Research Article
Year 2020,
Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 183 - 210, 30.09.2020
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major concern across the globe affecting nation’s socio-economic development including education. It has pushes many HEIs in world to move into remote learning as a substitute of in-person instruction. The study explored students’ response to online learning in higher education in Ghana. The study was guided by three research questions. Descriptive survey design was adopted and online questionnaire was used to gather data from 467 students in a higher education of Ghana. The data was analysed using frequency and percentage. Overall, the study found that students had positive response to online learning. They knew of online learning and some of the platforms like UCC Moodle platform, Alison and Google classroom. They would also like to use other social media platforms. They would use smart phone and laptop for the online learning. However, they had negative response to the online learning (not ready/prepared) because they lacked formal orientation and training, perceived lack of constant access to internet connectivity and financial unpreparedness. Management of the university should provide resources to help students assess whether they are ready to take an online course and offer suggestions for preparation. Since internet accessibility is expensive in Ghana at the moment, management of the university should hold negotiations with Cellular operators for educational discount for distance students. Academic staff should provide instructional support through instructional activities that can help students in appraising their readiness, gaining the needed skills to learn online and consider using flexible approaches to teaching and deadlines to accommodate students with constraints or lack reliable Wi-Fi or broadband access
Supporting Institution
None
Project Number
None
Thanks
We grateful for each author contribution to this Article
References
- AACSB Business Education Intelligence (2020). AACSB quick-take survey on COVID-19: Online/Virtual instruction findings. Retrieved from https://www.aacsb.edu/blog/2020/march/aacsb-quick-take-survey-on-covid-19-online-virtual-instruction-findings
- Agyei, D. D. (2012). Preparation of pre-service teachers in Ghana to integrate information and communication technology in teaching Mathematics. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Twente
- Agyemang, M. (2012). Technology use among Ghanaian Senior High School mathematics teachers and students and factors that influence it. Unpublished master’s thesis, Department of Mathematics Education, University of Education.
- Anaba, D. (2020a). COVID-19: University of Ghana moves lectures online. CNR. Retrieved from https://citinewsroom.com/2020/03/covid-19-university-of-ghana-moves-lectures-online/
- Anaba, D. (2020b). COVID-19: UCC SRC directs students to stop registration for online studies. CNR. Retrieved from https://citinewsroom.com/2020/04/covid-19-ucc-src-directs-student-stop-registration-for-online-studies/
- Apau, S. K. (2017). Technological pedagogical content knowledge preparedness of student-teachers of the Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education of University of Cape Coast. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(10), 167-181
- Ashesi University (2020). COVID-19 response measures at Ashesi. Retrieved from https://www.ashesi.edu.gh/resources/covid-19-safety.html
- Barhoumi, C. (2015). The effectiveness of WhatsApp mobile learning activities guided by activity theory on students' knowledge management. Contemporary Educational Technology, 6(3), 221-238
- Barrett, S. (2020). Coronavirus on campus: College students scramble to solve food insecurity and housing challenges. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/23/coronavirus-on-campus-students-face-food-insecurity-housing-crunch.html
- Bonney, E. (2020). UCC resumes academic work online. Graphic Online. Retrieved from https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/education/ghana-news-ucc-resumes-academic-work-online.html
- Brooks, D. C., & Grajek, S. (2020). Students' readiness to adopt fully remote learning. EDUCAUSE Review. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/ERDU4/Downloads/Students'%20Readiness%20to%20Adopt%20Fully%20Remote%20Learning%20%20%20EDUCAUSE.htm
- Caliskan, S., Tugun, V. & Uzunboylu, H. (2017). University students’ readiness for E-Learning. ENSAYOS, Revista de la Facultad de Educación de Albacete, 32(2), 35-45
- Crawford, J., Butler-Henderson, K., Rudolph, J., Malkawi, B., Glowatz, M., Burton, R., Magni, P. A., & Lam, S. (2020). COVID-19: 20 countries’ higher education intra-period digital pedagogy responses. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 3(1)1-20
- Day, M. (2020). COVID-19: Surge in cases in Italy and South Korea makes pandemic look more likely. BMJ 2020;368:m751 doi: 10.1136/bmj.m751 (Published 25 February 2020)
- Ebrahim, N. (2020). How Canadian universities & colleges are responding to coronavirus. Retrieved from https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/03/9548653/canadian-university-college-closures-coronavirus
- Edumadze, J. K., Ogoe, J. I., Essilfie, G., Edumadze, G. E., Osei-Gyasi, A. A., & Graham, R. E. (2017). E-learning at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Are our distance education students technologically ready? The Online Journal of Distance Education and e-Learning, 5(1), 47-55.
- Feng, E. (2020). Mystery in Wuhan: Recovered coronavirus patients test negative ... Then Positive". NPR. Retrieved 11 April 2020
- Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2010). How to design and evaluate research in education (7th Ed). New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Garba, S. A., & Alademerin, C. A. (2014). Exploring the readiness of Nigerian colleges of education toward pre-service teacher preparation for technology integration. International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education, 3(2), 335-343.
- Ghana Health Service (2020a). For immediate release: Ghana confirms two cases of covid-19. Retrieved from https://ghanahealthservice.org/covid19/downloads/covid_19_first_confirmed_GH.pdf
- Ghana Health Service (2020b). Updates of coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) in Ghana, 17 March 2020, 15:00-Hr. Retrieved from https://ghanahealthservice.org/covid19/downloads/covid_19_7th_case.pdf
- Gon, S., & Rawekar, A. (2017). Effectivity of e-learning through WhatsApp as a teaching learning tool. MVP Journal of Medical Sciences, 4(1), 19–25
- Houlden, S., & Veletsianos, G. (2020). Coronavirus pushes universities to switch to online classes: But are they ready? The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-pushes-universities-to-switch-to-online-classes-but-are-they-ready-132728
- Hung, M. L., Chou, C., Chen, C. H., & Own, Z. Y. (2010). Learner readiness for online learning: Scale development and student perceptions. Computers & Education, 55(3), 1080-1090.
- Joosten, T., & Cusatis, R. (2020). Online learning readiness. American Journal of Distance Education, 1, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1726167
- Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler [KPMG]. (2020). Ghana – COVID-19: Related travel restrictions and safety directives. Retrieved from https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2020/03/fa20-094.pdf
- Kokutse, F. (2020). Ghana, Senegal close all universities. Retrieved from https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20200315115142951
- LeBlanc, P. (2020). COVID-19 has thrust universities into online learning: How should they adapt? Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/03/30/covid-19-has-thrust-universities-into-online-learning%E2%81%A0-how-should-they-adapt/
- Lindzon, J. (2020). School closures are starting, and they'll have far-reaching economic impacts. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/90476445/school-closures-are-starting-and-theyll-have-far-reaching-economic-impacts
- Maleki-Marasht, M., Ghalai, A., & Mousavi, S. A. (2012). Check the readiness of Urmia University students to participate in an e-learning system. Journal of Sociology, 5(18), 123-139.
- Mereku, D. K., Yidana, I, Hordzi, W., Tete-Mensah, I., Tete-Mensah, W., and Williams, J. B. (2009). Pan African research agenda on the pedagogical integration of ICTs: Ghana report. Retrieved from http://www.ernwaca.org/panaf/pdf/phase-1/Ghana-PanAf_Report.pdf.
- Mitchell. J., & Jamerson, J. (2020). Student-loan debt relief offers support to an economy battered by coronavirus. Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/student-loan-debt-relief-offers-support-to-an-economy-battered-by-coronavirus-11584735842
- Ngumbi, E. (2020). Coronavirus closings: Are colleges helping their foreign, homeless and poor students? USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/03/17/coronavirus-closings-can-strand-poor-foreign-homeless-college-students-column/5054621002/
- Nyabor, J. (2020). Coronavirus: Government bans religious activities, funerals, all other public gatherings. Citi Newsroom. Retrieved from https://citinewsroom.com/2020/03/government-bans-church-activities-funerals-all-other-public-gatherings/
- Okhovati, M., Sharifpoor-Ghahestani, E., Islami Nejad, T., Hamzezadeh-Marzooni, M., & Motamed-Jahroomi M. (2015). Attitude, knowledge, and skill of Medical students toward e-learning in Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Education Strategies in Medical Sciences, 8(1), 51-58.
- Politi, D. (2020). WHO investigating reports of coronavirus patients testing positive again after recovery. Slate. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Quinn, C. (2020). COVID-19: US universities scramble to arrange campus closures. Retrieved from https://thepienews.com/news/covid-19-us-campus-closures/
- Rasouli, A., Rahbania, Z., & Attaran, M. (2016). Students' Readiness for E-Learning Application in Higher Education. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 4(3), 51-64
- Shraima, K., & Khlaif, Z. (2010). An e-learning approach to secondary education in Palestine: opportunities and challenges. Information Technology for Development, 16(3), 159–173
- Ünal Y., Alır G., & Soydal İ. (2014). Students’ readiness for e-learning: An assessment on Hacettepe University Department of Information Management. In J. N. Gathegi, Y.,
- Tonta, S. Kurbanoğlu, U. Al, & Z. Taşkın (Eds), Challenges of information management beyond the cloud. IMCW 2013. Communications in Computer and Information Science (pp. 137-147). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
- UNESCO (2020a). COVID-19: Educational disruption and response. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
- UNESCO (2020b). Adverse consequences of school closures. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/consequences
- UNESCO (2020c). Coronavirus deprives nearly 300 million students of their schooling. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
- UNESCO (2020d). 290 million students out of school due to COVID-19: UNESCO releases first global numbers and mobilizes response. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/news/290-million-students-out-school-due-covid-19-unesco-releases-first-global-numbers-and-mobilizes
- UNESCO (2020e). Distance learning solutions. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/solutions
- Valtonen, T., Kukkonen, J., Dillon, P., & Väisänen, P. (2009). Finnish high school students’ readiness to adopt online learning: Questioning the assumptions. Computers & Education, 53(3), 742-748.
- World Health Organization (2020b). Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. Situation report – 64 (29 March 2020). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
- World Health Organization. (2020a). Director-General's remarks at the media briefing on 2019-nCoV. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/dg/ speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-20 19-ncov-on-11-february-2020.
- Yeh, Y.-C., Kwok, O.-M., Chien, H.-Y., Sweany, N. W., Baek, E., & McIntosh, W. A. (2019). How college students’ achievement goal orientations predict their expected online learning outcome: The mediation roles of self-regulated learning strategies and supportive online learning behaviours. Online Learning, 23(4), 23–41. doi:10.24059/olj.v23i4.2076
- Zhou, G., Zhang, Z., & Li, Y. (2011). Are secondary preservice teachers well prepared to teach with technology? A case study from China. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(6), 943-960
Year 2020,
Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 183 - 210, 30.09.2020
Abstract
Project Number
None
References
- AACSB Business Education Intelligence (2020). AACSB quick-take survey on COVID-19: Online/Virtual instruction findings. Retrieved from https://www.aacsb.edu/blog/2020/march/aacsb-quick-take-survey-on-covid-19-online-virtual-instruction-findings
- Agyei, D. D. (2012). Preparation of pre-service teachers in Ghana to integrate information and communication technology in teaching Mathematics. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Twente
- Agyemang, M. (2012). Technology use among Ghanaian Senior High School mathematics teachers and students and factors that influence it. Unpublished master’s thesis, Department of Mathematics Education, University of Education.
- Anaba, D. (2020a). COVID-19: University of Ghana moves lectures online. CNR. Retrieved from https://citinewsroom.com/2020/03/covid-19-university-of-ghana-moves-lectures-online/
- Anaba, D. (2020b). COVID-19: UCC SRC directs students to stop registration for online studies. CNR. Retrieved from https://citinewsroom.com/2020/04/covid-19-ucc-src-directs-student-stop-registration-for-online-studies/
- Apau, S. K. (2017). Technological pedagogical content knowledge preparedness of student-teachers of the Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education of University of Cape Coast. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(10), 167-181
- Ashesi University (2020). COVID-19 response measures at Ashesi. Retrieved from https://www.ashesi.edu.gh/resources/covid-19-safety.html
- Barhoumi, C. (2015). The effectiveness of WhatsApp mobile learning activities guided by activity theory on students' knowledge management. Contemporary Educational Technology, 6(3), 221-238
- Barrett, S. (2020). Coronavirus on campus: College students scramble to solve food insecurity and housing challenges. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/23/coronavirus-on-campus-students-face-food-insecurity-housing-crunch.html
- Bonney, E. (2020). UCC resumes academic work online. Graphic Online. Retrieved from https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/education/ghana-news-ucc-resumes-academic-work-online.html
- Brooks, D. C., & Grajek, S. (2020). Students' readiness to adopt fully remote learning. EDUCAUSE Review. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/ERDU4/Downloads/Students'%20Readiness%20to%20Adopt%20Fully%20Remote%20Learning%20%20%20EDUCAUSE.htm
- Caliskan, S., Tugun, V. & Uzunboylu, H. (2017). University students’ readiness for E-Learning. ENSAYOS, Revista de la Facultad de Educación de Albacete, 32(2), 35-45
- Crawford, J., Butler-Henderson, K., Rudolph, J., Malkawi, B., Glowatz, M., Burton, R., Magni, P. A., & Lam, S. (2020). COVID-19: 20 countries’ higher education intra-period digital pedagogy responses. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 3(1)1-20
- Day, M. (2020). COVID-19: Surge in cases in Italy and South Korea makes pandemic look more likely. BMJ 2020;368:m751 doi: 10.1136/bmj.m751 (Published 25 February 2020)
- Ebrahim, N. (2020). How Canadian universities & colleges are responding to coronavirus. Retrieved from https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/03/9548653/canadian-university-college-closures-coronavirus
- Edumadze, J. K., Ogoe, J. I., Essilfie, G., Edumadze, G. E., Osei-Gyasi, A. A., & Graham, R. E. (2017). E-learning at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Are our distance education students technologically ready? The Online Journal of Distance Education and e-Learning, 5(1), 47-55.
- Feng, E. (2020). Mystery in Wuhan: Recovered coronavirus patients test negative ... Then Positive". NPR. Retrieved 11 April 2020
- Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2010). How to design and evaluate research in education (7th Ed). New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Garba, S. A., & Alademerin, C. A. (2014). Exploring the readiness of Nigerian colleges of education toward pre-service teacher preparation for technology integration. International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education, 3(2), 335-343.
- Ghana Health Service (2020a). For immediate release: Ghana confirms two cases of covid-19. Retrieved from https://ghanahealthservice.org/covid19/downloads/covid_19_first_confirmed_GH.pdf
- Ghana Health Service (2020b). Updates of coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) in Ghana, 17 March 2020, 15:00-Hr. Retrieved from https://ghanahealthservice.org/covid19/downloads/covid_19_7th_case.pdf
- Gon, S., & Rawekar, A. (2017). Effectivity of e-learning through WhatsApp as a teaching learning tool. MVP Journal of Medical Sciences, 4(1), 19–25
- Houlden, S., & Veletsianos, G. (2020). Coronavirus pushes universities to switch to online classes: But are they ready? The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-pushes-universities-to-switch-to-online-classes-but-are-they-ready-132728
- Hung, M. L., Chou, C., Chen, C. H., & Own, Z. Y. (2010). Learner readiness for online learning: Scale development and student perceptions. Computers & Education, 55(3), 1080-1090.
- Joosten, T., & Cusatis, R. (2020). Online learning readiness. American Journal of Distance Education, 1, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1726167
- Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler [KPMG]. (2020). Ghana – COVID-19: Related travel restrictions and safety directives. Retrieved from https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2020/03/fa20-094.pdf
- Kokutse, F. (2020). Ghana, Senegal close all universities. Retrieved from https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20200315115142951
- LeBlanc, P. (2020). COVID-19 has thrust universities into online learning: How should they adapt? Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/03/30/covid-19-has-thrust-universities-into-online-learning%E2%81%A0-how-should-they-adapt/
- Lindzon, J. (2020). School closures are starting, and they'll have far-reaching economic impacts. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/90476445/school-closures-are-starting-and-theyll-have-far-reaching-economic-impacts
- Maleki-Marasht, M., Ghalai, A., & Mousavi, S. A. (2012). Check the readiness of Urmia University students to participate in an e-learning system. Journal of Sociology, 5(18), 123-139.
- Mereku, D. K., Yidana, I, Hordzi, W., Tete-Mensah, I., Tete-Mensah, W., and Williams, J. B. (2009). Pan African research agenda on the pedagogical integration of ICTs: Ghana report. Retrieved from http://www.ernwaca.org/panaf/pdf/phase-1/Ghana-PanAf_Report.pdf.
- Mitchell. J., & Jamerson, J. (2020). Student-loan debt relief offers support to an economy battered by coronavirus. Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/student-loan-debt-relief-offers-support-to-an-economy-battered-by-coronavirus-11584735842
- Ngumbi, E. (2020). Coronavirus closings: Are colleges helping their foreign, homeless and poor students? USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/03/17/coronavirus-closings-can-strand-poor-foreign-homeless-college-students-column/5054621002/
- Nyabor, J. (2020). Coronavirus: Government bans religious activities, funerals, all other public gatherings. Citi Newsroom. Retrieved from https://citinewsroom.com/2020/03/government-bans-church-activities-funerals-all-other-public-gatherings/
- Okhovati, M., Sharifpoor-Ghahestani, E., Islami Nejad, T., Hamzezadeh-Marzooni, M., & Motamed-Jahroomi M. (2015). Attitude, knowledge, and skill of Medical students toward e-learning in Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Education Strategies in Medical Sciences, 8(1), 51-58.
- Politi, D. (2020). WHO investigating reports of coronavirus patients testing positive again after recovery. Slate. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Quinn, C. (2020). COVID-19: US universities scramble to arrange campus closures. Retrieved from https://thepienews.com/news/covid-19-us-campus-closures/
- Rasouli, A., Rahbania, Z., & Attaran, M. (2016). Students' Readiness for E-Learning Application in Higher Education. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 4(3), 51-64
- Shraima, K., & Khlaif, Z. (2010). An e-learning approach to secondary education in Palestine: opportunities and challenges. Information Technology for Development, 16(3), 159–173
- Ünal Y., Alır G., & Soydal İ. (2014). Students’ readiness for e-learning: An assessment on Hacettepe University Department of Information Management. In J. N. Gathegi, Y.,
- Tonta, S. Kurbanoğlu, U. Al, & Z. Taşkın (Eds), Challenges of information management beyond the cloud. IMCW 2013. Communications in Computer and Information Science (pp. 137-147). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
- UNESCO (2020a). COVID-19: Educational disruption and response. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
- UNESCO (2020b). Adverse consequences of school closures. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/consequences
- UNESCO (2020c). Coronavirus deprives nearly 300 million students of their schooling. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
- UNESCO (2020d). 290 million students out of school due to COVID-19: UNESCO releases first global numbers and mobilizes response. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/news/290-million-students-out-school-due-covid-19-unesco-releases-first-global-numbers-and-mobilizes
- UNESCO (2020e). Distance learning solutions. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/solutions
- Valtonen, T., Kukkonen, J., Dillon, P., & Väisänen, P. (2009). Finnish high school students’ readiness to adopt online learning: Questioning the assumptions. Computers & Education, 53(3), 742-748.
- World Health Organization (2020b). Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. Situation report – 64 (29 March 2020). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
- World Health Organization. (2020a). Director-General's remarks at the media briefing on 2019-nCoV. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/dg/ speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-20 19-ncov-on-11-february-2020.
- Yeh, Y.-C., Kwok, O.-M., Chien, H.-Y., Sweany, N. W., Baek, E., & McIntosh, W. A. (2019). How college students’ achievement goal orientations predict their expected online learning outcome: The mediation roles of self-regulated learning strategies and supportive online learning behaviours. Online Learning, 23(4), 23–41. doi:10.24059/olj.v23i4.2076
- Zhou, G., Zhang, Z., & Li, Y. (2011). Are secondary preservice teachers well prepared to teach with technology? A case study from China. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(6), 943-960
There are 51 citations in total.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Studies on Education |
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Project Number | None |
| Publication Date | September 30, 2020 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2020 Volume: 3 Issue: 3 |
