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Learning during (or despite) COVID-19: business students’ perceptions of online learning

Laura Zizka (EHL Hospitality Business School HES SO, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland)
Gaby Probst (Department of Learning, Haute école de gestion Fribourg HES SO, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Fribourg, Switzerland)

Quality Assurance in Education

ISSN: 0968-4883

Article publication date: 14 March 2022

Issue publication date: 10 January 2023

591

Abstract

Purpose

In March 2020, higher education institutions (HEIs) were obliged to complete the semester online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the semesters that followed, HEIs reopened and closed again because of new waves of the pandemic. While flexibility was lauded, previous literature cited student problems such as lack of motivation and social contact. This study aims to explore students' perceptions of learning during four exceptional semesters.

Design/methodology/approach

Five surveys were conducted via the program LimeSurvey during the online courses at one business school in Switzerland: April 2020, June 2020, December 2020, June 2021 and December 2021. The participation varied between 56% (April and June 2020), 52% (December 2020), 47.5% (June 2021) and 42.4% (December 2021).

Findings

The results of this longitudinal study were analyzed to examine the consequences of “forced” online learning. The analysis reveals that although the students appreciate the usefulness of the learning experience, their motivation decreased. The historic crisis has underlined sudden technological changes in the learning programs that have had multiple (adverse) effects on students' learning.

Originality/value

Based on the results, this study concludes that students have mixed perceptions regarding the learning environments (traditional, hybrid or blended) moving forward. Whatever the choice, HEIs must carefully plan the most effective teaching/learning environment to ensure that students remain engaged. This study reveals the links and interconnections in this complex online setting called “learning” based on four semesters of urgent remote learning and one semester of hybrid face-to-face courses.

Keywords

Citation

Zizka, L. and Probst, G. (2023), "Learning during (or despite) COVID-19: business students’ perceptions of online learning", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 60-73. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-12-2021-0188

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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