Business Student Perspectives Regarding Ways to Enhance the Online Learning Process

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to understand the key components of a relevant, successful online pedagogy. Using these insights, instructors in the virtual classroom can facilitate and accentuate the knowledge gained by responding to student emotional needs and perceptions. This research evaluates students' attitudes regarding multiple facets of online instruction. In addition to revealing student opinions regarding online course characteristics, using the framework of Schmitt’s Sensory Impact Model, this report shares suggestions for improvement obtained by surveying 160 marketing and management students at a leading Central Asian university. It is the opinion of 58 percent of the students that active participation in discussions improve their academic performance. Our study further shows that astute revision of the online environment can impact student attitudes regarding online learning. Our investigation reveals that improving student motivation is a crucial step to optimizing the value added of the online knowledge transmission process. Insights to student perception regarding the importance of pedagogic factors will improve the online course as well as student perceptions of the online experience.

A comparison of business student perceptions in Kazakhstan and the United States regarding ways to enhance the online learning process

“…As a consequence, the percentage of male students in the empirical sample rose from 26.9 percent for the Kazybayeva et al (2022) study to 38.4 percent in the current investigation. Consequently, the percentage of students who are females dropped from 73.1 percent to 61.6 percent of the total sample.…”

“…The survey format has been shown to reveal one's emotions and opinions (Alsharif et al, 2020), and assesses the university community's ability to shift to an online platform (Budur, Demir, and Cura, 2021). For compatibility, the survey development process began with the original survey, which was supplied by the Kazakhstan authors of Kazybayeva et al (2022), who surveyed students at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our survey was conducted two years after universities in the United States' initial closure in response to the pandemic.…”

“…In response and out of concern for their students, Kazybayeva et al (2022) conducted a survey of 160 business students at Almaty Management University aimed at revealing components of successful online pedagogy. The average online education satisfaction index score was 52.0 percent, with 11 percent being very satisfied with their experience and 9 percent being extremely dissatisfied.…”

“…The average online education satisfaction index score was 52.0 percent, with 11 percent being very satisfied with their experience and 9 percent being extremely dissatisfied. Using Schmitt's (1999) sensory impact model as a framework, Kazybayeva et al (2022) found that active student participation, consistent information submission, ethical instructor behavior, and many other factors led to increased student engagement. Aspects of this study will be discussed below as the current study compares the findings of Kazybayeva et al (2022) with those in the United States.…”

“…A study and prescription for enhancing online education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was recently published in the Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research (Kazybayeva et al, 2022).…”