Learning via MOOCs during the COVID 19 pandemic : perceptions of students and teachers at Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco (Published)
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the education of millions of learners worldwide. However, very few educational systems and their teachers were prepared for the sudden transition to online learning that ensued (Kanwar, 2020). The University Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech (UCAM) had already launched a platform for MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) in 2013. MOOCs are online learning environments that allow students to take courses on a wide range of subjects without limitation and at low cost (Veletsianos et al. 2015, cited by Alamri, 2022). Following the Ministry of Higher Education’s decision to suspend classes in various university institutions and to ensure pedagogical continuity during this crisis situation, UCAM continued to adopt distance learning, including through MOOCs.In this context, it seemed essential to identify the perceptions of students and teachers regarding this online learning technology. The study was conducted with 15 teachers (interviews) and 840 students (questionnaire) within three faculties of the University Cadi Ayyad: Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Letters, and Faculty of Law.The results showed that both populations (students and teachers) appear to be satisfied with the use of this type of system. They believe it had a positive impact on the teaching-learning process during the pandemic. However, they are of the opinion that MOOCs, although they offered learning opportunities, cannot replace face-to-face learning.
Keywords: COVID-19, MOOCs, Perceptions, Students, Teachers, distance learning
Online Teaching and Learning: Perceptions and Readiness of Pre-Service Teachers (Published)
The study sought to evaluate pre-service teachers’ perceptions and readiness towards online learning in Akatsi College of Education. The study used descriptive survey design. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from two hundred and twenty-three pre-service teachers who were purposively sampled for the study. The data collected was analysed using percentages, means and standard deviations. The results revealed that majority of the pre-service teachers preferred face-to-face to online method, found it difficult using online learning facilities. Majority of the pre-service teachers perceived that the use of online learning would improve their creativity in disseminating and experiencing learning. In addition, majority of the pre-service teachers did not have good internet broadband to get them connected to an online learning class. They were also distracted at homes during online lessons coupled with erratic power supply. Majority of the preservice teachers have negative perceptions and were not ready for online learning. Consequently, it was recommended that Government of Ghana invested more in the area of communication infrastructural facilities as well as partnering with telecommunication companies to provide very effective broadband internet connectivity to college servers and students at reasonable cost to facilitate online learning classes.
Citation: Mark Mishiwo, Benedicta Enid Mawuse Danku, Martha Ayivor, Florence Doe (2021) Online Teaching and Learning: Perceptions and Readiness of Pre-Service Teachers, British Journal of Education, Vol. 9, Issue 9, pp.101-113
Keywords: COVID-19, Perceptions, Pre-Service Teachers, online learning, readiness