Teachers and Learners’ Perceptions of Online Instruction and Assessment during COVID-19 Lockdown in Iran: A Mixed-Methods Investigation
Subject Areas : English Language Teaching
Rasoul
Mohammad Hosseinpur
1
(Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Qom, Qom, Iran)
Keywords: D-learning, E-learning, learner perception, lockdown, teacher perception,
Abstract :
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, all face-to-face instruction at higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide has been suspended. Therefore, many institutions and universities relied on online learning to continue the instruction process. The perceptions of teachers and students who went through this experience can provide useful information regarding the success of the online instruction. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of teachers and students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Additionally, it aimed at exploring the main advantages and disadvantages of online instruction during this time. To this end, 250 English language teachers and students were selected from different English language institutes and universities in Iran. Drawing upon Khan et al.’s (2021) questionnaire and an open-ended question, this study showed that both teachers and students had positive perceptions towards online learning and teaching during COVID-19 lockdown despite the fact that some students had not the necessary facilities and infrastructure for online classes. Furthermore, this study showed that validity, reliability, construction, administration, and effectiveness of online assessment was a major concern for both teachers and students. Besides, both groups expressed the benefits of online instruction more than its drawbacks. The results of this study have implications for higher education teachers, and stakeholders to get a better understanding of the students’ and teachers’ perception toward online instruction.
References
Aczel, J. C., Peake, S. R., & Hardy, P. (2008). Designing capacity-building in e-learning expertise: Challenges and strategies. Computers & Education, 50(2), 499-510. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2007.07.005
Allo, M. D. G. (2020). Is the online learning good in the midst of Covid-19 Pandemic? The case of EFL learners. Jurnal Sinestesia, 10(1), 1-10.
Al-Mahmood, R., & McLoughlin, C. (2004, December). Re-learning through e-learning: Changing conceptions of teaching through online experience. In R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-Dwyer & R. Phillips, Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference (pp. 37-47). Perth. https://www.ascilite.org/conferences/perth04/procs/contents.html
Arkorful, V., & Abaidoo, N. (2015). The role of e-learning, advantages and disadvantages of its adoption in higher education. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 12(1), 29-42.
Becta. (2008). Harnessing technology: schools survey 2008. The national foundation for educational research: UK. https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/TSV01/TSV01.pdf
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies. Oxford University Press.
Esichaikul, V., Lamnoi, S., & Bechter, C. (2011). Student modelling in adaptive e-learning systems. Knowledge Management & E-Learning: An International Journal, 3(3), 342-355.
Garrison, D. R. (2011). E-learning in the 21st century: A framework for research and practice. Routledge.
Grinder, S. A., Kelly-Reid, J. E., & Mann, F. B. (2019). Enrolment and employees in postsecondary institutions, fall 2017; and financial statistics and academic libraries, fiscal year 2017. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019021REV.pdf
Hartley, D. E. (2001). Selling e-learning. American Society for Training and Development.
Issah, M. (2018). Change leadership: The role of emotional intelligence. Sage Open, 8(3), 2158244018800910. doi:10.1177/215824401880091
Kamal, T., & Illiyan, A. (2021). School teachers’ perception and challenges towards online teaching during COVID-19 pandemic in India: an econometric analysis. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 16(3), 311-325.
Kaur, K., & Zoraini Wati, A. (2004). An assessment of e-learning readiness at Open University Malaysia. https://library.oum.edu.my/repository/115/1/an_assessment.pdf
Kay, R., Knaack, L., & Petrarca, D. (2009). Exploring teachers' perceptions of web-based learning tools. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 5(1), 27-50.
Khan, R., Basu, B. L., Bashir, A., & Uddin, M. (2021). Online instruction during COVID-19 at public universities in Bangladesh: teacher and student voices. TESL-EJ, 25(1), 1-27.
Koohang, A., & Durante, A. (2003). Learners’ perceptions toward the web-based distance learning activities/assignments portion of an undergraduate hybrid instructional model. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 2(1), 105-113.
Lui, A. K., Choy, S. O., Li, S. C., & Cheung, Y. H. (2006). A study on the perception of students towards educational weblogs. Informatics in Education, 5(2), 245-266. doi: 10.15388/infedu.2006.18
Mohammad Hosseinpur, R., & Parsaeian, Z. (2023). Accuracy and fluency development of spoken English through online informal activities: A Microgenetic analysis. Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 10(2), 1-25. doi:10.30479/jmrels.2022.17417.2082
Muljana, P. S., & Luo, T. (2019). Factors contributing to student retention in online learning and recommended strategies for improvement: A systematic literature review. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 18, 19-57. doi:10.28945/4182
Nazarlou, M.M., (2013). Research on negative effect on e-learning. International Journal of Mobile Network Communications & Telematics, 3(2), 11-16.
Qiong, O. U. (2017). A brief introduction to perception. Studies in Literature and Language, 15(4), 18–28. doi:10.3968/10055
Radu, F., Radu, V., & Croitoru, G. (2015). The advantage of the new technologies in learning. Advant. New Technol. Learn, 1(1), 150–155.
Ramij, M. G., & Sultana, A. (2020). Preparedness of online classes in developing countries amid COVID-19 outbreak: A perspective from Bangladesh. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3638718
Rani, M., Srivastava, K.V., & Vyas, O.P. (2016). An ontological learning management system. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 24(5), 706-722. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1708.09475
Raspopovic, M., Cvetanovic, S., Medan, I., & Ljubojevic, D. (2017). The effects of integrating social learning environment with online learning. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(1), 142-160. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1136097.pdf
Redmann, D., & Kotrlik, J. (2004). Analysis of technology integration in the teaching-learning process in selected career and technical education programs. Journal of Vocational Education Research, 29(1), 3-25. https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JVER/v29n1/redmann.html
Rosenberg, M. J. (2001) E-learning: Strategies for building online learning in the digital age. McGraw-Hill.
Ryan, M. (1997). Education casts wide net. Tech Web News.
Saine, P. (2012). iPods, iPads, and the SMARTBoard: Transforming literacy instruction and student learning. New England Reading Association Journal, 47(2), 74-79. https://www.rhartshorne.com/fall-2012/eme6507-rh/mblackburn/multimediaproject/iPodsiPadsandtheSMARTBoard.pdf
Shalbafan, M., & Khademoreza, N. (2020). What we can learn from COVID-19 outbreak in Iran about the importance of alcohol use education. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 46(3), 385-386. doi:10.1080/00952990.2020.1753759
Shaltry, C., Henriksen, D., Wu, M. L., & Dickson, W. P. (2013). Situated learning with online portfolios, classroom websites and Facebook. TechTrends, 57(3), 20-25. doi: 10.1007/s11528-013-0658-9
Thaufeega, F. (2016). Institutional and learner readiness for eLearning in the Maldives [Doctoral dissertation, Brunel University]. https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/14659/1/FulltextThesis.pdf
White, M. A. (1983). Synthesis of research on electronic learning. Educational Leadership, 40(8), 13-15. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ283873
