Students’ Perceptions of Online Learning During Pandemic Outbreak: A Case Study of Electrical Engineering Students

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic had reformed the old-millennia teaching and learning method worldwide. The new norm of academic activities has now been dominant by online learning platform. However, accessing the effectiveness of the online learning method, especially for electrical engineering students, is still not clearly understood. As this course required the integration of theoretical, mathematical and laboratory works, hence the online learning method can be disputed without a proper planning. The technical constraints such as learning infrastructures, conducive space, and internet connection availability can pose to severe challenges in this new norm. Without proactive action taken by the university and lecturers, these problems will remain unsolved. Therefore, this study aims to analyze students’ perception of online learning during a visit of COVID-19. Two (2) stages of survey such as entry and exit had been distributed to electrical engineering students who took the electrical machines course in their fourth semester. From the results obtained, students opined that online teaching and learning were much effective when the lecturers provide adequate learning materials (i.e., notes, video, assessments and recording classes) in synchronized and asynchronized methods. These methods assisted students to study and do revision at a flexible time following their own pace. In general, the students were not having any issues on the lecturers’ professionalism in delivering lectures, preparing materials and assessments. From a bright perspective, rapid transformation to online learning had turned the students’ competence in handling digitalization technology. Ultimately, the insight obtained from the survey analyzes can assist the university in designing the curriculum to adapt the new normal in teaching and learning.