Background
The sudden and fast propagation of coronavirus-19 illness (COVID-19) has disrupted face-to-face lectures and sensible classes at Iraqi universities. E-learning has surfaced in most nations instead strategy to proceed instructional packages. This examine aimed to find out the diploma of satisfaction and perceived limitations amongst school college students with E-learning.
Strategies
College students of two Iraqi universities learning by a web based platform participated on this cross-sectional examine. A web-based survey questionnaire was used to evaluate pupil perceptions of the extent of satisfaction with and limitations 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 remaining used asynchronous studying actions. College students’ degree 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. Limitations 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 vital limitations that require funding in infrastructures and instructing expertise improvement to make college students studying passable.
Introduction
The unprecedented outbreak of coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted training worldwide [1]. Because of this, all instructional establishments have been pressured 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 tutorial 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 units 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 pupil centricity, offering extra flexibility [7], and rising pupil interplay by asynchronous and synchronous sources [8-9]. Furthermore, the E-learning platform affords learners content material and time management; thus, serving the educational objectives and learner’s wants in a extra advantageous method [10]. Moreover, it affords 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 offered [11]. Navarro and Shoemaker have proven that college students who used E-learning have been capable of assimilate expertise 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 surroundings [13].
Then again, a number of drawbacks, resembling 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 programs [14]. Due to this fact, each tutors and college students got here throughout many challenges, and universities are going through challenges in maintaining course content material constant and legitimate [8]. Therefore, additional research are wanted to establish the specifics that improve the benefits of E-learning, particularly in programs with restricted instructional 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 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, together with lectures and varied evaluations throughout a number of platforms. The purpose of this examine is to judge the satisfaction of school college students utilizing E-learning and to analyze the perceived limitations that have an effect on the flexibility to ship on-line programs.
Supplies & Strategies
A structured questionnaire was ready to incorporate 4 primary sections. Part 1 comprised socio-demographic knowledge. Part 2 was associated to the services, units, Web community, E-learning program, and the educational system of the faculty. Part Three included college students’ views of tutor efficiency and school assist. Part Four comprised questions relating to limitations 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/Faculty of Drugs deemed the examine exempt from moral approval for the anonymity of contributors.
This questionnaire was piloted with 20 randomly chosen college students who have been excluded from the ultimate examine to reinforce questionnaire readability. The questionnaire was despatched out to all undergraduate college students of the Humanity and the Science faculties 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 achieved utilizing frequency and proportion for categorical knowledge and utilizing imply ± customary deviation for quantitative knowledge. The contributors’ satisfaction degree was divided into ‘happy’ and ‘not happy’ by the cutoff level imply of three.40 (the imply above 3.40 is similar to the agree and strongly agree responses), and that is based mostly on the imply of the 5-point Likert scale system relating to tutor high quality, perceived usefulness, and facilitating situation. The chi-square take a look at was used to evaluate any affiliation between a categorical variable, and a number of linear regression was achieved to know the predictors for the satisfaction and limitations. A P-value equal to or lower than 0.05 was thought of vital.
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 contributors was 22.05±1.95 years. In Desk 1, the females represented (70.9%) of the contributors. Greater than half of the contributors 473 (59.1%) dwell in city and metropolis facilities. Three-hundred fifty-five (44.4%) contributors 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 | Share | |
| Gender | Male | 233 | 29.1 |
| Feminine | 567 | 70.9 | |
| Place of residing | 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 | |
| Faculty kind | Science Schools | 463 | 57.9 |
| Humanity Schools | 337 | 42.1 | |
| Faculty 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 machine used for digital studying | iPad | 143 | 14.7 |
| Cellphone | 701 | 72.0 | |
| Pc | 129 | 13.3 | |
| Web supply | Cellular 3G | 162 | 18.2 |
| Dwelling 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 contributors on this examine
Greater than half of the contributors (57.9%) have been learning on the school of science. Nearly all of the scholars (726; 81.8%) used dwelling 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 various (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 ± customary deviation | (3.07±0.82) | |||
| The tutor might 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 classes 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 probably 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 pupil that wants it. | 59 (7.4) | 162 (20.3) | 238 (29.8) | 197 (24.6) | 144 (18.0) |
| Perceived usefulness | Imply ± customary 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 themes with out the necessity for exterior sources. | 92 (11.5) | 176 (22.0) | 134 (16.8) | 220 (27.5) | 178 (22.3) |
| E-learning developed my expertise relating to using 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 straightforward 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 basic studying throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. | 145 (18.1) | 268 (33.5) | 143 (17.9) | 113 (14.1) | 131 (16.4) |
| Facilitating situation | Imply± customary deviation | (3.03±0.94) | |||
| There may be sufficient data and instruction supplied from the faculty relating to 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 will probably be out there on want (or as quickly as potential). | 95 (11.9) | 294 (36.8) | 156 (19.5) | 147 (18.4) | 108 (13.5) |
| The school gives sufficient supporting technical supplies (paid subscriptions for identified instructional 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 giant numbers of scholars. | 95 (11.9) | 220 (27.5) | 226 (28.2) | 154 (19.3) | 105 (13.1) |
| The school 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’ll perceive the themes with out the necessity for exterior sources. Nevertheless, a couple of quarter of the scholars (213, 26.6%) strongly believed that schools 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 limitations to E-learning have been variable (Desk 3). The most typical barrier was restricted sources (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 resembling scientific instructing (4.04±1.09). The imply for complete limitations was 3.53±0.82 whereas the imply for complete 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 faculties, whereas 282 (35.25%) have been happy.
| Perceived limitations | Strongly agree No. (%) | Agree No. (%) | Impartial No. (%) | Disagree No. (%) | Strongly disagree No. (%) | Imply ±SD |
| My insufficient laptop expertise 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 (unfavorable angle) 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 expertise. | 176 (22.0) | 329 (41.1) | 173 (21.6) | 79 (9.9) | 43 (5.4) | 3.65±1.09 |
| Lack of equity in pupil 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 sources resembling 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 machine 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 limitations gadgets amongst college students
Constructive associations between the satisfaction degree of the scholars have been recognized with feminine gender, fourth yr of examine, metropolis middle location, and home revenue of greater than ($350, IQD 500,000) (Desk 4).
| Variables | Classes | Satisfaction degree | P-value (Chi-square take a look at) | |
| Glad No (%) | Not happy No (%) | |||
| Age | Beneath 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%) | ||
| Faculty stage | Third-year | 95(28.7%) | 236(71.3%) | 0.001 |
| Fourth-year | 149(42.5%) | 202(57.5%) | ||
| Fifth yr | 26(36.1%) | 46(63.9%) | ||
| Sixth yr | 12(26.1%) | 34(73.9%) | ||
| Place of residing | 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%) | ||
| Faculty kind | Science faculties | 138(29.8%) | 325(70.2%) | <0.001 |
| Humanity faculties | 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 degree
Desk 5 exhibits vital constructive relationships between age and school kind with satisfaction degree relating to the E-learning (P-value<0.001) in addition to gender and perceived limitations 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 limitations (P-value=0.015, 0.023, and 0.023, respectively).
| Variables | Whole satisfaction imply | Perceived limitations 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 residing | 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 |
| Faculty kind | 0.086 | 0.020 | 0.270 | 0.023 | -0.032 | -0.177 | 0.071 | 0.406 |
| Faculty 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 limitations
B: Standardized regression coefficient; CI: Confidence Interval
Dialogue
The abrupt change of instructing and studying to new platforms throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges that instructional 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 training. A number of instructional platforms grew to become standard and have changed the “conventional” classroom. On this examine, probably the most used platform to attend the net 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 machine 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 resembling YouTube movies and Google Types to the assignments [18].
Multiple-third of the contributors 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 vital to contemplate [20].
The scholars didn’t really feel that E-learning ready them effectively for the examination resulting from 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 resembling ease of entry to instructional sources and tutor assist. Technical assist was discovered to affect the perceived ease of use and usefulness, which ends up in college students growing their expertise in new applied sciences [22].
Conventional training is extra expensive as college students should spend cash on transportation and different preparations. It additionally consumes time that might be used for learning or doing different studying actions. Our examine has proven that the majority college students saved time and cash with E-learning. Al-Sammarraie et al. carried out a examine amongst 400 Pakistani college students and located that time and money are probably the most vital elements affecting campus college students [23]. Saving time and price is a substantial benefit of E-learning.
Though E-learning has considerably served the present pandemic scenario at current, it faces many obstacles. The primary points have been resulting from restricted sources, resembling Web availability and high quality, in addition to {an electrical} energy provide, which might be unpredictable in nations with weak infrastructure resembling Iraq [24]. For some college students, a scarcity of enough laptop expertise makes it troublesome to make use of E-learning services 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 degree behind their friends. An analogous barrier was recognized amongst different college students resembling pharmacology college students in India [25]. Instability of electrical energy, sluggish Web connection, lack of coaching, and preparation for using on-line studying platforms result in college students’ dissatisfaction [16].
Establishments might think about E-learning extra malleable to the theoretical elements of the syllabus however it falls behind in relation to programs with sensible elements. Medical and dentistry college students of Queen’s College Belfast indicated that E-learning in a sensible set-up is helpful [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 complete satisfaction means, solely 35.25% have been happy with their expertise. A examine of the implementation of E-learning environments in increased training in Sweden and Lithuania discovered that course content material and curriculum kind are considerably related to the degree of acceptance [27].
Blended studying could be an optimum instructional method to make use of. A analysis group in Turkey has discovered that the majority college students most popular blended studying [28]. In Zambia, a excessive acceptance price of blended studying (>75%) was discovered. The flexibleness within the instructional model, the simpler entry to studying sources in occasions of restricted web entry or electrical energy, and the alternatives to have face-to-face encounters together with streamlined suggestions provision represent the primary explanation why college students choose blended studying in comparison with totally face-to-face or on-line training [29-30].
Our examine had limitations that restricted the generalization of its outcomes to all college students or faculties in Iraq. The small pattern measurement, the overall limitation of the survey questionnaire, and the dearth of prior knowledge or research to construct on are just a few of the principle limitations. Nevertheless, outcomes may be utilized to tell educators and establishments when structuring curricula and designing studying actions. Conducting one other analysis that’s based mostly on the academics’ perspective in addition to the scholars’ perspective is really useful.
Conclusions
Though E-learning was the one alternative for instructing and studying throughout 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 principle limitations.
We advocate enhanced coaching for tutors and college students on on-line studying platforms and blended studying with a purpose to overcome the issues. Universities ought to put money into, and incrementally introduce, blended studying even after the tip of the pandemic to assist conventional studying and communication. Bigger and numerous examine samples from different universities are really useful for future analysis to attract correct conclusions and assemble suggestions for advancing training.