Sessions

The Efficacy of Online learning: A Students’ Perspective Survey

During the spring of 2020 Universities in Japan for the first time began either partially or fully to teach classes online. This sudden change in the way students are taught created a new style of learning, for them as much as the teachers, and as such, initiated discussion about the quality of learning and the effect on students. The implementation of online learning has the potential to substitute or supplement traditional language teaching far beyond the initial purpose; the safety of staff and pupils via social distancing during the Covid19 pandemic. The purpose of this research was to assess student responses to the first semester of online teaching and explore in what ways online education enhances language education for university students. A large number of university students (N=642) in the Kansai area were surveyed. The data is collected from University students in the Kansai area via an anonymous survey with a sample set of 642. Questions focused on their readiness to embrace online learning, their anxieties and what effects learning online has had on their learning in general. The results indicate that while the students accept the situation they would rather get back to on-campus face-to-face (F2F) classes. As online learning is now expected to continue at least for the next semester, the presenter will discuss the results of the survey as well consider what effective strategies students can use to manage their continued online learning. Questions of student satisfaction and student retention will also be considered.