | |
| Free Convention Name | 213 | 14.4 | |
| Zoom | 183 | 12.4 | |
| Telegram | 24 | 1.6 | |
| Moodle | 21 | 1.4 | |
| Edmodo | 20 | 1.4 | |
| Go to assembly | 12 | 0.8 | |
| Skype | 6 | 0.4 | |
| Messenger Room | 5 | 0.3 | |
| Microsoft Groups | 4 | 0.3 | |
Desk
1: Sociodemographic options of the members on this examine
Greater than half of the members (57.9%) have been finding out on the school of science. Nearly all of the scholars (726; 81.8%) used house Wi-Fi to entry the web and attend E-classes (Desk 1). Most college students (72%) used cell telephones for digital studying. Others used iPad (14.7%) and computer systems (13.3%), respectively. On-line attendance (synchronous studying) was low, as solely 35.5% of scholars indicated having attended E-classes by Google Meet adopted by 31.5% for Google Classroom.
College students’ diploma of settlement with the satisfaction standards diverse (Desk 2). Solely 118 college students (14.8%) strongly agreed that the tutor correctly and precisely dedicated to the course timetable and the deliberate time. Moreover, 115 college students (14.4%) believed that the tutors have been affected person after they interacted with the scholars and the E-class, whereas 51 college students (6.4%) strongly believed that their tutors have been educated in Info and Communication Applied sciences.
| Satisfaction standards | Strongly agree | Agree | Impartial | Disagree | Strongly disagree |
| No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | |
| Tutor high quality | Imply ± commonplace deviation | (3.07±0.82) | |||
| The tutor may clarify the ideas clearly by e-learning. | 82 (10.3) | 170 (21.3) | 236 (29.5) | 189 (23.6) | 123 (15.4) |
| My tutor was educated in Info and Communication Applied sciences. | 51 (6.4) | 209 (26.1) | 242 (30.3) | 222 (27.8) | 76 (9.5) |
| My tutor was affected person after they interacted with me and the category on E-learning. | 115 (14.4) | 333 (41.6) | 194 (24.3) | 97 (12.1) | 61 (7.6) |
| The group periods have been well-facilitated. | 68 (8.5) | 248 (31.0) | 258 (32.3) | 167 (20.9) | 59 (7.4) |
| My tutor depends upon interactive lectures to attract college students’ consideration. | 69 (8.6) | 269 (33.6) | 211 (26.4) | 167 (20.9) | 84 (10.5) |
| The tutor used enough supportive strategies for delivering lectures (Displays, YouTube, pre-recorded movies, and many others.). | 104 (13.0) | 314 (39.3) | 159 (19.9) | 139 (17.4) | 84 (10.5) |
| The tutor dedicated to the course timetable and the deliberate time precisely. | 118 (14.8) | 253 (31.6) | 166 (20.8) | 143 (17.9) | 120 (15.0) |
| The tutor chooses essentially the most appropriate time for the lectures that accommodate the scholars’ wants. | 104 (13.0) | 256 (32.0) | 164 (20.5) | 165 (20.6) | 111 (13.9) |
| The tutor may give sufficient consideration to each single scholar that wants it. | 59 (7.4) | 162 (20.3) | 238 (29.8) | 197 (24.6) | 144 (18.0) |
| Perceived usefulness | Imply ± commonplace deviation | (3.12±1.06) | |||
| E-learning prepares me effectively for doing exams with out the necessity for On-Campus studying. | 144 (18.0) | 144 (18.0) | 109 (13.6) | 181 (22.6) | 222 (27.8) |
| I can perceive the topics with out the necessity for exterior assets. | 92 (11.5) | 176 (22.0) | 134 (16.8) | 220 (27.5) | 178 (22.3) |
| E-learning developed my expertise concerning the usage of the brand new applied sciences of smartphones, apps, and utilizing the web extra effectively. | 179 (22.4) | 330 (41.3) | 136 (17.0) | 83 (10.4) | 72 (9.0) |
| E-learning made it simple for me to entry lectures than earlier than. | 165 (20.6) | 245 (30.6) | 143 (17.9) | 144 (18.0) | 103 (12.9) |
| E-learning saved me extra money and time than earlier than. | 276 (34.5) | 276 (34.5) | 84 (10.5) | 78 (9.8) | 86 (10.8) |
| The coed score is fairer with E-learning than it was with On-Campus studying. | 105 (13.1) | 127 (15.9) | 141 (17.6) | 191 (23.9) | 236 (29.5) |
| E-learning is substituting the traditional studying in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. | 145 (18.1) | 268 (33.5) | 143 (17.9) | 113 (14.1) | 131 (16.4) |
| Facilitating situation | Imply± commonplace deviation | (3.03±0.94) | |||
| There’s sufficient info and instruction supplied from the faculty concerning E-learning and the packages used. | 77 (9.6) | 358 (44.8) | 172 (21.5) | 111 (13.9) | 82 (10.3) |
| There’s a specialist division of E-learning with sufficient expertise within the school. | 79 (9.9) | 262 (32.8) | 216 (27.0) | 142 (17.8) | 101 (12.6) |
| After I need assistance, the faculty or the specialist division of E-learning shall be accessible on want (or as quickly as doable). | 95 (11.9) | 294 (36.8) | 156 (19.5) | 147 (18.4) | 108 (13.5) |
| The faculty offers sufficient supporting technical supplies (paid subscriptions for recognized academic web sites, apps, and official E-Mails). | 72 (9.0) | 175 (21.9) | 152 (19.0) | 188 (23.5) | 213 (26.6) |
| Our school advantages from distant studying alternatives for addressing and controlling massive numbers of scholars. | 95 (11.9) | 220 (27.5) | 226 (28.2) | 154 (19.3) | 105 (13.1) |
| The faculty and the employees have been supportive and motivated for distance studying. | 81 (10.1) | 194 (24.3) | 272 (34.0) | 143 (17.9) | 110 (13.8) |
Desk
2: Frequency distribution of the satisfaction standards of scholars
Nearly all of college students (552, 69%) perceived E-learning as helpful and strongly agreed that they’re saving extra money and time than earlier than. Some college students (92, 11.5%) strongly agree that they will perceive the topics with out the necessity for exterior assets. Nevertheless, a couple of quarter of the scholars (213, 26.6%) strongly believed that faculties didn’t present sufficient supporting technical supplies. Moreover, 110 college students (13.8%) strongly disagree that the faculty employees have been supportive and motivated for distance studying.
The perceived boundaries to E-learning have been variable (Desk 3). The commonest barrier was restricted assets (Web entry and electrical energy) (n=650) with a imply of 4.28±1.00, adopted by the unsuitability of some disciplines or the contents for E-learning akin to scientific instructing (4.04±1.09). The imply for whole boundaries was 3.53±0.82 whereas the imply for whole satisfaction (tutor high quality, perceived usefulness, and facilitating situation) was 3.07±0.83 (Minimal imply=1 and the utmost=5). About two-thirds (n=518; 64.75%) of the scholars weren’t happy with the E-learning supplied by their schools, whereas 282 (35.25%) have been happy.
| Perceived boundaries | Strongly agree No. (%) | Agree No. (%) | Impartial No. (%) | Disagree No. (%) | Strongly disagree No. (%) | Imply ±SD |
| My insufficient pc abilities are a barrier to me. | 98 (12.3) | 206 (25.8) | 137 (17.1) | 237 (29.6) | 122 (15.3) | 2.90±1.28 |
| Insufficient coaching for me on utilizing new applied sciences or (LMS) for distant studying is a barrier | 103 12.9) | 237 (29.6) | 152 (19.0) | 223 (27.9) | 85 (10.6) | 3.06±1.23 |
| Missing private curiosity and motivation (adverse perspective) to on-line studying is a barrier for me. | 186 (23.3) | 225 (28.1) | 123 (15.4) | 174 (21.8) | 92 (11.5) | 3.30±1.34 |
| Some disciplines or contents should not appropriate for E-learning (as scientific instructing). | 357 (44.6) | 230 (28.7) | 126 (15.8) | 60 (7.5) | 27 (3.4) | 4.04±1.09 |
| Essentially the most difficult studying final result for me by distance studying is the educational abilities. | 176 (22.0) | 329 (41.1) | 173 (21.6) | 79 (9.9) | 43 (5.4) | 3.65±1.09 |
| Lack of equity in scholar score is a barrier to me throughout E-learning exams. | 279 (34.9) | 193 (24.1) | 169 (21.1) | 94 (11.8) | 65 (8.1) | 3.66±1.28 |
| Restricted assets akin to weak web connection and electrical energy shut down is a barrier to studying | 453 (56.6) | 197 (24.6) | 87 (10.9) | 48 (6.0) | 15 (1.9) | 4.28±1.00 |
| The price of accessing the web is a barrier | 236 (29.5) | 179 (22.4) | 170 (21.3) | 162 (20.3) | 53 (6.6) | 3.48±1.28 |
| The price of shopping for a brand new system like an iPad or laptop computer or smartphone to assist me in accessing the lecture is a barrier. | 256 (32.0) | 155 (19.4) | 160 (20.0) | 161 (20.1) | 68 (8.5) | 3.46±1.34 |
Desk
3: Frequency distribution of the perceived boundaries objects amongst college students
Constructive associations between the satisfaction stage of the scholars have been recognized with feminine gender, fourth 12 months of examine, metropolis heart location, and home revenue of greater than ($350, IQD 500,000) (Desk 4).
| Variables | Classes | Satisfaction stage | P-value (Chi-square check) | |
| Happy No (%) | Not happy No (%) | |||
| Age | Under and equal to 22 | 155(29%) | 379(71%) | <0.001 |
| Above 22 years | 127(47.7%) | 139(52.3%) | ||
| Gender | Male | 102(43.8%) | 131(56.2%) | 0.001 |
| Feminine | 180(31.7%) | 387(68.3%) | ||
| School stage | Third-year | 95(28.7%) | 236(71.3%) | 0.001 |
| Fourth-year | 149(42.5%) | 202(57.5%) | ||
| Fifth 12 months | 26(36.1%) | 46(63.9%) | ||
| Sixth 12 months | 12(26.1%) | 34(73.9%) | ||
| Place of dwelling | Metropolis facilities | 151(31.9%) | 322(68.1%) | 0.049 |
| Discrete and sub-districts | 108(40.9%) | 156(59.1%) | ||
| Villages and peripheries | 23(36.5%) | 40(63.5%) | ||
| Month-to-month household wage in Iraqi Dinar | Lower than 500,000 | 98(40%) | 147(60%) | 0.108 |
| Between 500,000 and 1,000,000 | 123(34.6%) | 232(65.4%) | ||
| Greater than 1,000,000 | 61(30.5%) | 139(69.5%) | ||
| School kind | Science schools | 138(29.8%) | 325(70.2%) | <0.001 |
| Humanity schools | 144(42.7%) | 193(57.3%) | ||
| The preferable kind of digital studying | Synchronized studying | 83(51.2%) | 79(48.8%) | <0.001 |
| Non-synchronized | 64(45.1%) | 78(54.9%) | ||
| Blended studying | 104(32.1%) | 220(67.9%) | ||
| Flipped studying | 31(18%) | 141(82%) | ||
Desk
4: Variations between college students’ variables with satisfaction stage
Desk 5 exhibits important constructive relationships between age and school kind with satisfaction stage concerning the E-learning (P-value<0.001) in addition to gender and perceived boundaries of E-learning (P-value<0.001). Whereas the month-to-month household wage and the faculty stage have been considerably negatively related to E-learning boundaries (P-value=0.015, 0.023, and 0.023, respectively).
| Variables | Complete satisfaction imply | Perceived boundaries imply | ||||||
| B | CI | P-value | B | CI | P-value | |||
| Gender | -0.067 | -0.254 | 0.007 | 0.064 | 0.155 | 0.151 | 0.410 | <0.001 |
| Age | 0.163 | 0.035 | 0.103 | <0.001 | -0.024 | -0.044 | 0.024 | 0.556 |
| Place of dwelling | 0.003 | -0.086 | 0.095 | 0.922 | 0.043 | -0.034 | 0.146 | 0.223 |
| Month-to-month household wage in Iraqi dinar | 0.005 | -0.077 | 0.087 | 0.902 | -0.090 | -0.181 | -0.019 | 0.015 |
| School kind | 0.086 | 0.020 | 0.270 | 0.023 | -0.032 | -0.177 | 0.071 | 0.406 |
| School stage | 0.021 | -0.055 | 0.097 | 0.595 | -0.089 | -0.163 | -0.012 | 0.023 |
Desk
5: A number of linear regression for the predictor sociodemographic options for the satisfaction and perceived boundaries
B: Standardized regression coefficient; CI: Confidence Interval
Dialogue
The abrupt change of instructing and studying to new platforms in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges that academic establishments have been obliged to take care of. Using expertise was the one choice to keep away from extra disruptions or a complete shut-down in schooling. A number of academic platforms grew to become well-liked and have changed the “conventional” classroom. On this examine, essentially the most used platform to attend the web lectures was Google Meet. Google Meet and Courses have been usually most popular for his or her effectiveness in instructing, studying, for free of charge, and use on any system at any time [17]. Furthermore, Google Classroom permits instructors and learners to create and handle courses, make assignments and grade the assignments on-line, in addition to add digital supplies akin to YouTube movies and Google Kinds to the assignments [18].
Multiple-third of the members of this examine felt that utilizing enough supportive strategies for delivering lectures (displays, YouTube, pre-recorded movies, and many others.) would assist their studying. Pre-recorded lectures are most popular [19]. Nevertheless, active-learning methods are essential to contemplate [20].
The scholars didn’t really feel that E-learning ready them effectively for the examination as a consequence of poor comprehension. The identical findings are supported by different research [21]. This final result didn’t appear to be balanced by the opposite benefits of E-learning akin to ease of entry to academic assets and tutor help. Technical help was discovered to affect the perceived ease of use and usefulness, which ends up in college students creating their expertise in new applied sciences [22].
Conventional schooling is extra pricey as college students need to spend cash on transportation and different preparations. It additionally consumes time that could possibly be used for finding out or doing different studying actions. Our examine has proven that almost all college students saved time and cash with E-learning. Al-Sammarraie et al. performed a examine amongst 400 Pakistani college students and located that time and money are essentially the most essential components affecting campus college students [23]. Saving time and value is a substantial benefit of E-learning.
Though E-learning has considerably served the present pandemic state of affairs at current, it faces many obstacles. The principle points have been as a consequence of restricted assets, akin to Web availability and high quality, in addition to {an electrical} energy provide, which could possibly be unpredictable in international locations with weak infrastructure akin to Iraq [24]. For some college students, an absence of enough pc abilities makes it troublesome to make use of E-learning amenities as a result of they’re unable to correctly talk with their tutors to acquire the knowledge and additional tuition that they want. These obstacles will put them at a stage behind their friends. An identical barrier was recognized amongst different college students akin to pharmacology college students in India [25]. Instability of electrical energy, sluggish Web connection, lack of coaching, and preparation for the usage of on-line studying platforms result in college students’ dissatisfaction [16].
Establishments could think about E-learning extra malleable to the theoretical parts of the syllabus nevertheless it falls behind in the case of programs with sensible parts. Medical and dentistry college students of Queen’s College Belfast indicated that E-learning in a sensible set-up is beneficial [26]. Nevertheless, this didn’t apply to all their college students, as these college students who most popular a extra superficial method to studying, like utilizing on-line checklists, didn’t carry out as effectively in real-time when attending Goal Structured Scientific Examination OSCEs [26]. In measuring whole satisfaction means, solely 35.25% have been happy with their expertise. A examine of the implementation of E-learning environments in larger schooling in Sweden and Lithuania discovered that course content material and curriculum kind are considerably related to the stage of acceptance [27].
Blended studying may be an optimum academic method to make use of. A analysis group in Turkey has discovered that almost all college students most popular blended studying [28]. In Zambia, a excessive acceptance charge of blended studying (>75%) was discovered. The pliability within the academic fashion, the better entry to studying assets in instances of restricted web entry or electrical energy, and the alternatives to have face-to-face encounters together with streamlined suggestions provision represent the essential explanation why college students want blended studying in comparison with absolutely face-to-face or on-line schooling [29-30].
Our examine had limitations that restricted the generalization of its outcomes to all college students or schools in Iraq. The small pattern dimension, the overall limitation of the survey questionnaire, and the dearth of prior knowledge or research to construct on are just a few of the primary limitations. Nevertheless, outcomes will be utilized to tell educators and establishments when structuring curricula and designing studying actions. Conducting one other analysis that’s primarily based on the lecturers’ perspective in addition to the scholars’ perspective is beneficial.
Conclusions
Though E-learning was the one alternative for instructing and studying in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, absolutely the dependence on E-learning was difficult. Many of the college students on the chosen universities weren’t happy with the E-learning course of. Energy failures and sluggish Web pace have been the primary boundaries.
We suggest enhanced coaching for tutors and college students on on-line studying platforms and blended studying as a way to overcome the issues. Universities ought to put money into, and incrementally introduce, blended studying even after the top of the pandemic to help conventional studying and communication. Bigger and numerous examine samples from different universities are beneficial for future analysis to attract correct conclusions and assemble suggestions for advancing schooling.