The role of ICT as a media in learning activities before the COVID-19 pandemic: undergraduate perspective

Abstract

Abstract The crisis caused by COVID-19 has an impact on education in Indonesia, one of which is that classes are postponed due to the implementation of PSBB regulations. The education system is responding to the pandemic with an "emergency e-learning" protocol, with virtual learning. ICT is the main medium of learning with the help of technological resources which is often termed e-learning. Has great potential in the development of the education system by providing freedom of interaction without time and space boundaries. With the results of the descriptive analysis survey, the respondents were 63 students of the Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University and Tidar University. Respondents were dominated by female gender as 55 people (87.3%) and male respondents as 8 people (12.7%). Students considered ICT understanding to be very important 61.9% and believed that ICT could expand access to learning 66.7%, with internet usage by 90%, followed by PPT as an ICT tool that was often used by 87.9%. Also, there are obstacles faced by students such as lack of understanding of system operations (40%) and difficulty operating equipment as 36.7%. Thus, knowing students’ expectations will be a consideration for further research. Students have hopes of increasing the use of ICT in lecture activities by 80%-100%, such as increasing internet access by 70% to make it easier and faster.