The Effectiveness of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Raising Student Learning Interest During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments to declare a Movement Control Order that affects all sectors, including education. Students must remain in hostels or at home since they are not allowed to return to campus. Hence, university officials resort to the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) method to keep their operations running. Numerous collaborative digital platforms (e.g. Microsoft Teams and Google Meets), social networks (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook), and even the telephone have emerged to aid in the learning and assessment processes. Locally, tertiary institutions have encountered various obstacles in getting their ODL systems up and running so that students can resume their studies. One of the challenges is adapting to and becoming comfortable with the various online platforms available. The inconsistency with which these platforms are used to try out and select the best one harms the learning and teaching process. This study investigates the efficacy of the ODL approach in increasing students' interest in the Electronics 1 (ELE232) course. The survey method and descriptive qualitative research are used in this study. 37 students from the J4EE1113A1 and J4EE1113B1 groups at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, UiTM Cawangan Johor Kampus Pasir Gudang, who completed the Electronics 1 course in the 20204 semester, took part in this study. The data was collected using Google Forms, and the analysis followed Mile and Hubermen's interactive model, which had four stages: gathering data, creating data, presenting data, and drawing conclusions. According to the findings, 62% of students believe that ODL improves their ELE232 learning.