Challenges of education via distance learning platforms from the perspective of university students and its future prospects (a field study on a sample of Algerian university students)

Abstract

Our intervention aims to try to diagnose the most important challenges facing the experience of distance and blended learning in the Algerian university since the imposition of home quarantine measures during the coronavirus pandemic until today. In order to achieve this, we selected a random virtual sample of 236 students distributed among the universities of the four regional seminars (Centre, East, West and South). We distributed an electronic questionnaire to them through social media networks that included questions about the availability of the Internet at home, the degree of its flow, as well as identifying the most important challenges they faced in this distance education, and after collecting and analysing the data, we came up with the results that show the challenges in the following order: 89 per cent did not receive training on how to use the distance learning platform. Internet interruptions sometimes (53.8%) and always (32.2%). Poor Internet flow, which was confirmed by 62.3% of students that the Internet flow is average and 26.7% that it is poor. Then comes a challenge related to the lack of responsiveness of the professors themselves to the concerns of the students through the distance education platform by 38.50% and only a few professors respond to the concerns of the students by 33.50%. Accordingly, it became necessary to provide suggestions to improve distance education over and above the suggestions of the students themselves, in particular, ensuring the availability of the Internet and its flow with great strength to avoid all interruptions, providing electronic equipment for all students, training and training students on how to use e-learning platforms. Providing blended and synchronised teaching of video lessons with attendance recording, the need for professors to interact and respond to students' concerns and others.

Keywords: Education Challenges - Distance Education - University Students' Perspective - Future Prospects