Abstract:

Amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, education systems worldwide had to adapt to restrictions on in-person contact and interpersonal interactions. While some universities had to close their physical campuses, many implemented online solutions using existing learning management platforms or a combination of these platforms with emerging communication applications like Zoom. Students were offered a mix of asynchronous and synchronous lesson formats, although the effectiveness of these approaches depended on the availability of hardware and the technological skills of both faculty and students. Now, as universities begin to reopen and welcome students back, the research focus needs to shift towards determining the optimal structure of education in the post-pandemic era. It is therefore crucial for researchers to develop tools and frameworks for collecting data that can help understand students' experiences and contextualize the implications of the pandemic for future online / in-person learning experiences. This presentation describes an effort conducted within a Japanese information system university to create and validate a new survey measure called the Online Learning Appraisal Survey (OLAS). The OLAS aims to evaluate students' online educational experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey captures students' perspectives on learning materials, assessment methods, support systems, self-regulation, social interaction, emotions, technology, perceived value, and access. Drawing on data collected from 299 Japanese university students, the presentation outlines the validation procedures employed and offers guidance on implementing the survey in other educational settings. It is also shown how the data extracted from the OLAS can be used to inform and configure education in the post-pandemic landscape.

Keywords:

Education, Online, Pandemic.