Higher Education Students’ Online Instruction Perceptions: A Quality Virtual Learning Environment

Abstract

Online instruction has been one of the key delivery methods in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic due to school closures around the globe. In accordance with the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013–2025), maximizing the use of information/communication technology has been emphasized to scale up learning quality across Malaysia, including distance and self-paced learning. However, online learning in the country is at its infancy stage with raised issues, causing dropping-out and school leaving in higher education. To improve teaching and learning quality, this scoping review aimed to explore higher education students’ online instruction perceptions into two main components: research on online instruction perceptions followed by factors influencing online instruction perceptions. Using Arksey and O’Malley (2005)’s methodological framework, 61 articles related to students’ online instruction perceptions were identified from Google Scholar, ERIC, and Research Gate databases. In terms of theoretical articles, the results showed that cognitivism, connectivism, and constructivism were the most used theories of online instruction. On the basis of the empirical articles gathered, quantitative research design was the most utilized to collect students’ perspectives toward online instruction. As a whole, the findings revealed that motivation and satisfaction were mostly positively perceived by students, whereas, a lack of interaction was highly categorized as an unfavorable online instruction perception. Three main factors were identified: quality instruction, online interaction, and instructional and technical support. Future studies can focus on investigating teachers’ online instruction perceptions to achieve quality in higher education.