No abstract

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) has been implemented in universities around the world since decades ago. With COVID-19 pandemic, its implementation has been accelerated globally at an unprecedented speed and haste. Thus, the aim of this paper is to investigate the university students’ perspectives on ODL amidst COVID-19. By using the convenient sampling method, a total of 608 diploma and degree students throughout Malaysia have participated and shared their feedback on ODL implementation. The collected data covered their general feedback and what they enjoyed the most about ODL. Moreover, their recommendations on ODL implementation were analyzed by categorising the responses into different themes. The demographic data was summarized using descriptive analysis. A comparison between the diploma and the degree students’ perspectives is also discussed in the paper. The findings show that most students have positive perceptions on ODL implementation, where positive feedback and fun factors are highlighted by the respondents. Some students indicated that ODL should not be continued in the future semester, due to problems such as poor internet connection, budget constraints and time management issues. Recommendations on improvements for better ODL implementations in the near future are also provided. This study contributes to more effective ODL management by presenting the learners’ perspectives   Keywords: Open and Distance Learning (ODL), Online Learning Platforms, Technology, Teaching and Learning, University Students

The success of online learning programs depends not only on students' satisfaction, but also their intent to continue using it. This study is aimed at finding out if university students' gender, study program, geographical location and internet connection have an effect on their online learning satisfaction and intention to continue using online learning in the future during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected from 608 students using simple random sampling from several campuses of Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia was analysed using frequency, crosstabulation, Chi-square test and multiple regression analysis methods. The findings revealed that six in every ten respondents are satisfied with their online learning, but the same amount of students do not intend to continue using online learning in the future. Female students, degree students, students from East Malaysia of Sabah and Sarawak, and students with good internet connection are satisfied with online learning. As for their intention to continue using online learning in the future, more male, diploma and West Malaysian students with average internet connection do not intend to do so in the future. Apart from that, online learning satisfaction is a significant predictor of students' intention to continue with online learning in the future. Direction for future studies and practical implications of the study are also discussed.

The ability of rural entrepreneurs to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic greatly depends on their knowledge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to support online business. In this study, online surveys were conducted to assess the readiness and acceptance of rural entrepreneurs in adopting to the pandemic using the available technologies. Data collected were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics using ANOVA. Online training modules were designed based on their specific needs. Although participants indicated that their frequency and skills of using the electronic devices or applications had generally increased or improved after the training, the increment was not statistically significant (). This indicated that while the participants, to some extent, benefited from the online training provided, there has not been a significant impact on them