Abstract:

Perception of online learning has engendered many research on factors determining the quality of service (Uppal, Muhammad Ahmad et. al 2018), teacher’s perception (Cheok, Mei Lick et.al 2017) and the perceived value in traditional learning versus e-learning (Al-Omari, Aieman A.et. al 2012). With lockdown quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Sabah which was declared since March 18 2020 nationwide in Malaysia causing teachers and students to scramble and teach as well as learn online; a glaring lack of infrastructure (Daily express June 29, 2020) faced by the students from the institutions of higher learning provoked this study. This research aims to identify constructs aside from the obvious lack of infrastructure such as the perception of learning online in view of the sudden unexpected change that hampers online learning in order to better prepare to teach and learn online in an environment with low infrastructure connectivity. Various learning factors such as student's perception toward online learning that includes modes of delivery, modes of learning, learning environment and access to learning resources are the constructs that have been identified as the factors that draw negative responses indicated through students' stress levels during the year that they have undergone sudden online learning. A total of 47 students from University Malaysia Sabah were asked in structured questionnaires consisting 6 closed questions and 49 Likert-scale items that prompt them about their learning experience and preferences after attending a Literary Critical Theory course for 1 semester. The course was conducted using synchronous and asynchronous method with pre-recorded audio lectures that were available at the university online learning management system and also telegram with synchronous interactions between the lecturer and the students schedules for an hour a week via media platform. The research identified the impact of quarantine on student’s learning online and the various factors that contributed to the stress of learning online. The means and factor analyses tests on the stress factors allowed the detection of an online learning preference of the students with low connectivity which led to the underlying factors affecting online learning such as student’s perceptions of online learning, their attitudes and channel of learning through a correlation between the stress factors and these constructs. The results will help further development of teaching curriculum in a learning environment that has low internet connectivity and at times lack of ICT resources by focusing on the possibilities of lowering the stress levels thus changing student's perception of online learning.

Keywords:

Students learning perception, online e-learning, stress factors.