Student Voice Matters (SVM) 2020 Articles

+ How are Malaysian Students Learning Online?

Since the Movement Control Order (MCO) started, teachers across the country took action to continue classes and student learning through online platforms such as Google Classroom, Google Meet and WhatsApp.

For Project ID, we took our workshops online — covering topics such as career aspirations, self-management, journaling, and design thinking — and ran over 20 workshops since MCO started. It was at this time that we heard the challenges that students were facing — some were struggling to acclimatize to online learning, whilst others had to break the MCO restrictions to buy internet top-ups to continue their learning.

Given what we heard, we sought to delve deeper into understanding the problems with “Your Voice Matters” — a student survey designed to find out how students are coping with the switch to online learning. With over 700 respondents (aged 13–18 years old) across Malaysia, we have compiled key insights and observations which we will be sharing through a series of articles over the next few weeks.

This week, we explore the platforms students currently use, where they stand on online vs. offline learning, how they feel about their current experiences, and the challenges they face.

The top 3 platforms being used by students are WhatsApp, Google Classroom and Telegram

Key Findings:

• WhatsApp and Telegram appear the most viable options for educators to teach remotely especially for students with slow internet connection as it does not require high speeds or large volumes of data.
• Google Classroom is also at the top of the list. This is consistent with it being the Ministry of Education’s preferred platform and the resources that have been provided to equip Malaysian teachers with the knowledge and skills to conduct virtual classes via Google Classroom.

+ We asked Malaysian students what they want in their online learning. Here are their responses.

This article is Part 2 of our “Student Voice Matters” series, a collection of articles on Malaysian students’ experience with online learning.

In Part 1 of “Student Voice Matters”, a student survey designed by Project ID to find out how students are coping with the switch to online learning, we examined the commonly used platforms used by students, their preference for either online or offline learning, how they feel about their current experiences and the challenges they face.

We found a majority of students still prefer offline (in-classroom) learning, citing a preference for face-to-face interaction. This was underpinned by connectivity issues, inconsistent learning structures, and a lack of interaction, which contributed to a disrupted learning experience for students.

The week’s article focuses specifically on the experiences of students as they transition from offline to online learning, asking them what they enjoyed most, what learning platform they preferred using, what their ideal learning experience looks like, as well as suggestions for improvement.

Students want clearer teacher instructions and learning structure for their online learning

Key Findings:

• Students want clearer teacher instructions
• Classes organised by different teachers result in scheduling conflicts
• A result of the shift to remote learning is students are less able to access their teachers for additional clarification

While poor internet connection was the biggest challenge students faced in online learning, our survey found clearer teacher instructions and a consistent learning structure were the main preferences of students to improve their online learning experience. A desire for clearer instructions stemmed from students not being able to access their teachers for clarification. The issue is further exacerbated by classes organised by different teachers resulting in scheduling conflicts. This suggests teaching via an online medium might require a different skill set than that of its offline counterpart, requiring attention to the method of communication to make up for the lack of physical presence.

+ Students told us what they want for online learning. Here are 7 strategies that educators can use.

This article is Part 3 of our “Student Voice Matters” series, a collection of articles on Malaysian students’ experience with online learning.

Throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia students across the country have been making the transition from offline to online learning. During this period, Project ID has sought to capture student voices about this experience through our “Your Voice Matters” survey with over 700 respondents aged 13–18 years old.

Part 1 of our “Student Voice Matters” series detailed commonly used learning platforms and some of the challenges students face. Part 2 focused on their experiences of students as they transition from offline to online learning, asking them what they enjoyed most and what their ideal learning experience looks like.

The final part of this series takes the responses presented in the first two articles and summarises some of the main challenges. We also propose some recommendations that educators may find useful to deliver a better online learning experience. Online learning, if done correctly, is a great enabler in creating access and here we discuss ways on improving the experience for students.

The reality of online learning

• Varying degree of access to connectivity / device renders various challenges for teachers to teach remotely: The diversity of students from the same class inevitably means some will have better tools and connectivity than others, posing a significant challenge to teachers and their teaching methods. “Some teachers are unable to conduct online teaching because of the problem of internet connection. I hope we can find a way to teach using less data.”
• A substantial lag in communication with teachers: The physical absence of teachers makes it more difficult for students to seek guidance and support especially to raise comments, questions and frustrations. “I want something that makes it easier for me to understand what my teacher want to explain and also allow me to ask any question that I don’t really understand…”
• A lack of human interaction with both teachers and peers: Students feel isolated and miss out on the interactive environment of a classroom, whether with teachers or peers. “Sesi pembelajaran menjadi lebih seronok sekiranya dapat berjumpa dengan kawan. Selain itu, saya lebih memahami apa yang dipelajari sekiranya saya dapat berinteraksi dan bersemuka bersama dengan guru-guru dan kawan kawan.”
• Both students and teachers struggle to adapt: A sudden and dramatic change from a traditional classroom to virtual learning is a new experience for both learners and educators that need more time for everyone to adapt. “Kerana secara atas talian saya akan mengalami kesukaran untuk memahami dan bila cikgu menerangkan saya berasa keliru dengan penerangan cikgu dan saya berasa susah nak belajar.”
• A lack of structure in online learning: Students have found it difficult adjusting to online learning due to the inconsistencies in teaching methods, from schedules and preferred online platforms to the volume of homework. “The schedule is too complicated and some teachers are teaching at the same time. The fact is many teachers give us a lot of homework at the same time. Besides that, the homework is given from two different platforms such as Whatsapp and Google Classroom.”
• Aversion towards online learning due to unfavorable experience in the past: Some students currently hold disposition against online learning i.e.“I don’t like online learning. I just don’t enjoy any online classes”.