RTT Assignment 2

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:
Singh Kaurav, Rajput, and Baber (2019) emphasise that online learning is the replacement of
traditional methods of teaching and the absorption of technology where students have the
independence to learn at their own pace and space. Nowadays, students' expectations, parents,
and society have made a new setting for higher education institutions. Particularly, globalization
has created a "marketplace" for all universities; in other words, students have more choices for
their study with a possible balance between cost and quality (James, 2001). Therefore, many
universities have promoted the student-customer focuses in order to meet students' expectations.
Currently, there are many studies on student satisfaction, especially at tertiary levels. Based on
the form of the learning process, these researchers focus on two main areas: (1) traditionally
face-to-face classrooms (Muhsin et al., 2020; Weerasinghe & Ratnayake, 2017; Weerasinghe
& Fernando, 2018; Wilkins & Balakrishnan, 2013), and (2) virtual education (including
different forms of online learning such as blended-learning, or utter online learning, etc.) (Baber,
2020; Nortvig et al., 2018; Prifti, 2020; Rahman et al., 2020). These studies propose many
factors related to student satisfaction in higher education institutions, such as teaching/learning
quality, interactions within the community, quality of the facilities, etc. Nevertheless, providing
that a study focuses on student satisfaction toward online learning at a particular institution, the
factors listed are relevant to online learning components only. In other words, the other factors
involving the whole school system are not included.
Virtual learning means digital learning. To participate actively in this process, students must have
the basics of ICT (Information and Computer Technology). ICT includes communication
technologies, WI-FI, mobile phones. Electronic learning allows both teachers and students to
access materials uploaded to online/e-learning platforms, materials provided by teachers to
students, and materials uploaded by students for grading. Recently, a study aimed at using ICT
(Gupta & Gupta, 2020), especially in digital learning, highlights the idea of collaboration and
active learning. Harasim (2002) argues that when technology is applied in open and distance
learning, the most important aspect of ICT is the potential for collaboration and communication.
The study mentions that due to technological development, a new paradigm shift occurs.
Teachers need to develop new teaching and learning methods to implement them with students
effectively. Virtual education should be seen as an opportunity to develop the skills to work
online (Azlan et al., 2020).
Many traditional educational institutions are slowly getting involved in virtual programs
or extended traditional programs which Hanna (1998) defined as extended traditional
universities. This kind of universities operates as the parent organization to a ‘virtual
program’ serving a non-traditional, geographically dispersed student body. Over the last
decades, the rhythm of pedagogical innovation has become faster due to technological
developments. When innovative pedagogy presses the learning process while the academic
routines on which they depend remain unchanged a gap with the institutional culture soon arises
(Banks & Powell, 2002).
Online learning has been started in Vietnam for a long time; however, serious attention on this
form of learning remains a question. Specifically, few universities have promoted this kind of
learning as an essential tool in their educational ecosystem (Pham & Tran, 2019). What is more,
being identical with what has happened to education worldwide during the outbreak of Covid19,
there has been a rapid increase in the employment of online learning within higher education
institutions (MOET, 2020b). MOET (Ministry of Education and Training) (2020a) also confirms
the quick response from private sectors to the contemporary suspended learning due to this
pandemic.
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS:
The online questionnaires were delivered to the target participants via some common online
platforms such as Facebook, MS Teams, and the LMS from the schools after they had finished
their semester. Efthymiou and Antoniou (2012) state that online platforms are suitable for
distributing questionnaires and collecting data.
For this purpose a cross-sectional survey design was used. Instrument of data collection was a
questionnaire provided by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) which is the
regulatory body of higher education in Pakistan. Questionnaire was adapted according to e-
learning requirements around eight dimensions namely: Assessment, Course Content and
Organization, Instructor, Learning Environment and Teaching Methods, Learning Resources,
Quality of Delivery, Student Contribution and Tutorials were used. Questionnaire comprised of
45 items encompassing these 08 dimensions/factors. Responses were recorded on a 05 point
Likert scale ranging from strongly disagrees to strongly agree. Mean Score has been used to
measure students’ satisfaction for each dimension. Questionnaire was available to students
electronically using Learning Management System (LMS) to more than 30,000 students. 21608
students participated in the study.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:
Based on the previous studies on student satisfaction in general and in according to the student
satisfaction with the online learning environment, the conceptual framework of the study was
built as below:
The factors affecting student satisfaction with virtual education

As the figure presents, there are five factors that influence student satisfaction, including (1)
course effectiveness, (2) provided knowledge and skills, (3) the sense of belonging, (4) the
interaction with important people, and (5) the utility of the available facilities. The literature
concluded these factors with the adaptation to the online learning context.

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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:

The factors affecting student satisfaction with virtual education

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