Academics’ perception and practices of online education during the Covid-19 pandemic: The case of Turkey

Year 2022, , 32 - 46, 31.01.2022

Dilara Bakan Kalaycıoğlu , A.ömer Toprak , Cem Eyerci , Zeynep Ugur , Ayşe Güç , Sıtkı Yıldız , Metin Toprak , Zekiye Demir , Ömer Demir , Ömer Faruk Yıldız , Ramazan Çelikkaya

https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.975896

Cited By: 5

Abstract

COVID-19 affected higher educational institutions around the world. This study focused on academics’ perceptions and practices of online education based on their academic discipline and previous online education experience. The survey research design used and an e-survey was conducted in May 2020, during which the lockdown restrictions were rather tight in Turkey. The analyzes were carried out on the responses of 8,242 academics’ using the omnibus chi-square test and t-tests. The results point out that academics’ time allocation to preparation for courses, student counselling, and lectures are varying due to their academic disciplines. Generally, academics have a negative perception of online education though there is a difference between the experienced ones and others. In particular, academics with online education experience exhibited lower negative perceptions of online education than those lacking such experience. Maybe one of the most problematic parts of this transition process for academics is how to ensure the reliability of exams. Our results showed that even the academics with online education experience have a higher level of distrust towards educational measurement and evaluation methods.

Keywords

COVID-19, Pandemic in Turkey, Perception of online education, Higher education, Disciplinary differences

References

• Acar-Güvendir, M., & Özer-Özkan, Y. (2021). Uzaktan eğitimin değerlendirmeye yansımaları: Çevrim içi sınavlar mı sınıf içi sınavlar mı?. Journal of Digital Measurement and Evaluation Research, 1(1), 22-34.
• Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2012). Conflicted: Faculty and Online Education. Babson Survey Research Group.
• Alshangeeti, A., Alsaghier, H., & Nguyen, A. (2009). Faculty perceptions of attributes affecting the diffusion of online learning in Saudi Arabia: A quantitative study. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on E-Learning, 2009, (10-24).
• Anglin, L., & Anglin, K. (2009). On-line Teaching: Lessons Learned. Academy of Business Disciplines.
• Bates, T. (2021). What should we be doing about online learning when social distancing ends? Online Learning and Distance Education Resources. https://www.tonybates.ca/2020/04/07/what-should-we-be-doing-about-online-learningwhen-social-distancing-ends/
• Becher, T. (1989). Academic tribes and territories: Intellectual enquiry and the cultures of disciplines. Open University Press.
• Bell, R., & Tight, M. (1993). Open universities: A British tradition? Taylor and Francis.
• Bolliger, D. U., & Wasilik, O. (2009). Factors influencing faculty satisfaction with online teaching and learning in higher education. Distance Education, 30(1), 103-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587910902845949
• Bozkurt, A., & Sharma, R. C. (2020). Emergency remote teaching in a time of global crisis due to coronavirus pandemic. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), i-vi.
• Bunk, J., Li, R., Smidt, E., Bidetti, C., & Malize, B. (2015). Understanding faculty attitudes about distance education: The importance of excitement and fear. Online Learning, 19(4), n4.
• Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155-159.
• Coughlan, T., & Perryman, L. A. (2011). Something for everyone? The different approaches of academic disciplines to open educational resources and the impact on widening participation. Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning, 15(2), 11-27.
• Crawford, J., Butler-Henderson, K., Rudolph, J., & Glowatz, M. (2020). COVID-19: 20 countries’ higher education intra-period digital pedagogy responses. Journal of Applied Teaching and Learning, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2020.3.1.7
• Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications.
• Dolloph, F. M. (2007). Online higher education faculty: Perceptions, learning, and changes in teaching. West Virginia University.
• Fein, A. D., & Logan, M. C. (2003). Preparing instructors for online instruction. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 100, 45-55.
• Freitas, A., & Paredes, J. (2018). Understanding the faculty perspectives influencing their innovative practices in MOOCs/SPOCs: A case study. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15(5), 1-13.
• Guri-Rosenblit, S. (2005). ‘Distance education’ and ‘e-learning’: Not the same thing. Higher Education, 49(4), 467-493.
• Harrison, R., Hutt, I., Thomas-Varcoe, C., Motteram, G., Else, K., Rawlings, B., & Gemmell, I. (2017). A cross-sectional study to describe academics’ confidence, attitudes, and experience of online distance learning in higher education. Journal of Educators Online, 14(2), n2.
• Hativa, N. (1995). What is taught in an undergraduate lecture? Differences between a matched pair of pure and applied disciplines. In N. Hativa, N. & M. Marincovich, M. (Eds.), Disciplinary differences in teaching and learning: Implications for practice (pp.19-27). Jossey-Bass.
• Hunt, H. D., Davies, K., Richardson, D., Hammock, G., Akins, M., & Russ, L. (2014). It is (more) about the students: Faculty motivations and concerns regarding teaching online. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 17(2), 62-71.
• IBM Corp. (2013). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. IBM Corp., Armonk, NY.
• Johnson, N., Veletsianos, G., & Seaman, J. (2020). US faculty and administrators’ experiences and approaches in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online Learning, 24(2), 6-21.
• Kalantari, H., Kalantari, E., & Maleki, S. (2011). E-survey (surveys based on e-mail & web). Procedia Computer Science, 3, 935-941.
• Lin, H., Dyer, K., & Guo, Y. (2012). Exploring online teaching: A three-year composite journal of concerns and strategies from online instructors. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 12(3). https://www.westga.edu/ ~distance/ojdla/fall153/lin_dyer_guo153.html
• Marek, M. W., Chew, C. S., & Wu, W. C. V. (2021). Teacher experiences in converting classes to distance learning in the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, 19(1), 40-60.
• Meyer, K. A. (2011). The influence of online teaching on faculty productivity. Innovative Higher Education, 37(1), 37-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-011-9183-y
• Moore, J. L., Dickson-Deane, C., & Galyen, K. (2011). E-Learning, online learning, and distance learning environments: Are they the same? The Internet and Higher Education, 14(2), 129-135.
• Neumann, R. (2001). Disciplinary differences and university teaching. Studies in Higher Education, 26(2), 135-146. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070120052071
• Neumann, R., Parry, S., & Becher, T. (2002). Teaching and learning in their disciplinary contexts: A conceptual analysis. Studies in Higher Education, 27(4), 405−418.
• Nguyen, J. G., Keuseman, K. J., & Humston, J. J. (2020). Minimize online cheating for online assessments during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 3429-3435. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00790
• Özalkan, G. Ş. (2021). Uzaktan eğitimde ölçme ve değerlendirme: Pandemi sürecinde sosyal bilimler eğitimini yeniden düşünmek. International Journal of Economics Administrative and Social Sciences, 4, 18-26.
• Smeby, J. C. (1996). Disciplinary differences in university teaching. Studies in Higher Education, 21(1), 69-79.
• Smith, G. G., Heindel, A. J., & Torres-Ayala, A. T. (2008). E-Learning commodity or community: Disciplinary differences between online courses. The Internet and Higher Education, 11(3-4), 152-159.
• Şenel, S., & Şenel, H. C. (2021). Use of take-home exam for remote assessment: A case study from Turkey. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 4(2), 236-255.
• TurkStat, (2020, October 15). Survey on information and communication technology (ICT) usage in households and by individuals. http://www.tuik.gov.tr/MicroVeri/HBT_2020/turkce/ozet-tablolar/index.html
• Tüzün, F., & Toraman, N. Y. (2021). Pandemi döneminde uzaktan eğitim memnuniyetini etkileyen faktörler. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 14(3), 822-845.
• Ulmer, L. W., Watson, L. W., & Derby, D. (2007). Perceptions of higher education faculty members on the value of distance education. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 8(1), 59-70.
• UNESCO (2020, April 9). COVID-19 and higher education: Today and tomorrow impact analysis, policy responses and recommendations. http://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/wp-content/uploads/ 2020/04/COVID-19-EN-090420-2.pdf
• Volery, T., & Lord, D. (2000). Critical success factors in online education. International Journal of Educational Management, 14(5), 216-223.
• Wedemeyer, C. A. (2010). Learning at the back door: Reflections on nontraditional learning in the lifespan. IAP.
• Wiley, (2020, August 21). Academic integrity in the age of online learning. https://teachingcommons.lakeheadu.ca/sites/default/files/inline-files/academic-integrity-in-the-age-of-online-learning.pdf
• Williamson, B., Eynon, R., & Potter, J. (2020). Pandemic politics, pedagogies and practices: Digital technologies and distance education during the coronavirus emergency. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(2), 107-114. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1761641
• World Bank, (2020, April 9). The COVID-19 crisis response: Supporting tertiary education for continuity, adaptation, and innovation World Bank Group. http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/ 621991586463915490/ WB-Tertiary-Ed-and-Covid-19-Crisis-for-public-use-April-9.pdf
• Yamamoto, G. T & Altun, D. (2020). Coronavirüs ve çevrimiçi (online) eğitimin önlenemeyen yükselişi. Üniversite Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(1), 25-34.