Comparison of students’ perceptions of online and hybrid learning modalities during the covid-19 pandemic: The case of the University of Sharjah

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283513
• Publication Date: 2023-03-28T17:38:12Z
• Authors: Tareq M. Osaili; Leila Cheikh Ismail; Hussein M. ElMehdi; Anas A. Al-Nabulsi; Asma’ O. Taybeh; Sheima T. Saleh; Hanin Kassem; Hana Alkhalidy; Habiba I. Ali; Ayesha S. Al Dhaheri; Lily Stojanovska
• Keywords: Male; FOS: Computer and information sciences; Medical education; Science; Social Sciences; Logistic regression; Infectious disease (medical specialty); E learning; Education; Distance Learning; Pathology; Humans; Learning; Psychology; Disease; Students; Pandemics; Internal medicine; Pandemic; 4. Education; Q; R; COVID-19; Impact of Information and Communication Technology in Education; The Impact of Microlearning in Education and Training; Computer science; Mathematics education; 3. Good health; Online Education; FOS: Psychology; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Clinical Psychology; Educational technology; Cross-Sectional Studies; E-Learning; Multimedia; Online learning; Computer Science; Physical Sciences; Blended learning; Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health; Virtual Teaching; Medicine; Perception; Research Article; Information Systems; Neuroscience

Hybrid learning enables educators to incorporate elements of conventional face-to-face learning methods with structured online schemes. This study aimed to assess university students’ perceptions of online and hybrid learning during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates (n = 2056). Students’ sociodemographic characteristics, perceptions of online and hybrid learning, concerns, and university life changes, were investigated. Perception statements were dichotomized into "positive" and "negative" based on a 50% cut-off point. Scores of > 7 and >5 indicated positive perceptions of online and hybrid learning respectively while scores of ≤ 7 and ≤ 5 indicated negative perceptions. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to predict students’ perceptions of online and hybrid learning according to demographic variables. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was performed to determine the relationship between students’ perceptions and behaviors. Most students preferred online learning (38.2%) and on-campus learning (36.7%) to hybrid learning (25.1%). Around two-thirds of the students had a positive perception of online and hybrid learning in terms of university support, however, half of them preferred the assessment during online or on-campus learning. Main difficulties reported in hybrid learning were lack of motivation (60.6%), discomfort when on-campus (67.2%), and distraction due to mixed methods (52.3%). Older students (p = 0.046), men (p<0.001), and married students (p = 0.001) were more likely to have a positive perception of online learning, while sophomore students were more likely to have a positive perception of hybrid learning (p = 0.001). In this study, most students preferred online or on-campus over hybrid learning and expressed certain difficulties while on hybrid learning. Future research should focus on investigating the knowledge and capability of graduates from a hybrid/online model compared to a traditional model. Obstacles and concerns should be considered for future planning to ensure the resilience of the educational system.