The Shift in Academics’ Conception of Virtual Platforms due to the Coronavirus Pandemic: The Saudi Context

(Mohammed I. Alhojailan)

---

Abstract

This study aims to identify the perceptions of faculty members at King Saud University on using virtual platforms during the coronavirus pandemic. It reveals the differences among their opinions both before and during the pandemic as well as the various methods used to determine their views. It furthermore offers explanations for these views. 79 members were sampled during the pandemic and 74 members before it. The perceptions of both samples differed regarding needs, obstacles, procedures, and recommendations related to virtual platforms. The initial needs of the pre-sample focused on ‘training’, whereas the post-sample focused on the necessity of ‘technical support’. Both samples agreed that the obstacles facing the use of virtual platforms fell into three main categories: the importance of technical support, administrative considerations, and training. The two samples suggested focusing on laying down policy for management and decision-makers related to the adoption of ‘teaching strategies’. These should be based on the use of relatively blended learning designed to promote continued future use of virtual platforms. The study recommended considering the necessity of pedagogically employing virtual platforms in universities and raising awareness of eTeaching methods among members. It similarly suggested reducing obstacles and difficulties by means of continuous evaluation and addressing any problems.
KEYWORDS
Virtual teaching, perceptions, thematic analysis, electronic culture, higher education, eLearning.

PDF

References

Albishi, A. (2021). Altahadiyat altiqniat walnafsiat litafeil altaelim ean bued limuajahat jayihat kwrwna ladaa 'aeda' hayyat tadris watulaab jamieat bysha ‘Technical and psychological challenges to activating distance education to confront the Corona pandemic among faculty members and students of Bisha University’.  The Educational Journal of the Faculty of Education at Sohag University, 84(84), 115–63. [in Arabic] 
Aldoghmi, M.A. (2021). The Extent to which the Academic Staff at Jouf University Applied Distance Learning Strategies during Corona Pandemic (COVID-19): The Blackboard Application as a Model. Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Higher Education Research, 41(1), 1–15.
AlEqab, A. (2021). Taqwim tajribat 'aeda' hayyat altadris fi tawzif nizam 'iidarat altellum al'iiliktrunii blak burd fi aleamaliat altaelimiat bijamieat al'iimam muhamad bin sueud al'iislamia ‘Evaluating the experience of faculty members in employing the Blackboard e-learning management system in the educational process at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University’. Journal of Human and Administrative Sciences, Majmaah University, 23(n/a), 125–48. [in Arabic]
Alhazme, M. (2020). Tahlil 'iistratijiun li'iimkaniat tadmin altellum almudmaj fi altaelim aleami bialmamlakat alearabia alsaeudia limarhalat ma baed kuruna ‘A strategic analysis of the possibility of including blended learning in public education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the post-Corona era’. Journal of the Faculty of Education in Educational Sciences, Ain Shams University, 44(4), 117–74. [in Arabic]
Alhojailan, M.I. (2012). Thematic analysis: A critical review of its process and evaluation. West east journal of social sciences, 1(1), 39–47.
Alhojailan, M., Alhobaishi, S. (2018). waqie astikhdam 'aeda' hayyat altadris linizam 'iidarat altellum "Blackboard" bikuliyat altarbiat bijamieat almalik saeud. ‘The reality of faculty members' use of the "Blackboard" learning management system at the College of Education at King Saud University’. Anbar University Journal for Human Sciences, n/a(4), 241–82. [in Arabic]
Alhunaiyyan, A., Alhajri, R., and Bimba, A. (2021). Towards an Efficient Integrated Distance and Blended Learning Model: How to Minimise the Impact of COVID-19 on Education. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 15(10), 173–93. 
Aljamal, W., Ameen, M. (2017). Tatwir 'usus tarbawiat litanmiat alwaey altaqlidaa talabat aljamieat al'urduniyat alrasmiat fi muajahat thddiat althawrat almaelumatia ‘Developing educational foundations to develop traditional awareness among Jordanian public university students in facing the challenges of the information revolution’. The Arab Journal for Quality Assurance of University Education, 10(28), 3–33. [in Arabic]
Almalki, N., AbdulKarim, A.H. and Alallah, F.S. (2015). Teaching Staff’s and Students’ Initial Perceptions and Satisfaction with Teaching and Learning via the Blackboard LMS. International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning, 8(2), 37–40. 
Almolhem, A. (2021). Athar aikhtilaf 'anmat aldaem faa biyat altellum alshakhsiat ealaa tanmiat maharat nizam 'iidarat altellum al'iiliktrunii ladaa tulaab kliat altarbiti-jamieat almalik faysal ‘The effect of different types of support in the personal learning environment on developing the skills of the e-learning management system among students of the College of Education - King Faisal University’. Journal of the Faculty of Education, Assiut University, 37(3), 1–55. [in Arabic]
 Alnajar, H. (2018). Aleawamil almuathirat fi tqbbl mellimy altiknulujia fi filastin liaistikhdam 'anzimat 'iidarat altellum fi daw' namudhaj qabul altiknulujia (TAM). ‘Factors affecting the acceptance of technology teachers in Palestine to use learning management systems in light of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)’. Taibah University Journal of Educational Sciences, 13(1), 29–47. [in Arabic]
Alnofaie, H. (2020). Saudi university students’ perceptions towards virtual education during COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of language learning via blackboard. Arab World English Journal, 11(3), 4–20.
Alrasheed, M. (2021). Waqie tahqiq barnamaj tahyiat 'aeda' hayyat altadris aljudud wa'iiedadihim fi jamieat almalik sueud liltatwir almihnii ‘The reality of achieving the program to prepare and prepare new faculty members at King Saud University for Professional Development’. Journal of the Faculty of Education, Assiut University, 37(4), 91–122. [in Arabic]
Alzahrani, M. (2022). Traditional learning compared to online learning during the covid-19 pandemic: lessons learned from faculty’s perspectives. SAGE Open, 12(2). Available at DOI: 10.1177/21582440221091720 (accessed on 20/07/2022).
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. 
Egielewa, P., Idogho, P.O., Iyalomhe, F.O. and Cirella, G.T. (2022). COVID-19 and digitized education: Analysis of online learning in Nigerian higher education. E-Learning and Digital Media, 19(1), 19–35.
Garrison, D.R. (2016). E-Learning in The 21st Century: A Community of Inquiry Framework for Research and Practice. 3rd edition. New York, NY, Routledge. 
Hassan, H. (2020). Faeiliat Nizam 'Iidarat Taealum Sahabiin Fi Tanmiat Maharat Maharat Wamustawaa Altaqnii Walainkhirat Fi Altelum Ladaa Tulaab Tiknulujia Altaelim ‘The Effectiveness of a Cloud Learning Management System in Developing the Skills of Technical Skills, The Level of Technology, and Engaging in Learning Among Educational Technology Students’. Unpublished PhD Theses, Al Minia University, Al Minia, Egypt. [in Arabic]
Kerimbayev, N., Nurym, N., Akramova, A. and Abdykarimova, S. (2020). Virtual educational environment: interactive communication using LMS Moodle. Education and Information Technologies, 25(3), 1965–82.
Lobar, M., Khaticha, A., Yaqub, M. and Norovich, T.R. (2022). Improving the se of LMS in the organization of distance learning. In: International Scientific Research Conference, NA, NA, 16–18/06/2022.
Maatuk, A.M., Elberkawi, E.K., Aljawarneh, S., Rashaideh, H. and Alharbi, H. (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic and E-learning: Challenges and opportunities from the perspective of students and instructors. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 34(1), 21–38.
Mack, N., Woodsong, C., Macqueen, K.M., Guest, G. and Namey, E. (2005). Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide. North Carolina, USA: Family Health International.
Meredith, J. and Potter, J. (2014). Conversation analysis and electronic interactions: Methodological, analytic and technical considerations. In: H. Lim and F. Sudweeks (eds.) Innovative Methods and Technologies for Electronic Discourse Analysis. Hershey, USA: IGI Global.
Mufaridah, F. (2021). Type of instructions performed in online teaching and learning. Linguistics and Culture Review, 5(S3), 1250–7.
Osman, I., Nasir, M. and Alzoubi, R. (2017). Blackboard usage: An investigative study among CCSE female faculty staff and students at University of Hail. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 11(2), 508–15.
Raza, S.A., Qazi, W., Khan, K.A. and Salam, J. (2021). Social Isolation and Acceptance of the Learning Management System (LMS) in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: An expansion of the UTAUT model. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 59(2), 183–208.
Rucker, R.D. and Frass, L.R. (2017). Migrating learning management systems in higher education: Faculty members’ perceptions of system usage and training when transitioning from blackboard vista to Desire2Learn. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 46(2), 259–77.
Sáiz-Manzanares, M.C., Marticorena-Sánchez, R., Rodríguez-Díez, J.J., Rodríguez-Arribas, S., Díez-Pastor, J.F. and Ji, Y.P. (2021). Improve teaching with modalities and collaborative groups in an LMS: An analysis of monitoring using visualisation techniques. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 33(3), 747–78.
Selden, S., and Sowa, J.E. (2011). Performance management and appraisal in human service organizations: Management and staff perspectives. Public Personnel Management, 40(3), 251–64.
Spector, J. M., and Yuen, A. H. (2016). Educational Technology Program and Project Evaluation. 1st edition. New York: Routledge.
Thanh, N.C. and Thanh, T.T. (2015). The interconnection between interpretivist paradigm and qualitative methods in education. American Journal of Educational Science, 1(2), 24–7.
Tawafak, R.M., AlFarsi, G., Jabbar, J., Malik, S.I., Mathew, R., AlSidiri, A., Shakir, M. and Romli, A. (2021). Impact of technologies during covid-19 pandemic for improving behavior intention to use e-learning. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 15(1), 184–98. 
Villegas-Ch, W., Román-Cañizares, M. and Palacios-Pacheco, X. (2020). Improvement of an online education model with the integration of machine learning and data analysis in an LMS. Applied Sciences, 10(15), 1–18.
Vlachopoulos, D. and Makri, A. (2019). Online communication and interaction in distance higher education: A framework study of good practice. International Review of Education, 65(4), 605–32.
Xie, J. and Rice, M. F. (2021). Instructional designers’ roles in emergency remote teaching during COVID-19. Distance Education, 42(1), 70–87.
Yasmin, M. (2022). Online chemical engineering education during COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from Pakistan. Education for Chemical Engineers, n/a(39), 19–30.