Students’ Perception of Online Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study of IT Students

With the sudden change in an environment with the new coronavirus, online learning has become a promising solution for the education sector all over the globe. Despite gaining popularity of online learning with the emergence of the internet, and new technology students are more inclined towards the traditional face to face learning rather than online learning before COVID-19. The present survey aimed to examine the students’ perception of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic period at the ATI in Dehiwala, Sri Lanka. Out of 130 participants, 62.5% had little or no experience with online learning prior to the coronavirus outbreak, 54.7% preferred blended learning of traditional learning and online learning. The most popular device used to connect online is the smartphone (43.8%). Regardless of the challenges to online learning during the COVID-19 included issues related to reduce interaction between the lecturer and friends (64.1%), social isolation (55.5%), and technical problems (57%). Irrespective of these challenges, students perceive online learning as effective as face to face learning, enjoyable, able to learn at own pace, easy access to online material, and active participation. 82.9% of students agreed to integrate online learning into their course in the future and overall perception regarding online learning during COVID-19 is 79.7%. In conclusion, the current survey displays a favorable perception of online learning among IT students.