Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on University Students’ Learning Life: An Integrated Conceptual Motivational Model for Sustainable and Healthy Online Learning

Nabil Hasan Al-Kumaim, Abdulsalam K. Alhazmi, Fathey Mohammed, Nadhmi A. Gazem, Muhammad Salman Shabbir and Yousef Fazea
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Nabil Hasan Al-Kumaim: Faculty of Technology Management and Technopreneurship, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Durian Tunggal 76100, Melaka, Malaysia
Abdulsalam K. Alhazmi: Faculty of Electronic and Distance Learning, University of Science and Technology, Aden, Yemen
Fathey Mohammed: School of Computing, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Sintok 06010, Kedah, Malaysia
Nadhmi A. Gazem: Department of Information Systems, College of Business Administration-Yanbu, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Salman Shabbir: Department of Management, College of Commerce and Business Administration, Dhofar University, Salalah 211, Oman
Yousef Fazea: Internetworks Research Laboratory, School of Computing, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Sintok 06010, Kedah, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-20

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organizations around the world to make full use of a variety of emerging online communication platform technologies. Universities are among the organizations that have asked students, tutors, and lecturers to use a number of different online communication platforms to ensure the education process remains uninterrupted. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated considerable challenges for the global higher education community while using such emerging technologies. This research has two main goals. First, this paper will begin by investigating whether the online learning platforms used by university students during the COVID-19 period have presented any challenges to their learning. Second, the paper will then go on to address proposed solutions by developing a conceptual model to reduce the impact of such challenges. This research uses an exploratory qualitative research approach, supported by literature content analysis techniques. The data set for this study was collected during the first peak of the pandemic period in Malaysia, between the 16th of May 2020 and the 5th of June 2020. We used SPSS to conduct a descriptive analysis and NVivo12 to analyse data collected from 486 students from different universities in Malaysia. These students disclosed various obstacles they encountered when they used IT platform applications for online learning. These obstacles include (a) work and information overload received from instructors, (b) inadaptability and unfamiliarity of the new online learning environment, and (c) personal health challenges related to stress and anxiety. Based on previous relevant research, this study introduced a set of motivational factors and developed a conceptual motivational model for sustainable and healthy online learning.

Keywords: students sustainable wellbeing; COVID-19 pandemic; online learning; stress and integrated motivational model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

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