The Perceived Impact of Online Learning on Communication Between Teachers and Elementary School Students in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Keywords:
Communication, Productivity, Distance Learning, Education, COVID-19, Madrasati platform
Abstract
The educational process is highly dependent on socio-cultural context. With a move to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, the forms and methods of learning were majorly impacted. The traditional face-to-face learning method had to be transformed to the virtual space, changing the communication system between students and teachers. In Saudi Arabia, schools and universities closed on March 9th, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The country’s Ministry of Education established an online home learning platform, called “Madrasati”, which gives Saudi students access to over 120 hours of educational content daily. The impact of the move to online learning on communication between students and teachers in Saudi Arabia was explored, with a view to developing recommendations for improving online learning environments. Focus group discussions with eleven participants were used to establish parents’ perspectives on how distance learning, via Madrasati, affected teachers-student communication. Findings suggest that the transition to the online learning environment posed several challenges for the students. Online learning was perceived to have made communication between students and teachers more difficult, hindering the learning process and affecting learning outcomes. The online environment was also perceived to have a negative effect on children’s productivity, as it became difficult for them to stay focused and motivated outside of the physical classroom environment. Future online learning platforms should include greater audio-visual content to help engage students and facilitate communication.
References
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2. Alawamleh, M., Al-Twait, L. M., & Al-Saht, G. R. (2020). The effect of online learning on communication between instructors and students during Covid-19 pandemic. Asian Education and Development Studies. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AEDS-06-2020-0131/full/html
3. Asirvatham, S. (2000). Beyond the distance barrier: New technology for etraining. Journal of Property Management, 65(5), 42-48.
4. Assareh, A., & Bidokht, M. H. (2011). Barriers to e-teaching and e-learning. Procedia Computer Science, 3, 791-795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2010.12.129
5. Barrett, S. (2002). Overcoming transactional distance as a barrier to effective communication over the internet. International Education Journal, 3(4), 34-42. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228594480_Overcoming_transactional_distance_as_a_barrier_to_effective_communication_over_the_Internet
6. Belcheir, M. J. & Cucek, M. (2001). Student Perceptions of Their Distance Education Courses. Research Report 2001–04. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED480923.pdf
7. Berge, Z. L. (1998). Barriers to online teaching in post-secondary institutions: Can policy changes fix it. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 1(2), 2. http://westga.edu/~distance/Berge12.html.
8. Berge, Z. L., & Mrozowski, S. (1999). Barriers to online teaching in elementary, secondary, and teacher education. Canadian Journal of Educational Communication, 27(2), 125-138. https://doi.org/10.21432/T2P59B
9. Brindley, J. E., Blaschke, L. M., & Walti, C. (2009). Creating effective collaborative learning groups in an online environment. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v10i3.675
10. Bryant, J., & Bates, A. J. (2015). Creating a constructivist online instructional environment. TechTrends, 59(2), 17-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-015-0834-1
11. Chen, R. T. H., Bennett, S., & Maton, K. (2008). The adaptation of Chinese international students to online flexible learning: Two case studies. Distance Education, 29(3), 307-323. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587910802395821
12. Cheney, G. (2011),Organizational communication in an age of globalization: Issues, reflections, practices, Waveland Press.
13. Dhull, I & Sakshi, A. (2019). Online Learning. International Education & Research Journal, 3(8), 32-34. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332833360_Online_Learning
14. Driscoll, A., Jicha, K., Hunt, A. N., Tichavsky, L., & Thompson, G. (2012). Can online courses deliver in-class results? A comparison of student performance and satisfaction in an online versus a face-to-face introductory sociology course. Teaching Sociology, 40(4), 312-331. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0092055X12446624
15. Habeeb, D. (2014). Effective communication skills in teaching–learning process. Grammar and Grammar Teaching: Changing Perspectives, 2(14), 53-57. http://www.languageinindia.com/april2014/habeebcommunicationfinal.pdf
16. Freedman, S.C., Tello, S.F., & Lewis, D. (2003). Strategies for improving instructor–student communication in online education. In F. Albalooshi (Ed.), Virtual education: Cases in learning and teaching technologies (pp. 156-168). IRM Press.
17. Goldman A. E. (1962). The group depth interview. Journal of Marketing, 26(3):61-68. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F002224296202600313
18. Hannafin M. J., J. R. Hill, L. Song, & R. E. West. (2007). Cognitive perspectives on technology-enhanced distance learning environments. In M. G. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of distance education. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
19. Herndon, S. L. (2001). Using focus group interviews for preliminary investigation. In S. L. Herndon & G. L. Kreps (Eds.), Qualitative research: Applications in organizational life (pp. 63-72). Hampton.
20. İşman, A., Dabaj, F., Altinay, F., & Altinay, Z. (2003). Communication barriers in distance education. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 2(4). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED495703.pdf
21. İşman, A., & Dabaj, F. (2004). Communication barriers in distance education: Text-based internet-enabled online courses. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 2(1). http://www.asianjde.org/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/28.
22. Jurik, V., Gröschner, A., & Seidel, T. (2014). Predicting students’ cognitive learning activity and intrinsic learning motivation: How powerful are teacher statements, student profiles, and gender? Learning and individual differences, 32, 132-139. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1016/j.lindif.2014.01.005
23. Keyton, J. (2011). Communication and organizational culture: A key to understanding work experience. Sage.
24. Lawless, N., &Allan O’Dwyer, J. (2000). Face to face or distance training: Two different approaches to motivate SMEs to learn. Education + Training, 42(4/5), 308-316.
25. Lederman, L. C. (1990). Assessing educational effectiveness: The focus group interview as a technique for data collection. Communication Education, 39(2), 117-127. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03634529009378794
26. Martin, F., & Parker, M. A. (2014). Use of synchronous virtual classrooms: Why, who, and how? MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 10(2), 192. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265335172_Use_of_Synchronous_Virtual_Classrooms_Why_Who_and_How_MERLOT_Journal_of_Online_Learning_and_Teaching_10_2_192-210
27. McCracken, G. (1988). The Long Interview (Qualitative Research Methods Series 13). Sage.
28. Merriam-Webster, Inc. (2021). Distance Learning. In: Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distance%20learning
29. Meyen, E. L. & Yang, C. H. (2003). Barriers to implementing large-scale online staff development programs for teachers. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 6 (4). http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter64/meyen64.htm
30. Meyer, K. A. (2003). Face to face versus threaded discussions: The role of time and higher-order thinking. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 7(3), 55-65. https://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.24059%2Folj.v7i3.1845
31. Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2012). Distance education: A systems view of online learning, (3rd ed.). Wadsworth/Cengage.
32. Morgan, D. L. (1988). Focus Groups as Qualitative Research (Qualitative Research Methods Series 16). Sage.
33. Pajo, K., & Wallace, C. (2001). Barriers to the uptake of web-based technology by university teachers. Journal of Distance Education, 16(1) 70-84. http://www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/171/127
34. Prammance, N. (2003). Understanding participants in online courses: A case study of perceptions of online interaction. IT Forum. https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/chapter/30667
35. Rovai, P. A., & Barnum, K. T. (2003). On-line course effectiveness: An analysis of student interactions and perceptions of learning. Journal of Distance Education, 18(1), 57-73. http://www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/121
36. Sharma, P., & Maleyeff, J. (2003). Internet education: Potential problems and solutions. The International Journal of Educational Management, 17(1), 19-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513540310456365
37. Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2003). Teaching and Learning at a Distance. Pearson Education.
38. Social-Constructivist Learning Theory (2012). In: Seel N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315075911_Social-Constructivist_Learning_Theory
39. Velentzas, J., & Broni, G. (2014). Communication cycle: Definition, process, models and examples. Recent Advances in Financial Planning and Product Development, Proceedings of the5th International Conference on Finance, Accounting and Law (ICFA’14), Istanbul, Turkey,15–17 December 2014, 117-131.
40. West R. E., 2011. Insights from research on distance education learners, learning, and learner support. American Journal of Distance Education, 25(3), 135-151.
41. Whipp, J. L., & Chiarelli, S. (2004). Self-regulation in a web-based course: A case study. Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(4), 5. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02504714
42. Zhang, Z., & Kenny, R. F. (2010). Learning in an online distance education course: Experiences of three international students. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(1), 17-36. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v11i1.775
Published
2021-10-27
How to Cite
Lowai G. Abed. (2021). The Perceived Impact of Online Learning on Communication Between Teachers and Elementary School Students in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal on Humanities and Social Sciences, (26), 166-181. https://doi.org/10.33193/IJoHSS.26.2021.330
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