An assessment of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of instructors in Iran
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/ajelp.vol10.1.7.2022Keywords:
Online learning, COVID-19, quality of online education, technology-enhanced learningAbstract
This study aimed to examine the technological tools used by Iranian instructors during the Covid-19 pandemic and also to find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of online education in Iran through the eyes of the teachers in this period. In total, 119 instructors participated in this survey study from various parts of the country; the data was collected through an online questionnaire via Google Forms. The top five software that had the highest usage among the instructors were reported to be the locally developed platform for K-12 students, also known as The Student Education Network (SHAD), dedicated educational platforms of Iranian universities, Adobe Connect, Skype, and Moodle and the least frequent ones were Telegram, Google Classroom, and Zoom. While teachers reported many issues when teaching online such as slow internet speeds, unstable connections, increased workload, technical issues, and lack of face-to-face interactions, they also found some benefits in online education such as reduced infection risk, efficiency, higher mobility, and flexibility and increased concentration.
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