Extended study: students’ acceptance and preference in online-distance learning and teaching during pandemic-endemic

Abstract

The shift in teaching and learning approaches from the traditional face-to-face to open-distance learning and teaching (ODLT) raises concern about the quality of the education system across the globe. Besides the advantages of flexibility of ODLT and the rapid development of digital tools, this new approach also comes with dilemmas, especially in higher institutions, as it creates higher risks for academic integrity and low-quality interaction in online classes. Thus, this study serves as a fundamental understanding of students’ and lecturers’ acceptance and preferences on which tools serve them most effectively. It is also a continuation of the previous research with smaller research samples (191 respondents) which later extended to a more significant number of random samples (780 respondents). Two phases are involved in the data collection, which extended over a period of thirteen months. Google Forms using multiple-choice questions and a five-point Likert scale, was used to gather the data for random sampling, which was then analysed using Microsoft Excel statistical analysis for comparative studies. Results from both groups were compared, indicating a consistent distribution of outputs.