Experiences first year physical education university students faced with online learning during Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the experiences first year university students face with online learning during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study was framed and informed by Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory. This theory emphasises that knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. The application of the experiential learning theory to the current study allowed the researchers to gain in-depth information and meaningful insights into challenges and experiences students encountered with online learning. This study was conducted with first year physical education university students in Zambezi Region of Namibia. A total of 185 students comprising 85 (46%) males and 100 (54%) female students, all education students majoring in upper primary education. The questionnaire used to collect data from the participants consisted of 16 (yes/no) questions and 3 (happy, neutral and unhappy questions), which covered the study questions and were circulated among participants using the WhatsApp platform during COVID-19. The gathered data were analysed using SPSS v21 statistics software. The study results revealed that 166 (90%) of the students did not have their own personal computer or laptop at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic and only 18 (10%) had their own computers or laptop to use. The Zoom platform was used for conducting online virtual classes by 29% of the respondents; the second alternative platform was WhatsApp with 38%. Emails were used for communication between lecturers and students by 19%. While, Text Messages were used by 8% and other platforms such as Skype, Google and Microsoft platforms were used by 3%. A total of 153 (82%) of the respondents were unhappy with online virtual learning, whereas, 13 (7%) were neutral with their feelings and experiences on how they felt about online virtual learning, 19 (10.2%) of the respondents were happy with online virtual learning. This study recommends that universities need to come up with an initiative that gives all first year students laptops prior to class commencement. Alternatively, universities should create a policy that impose all new students must have laptops by their sides the day they start classes at any institution of higher learning. Moreover, the Ministry of Education should introduce computer literacy as a compulsory subject in all high schools from Grade 8–12. The Ministry of Education and telecommunication companies should boost internet speed and give free data bundles to students to make it easier for them to engage in their studies.