Student readiness: Training and re-training in online higher education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62695/RREG2038

Keywords:

Online learning, blended learning, soft skills, thematic analysis

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic experienced placed considerable pressures on education. This paper explores the challenges faced by university students when operating in a blended learning environment. Students were asked to interact with a Moodle-based online environment. An initial focus group, followed by a series of in-depth interviews, was carried out with a group of undergraduates from the University of Malta. Thematic analysis was adopted to identify the main themes highlighting their concerns. The findings suggest that students had an incomplete set of competences required to interact effectively with the online environment. They were having great difficulty in self-managing their time between study and other commitments. When training was provided, student online interactivity increased and the quality of the work submitted improved. The study reiterates the need for students to be given the right combination of knowledge, skills and competences which need to be continually updated due to the evolving nature of online learning environments

Author Biography

Simon Caruana, University of Malta

Simon Caruana, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computing and ICT at the University Junior College. He co-ordinates e-tourism and web 2.0 in tourism at the Institute of Tourism, Travel and Culture (ITTC) at the University of Malta. He is also coordinating the B.Sc. DSM at the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS). At the Institute for Education (IfE) his role covers aspects of educational assessment, digital competency and hospitality education. His current interests lie in blended learning, sports tourism, dive safety management and intercultural competence in tourism and hospitality education.

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Published

15-09-2021

How to Cite

Caruana, S. (2021). Student readiness: Training and re-training in online higher education. Malta Journal of Education, 2(1), 236–254. https://doi.org/10.62695/RREG2038

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