Vol 13, Issue 3, (2024) E-ISSN: 2226-6348

Findings From A Qualitative Study of the

Experiences and Challenges Private Virtual
University Students had with E-Learning During
the Covid-19

Bha-Aldan Mundher Oraibi and Nursyahirah Adilah Binti

Shahrul Nizam
UNITAR International University Tierra Crest, Jalan SS 6/3, Ss 6, 47301 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia

To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i3/21600 DOI:10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i3/21600

Published Online: 10 August 2024

Abstract
The aim of this research is to identify the challenges related to online learning encountered
by postgraduate students who started all coursework in an online mode (modular) prior to
the COVID-19 and continued their e-learning during the pandemic at a private virtual
university offering pre-university, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in
conventional and online distance-learning. This study employed a qualitative method using
individual interviews with postgraduate students from UNITAR International University. Data
were analysed through the utilization of a full verbatim protocol. Our findings suggest that
the stakeholders (i.e. postgraduate students) adapted well to the change associated with the
COVID-19 pandemic. The stakeholders identified both positive and negative aspects of online
learning. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the stakeholders had the opportunity to
experience online learning. This helped them adjust to the shift to distance learning in light
of the pandemic and form well-informed opinions about how to best continue learning,
regardless of how the pandemic played out. A comprehensive analysis of the interview data
reveals several challenges to the e-learning effectiveness. These challenges are relating to the
online collaborative learning, the type of communication in terms of the interaction with
instructors and with other students, and barriers to adopting new technology. The
implications discussed in this study will help higher education stakeholders be more equipped
for any such changes similar to those that accompanied Covid-19 and will provide instructors
and students with the tools they need to make the most of their education and maintain
continuity of learning.
Keywords: E-Learning, Challenges, Higher Education, Qualitative Research, Virtual University

Introduction
E-learning is the use of electronic learning resources and techniques to improve the process
of learning and instruction (Boateng et al., 2016). Perhaps the most popular mode of teaching
and learning at the moment is e-learning, which is a major technical advancement in

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education. Many colleges and universities were forced to incorporate e-learning technology
into the curriculum in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. E-learning continues to establish
itself as the cutting-edge approach to improving the transformation process of knowledge in
a variety of educational fields. Examples of such technologies involve Web CT, Web 2.0
platforms, Blackboard, and Moodle (Salloum et al., 2019; Zalat et al., 2021), including social
network tools and cloud computing (Aburagaga et al., 2020). A range of e-learning
descriptions using various terminology were presented in the published scholarly research.
Optimizing e-learning's ability to enhance the overall experiences of both instructors and
learners alike is a crucial area that requires careful thought.

E-learning, according to Abed (2019), is a broad term for the dissemination of instructional
materials to learners through media and its networks in an approach which enables them to
actively engage with the material. Features allowing synchronous or asynchronous
communication between learners and their peers as well as among learners and the
facilitators should be included in the kind of e-learning tools that are employed. Furthermore,
it must be feasible to do learning tasks in the time allotted by the facilitators, at a pace
appropriate for the circumstances and the course's learning outcomes (Abed, 2019).

Because an e-learning and face-to-face approaches differ, there will be differences in the
experiences of learners and instructors. Therefore, in order for learners to get the most out
of an e-learning approach, they need to be prepared for online learning (Engin, 2017).
Technical, learning, and time management abilities, as well as having access to the internet,
are all components of online learning readiness, which affects both the experiences of
learners and instructors in the classroom. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and
universities closed globally in an effort to stop the virus's spread. As a result, colleges and
universities in Malaysia quickly turned to e-learning as a way for learners to complete their
education during the pandemic (Jafar et al., 2022; Loganathan et al., 2021). In addition to
keeping students at school amid the early phases of the pandemic, the abrupt shift of teaching
and learning activities to online platforms was done to prevent large crowds, who might have
been a danger factor for the virus's transmission. Fully online learning was globally mandated
under COVID-19 pandemic procedures, which required instructors as well as learners to work
remotely globally (Loganathan et al., 2021). Different online platforms have been utilized in
Malaysia, including Moodle-based learning management systems, Google Meets, Microsoft
Teams, and Zoom (Rad et al., 2021; Zalat et al., 2021).

Higher education is undergoing rapid transformation to address the diverse needs of various
stakeholders, which include educators, learners, and administrators. Al-Fraihat et al. (2020)
have proposed that when information systems align with the requirements of users, their
satisfaction naturally increases. Consequently, research has established that user satisfaction
serves as a crucial metric for evaluating the success of information systems (Andrade et al.,
2020). Today, most universities, both private and public, had adopted full online instruction.
With the help of modern technology, the e-learning mode provides flexibility. As a result,
many students are drawn to online teaching and learning for increased learning experiences.
E-learning is expanding in Malaysian colleges and universities, according to Jafar et al. (2022),
and problems experienced by learners and instructors predate the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inadequate infrastructure, including insufficient computer labs, unreliable internet

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connectivity, and frequent blackouts of electricity, has been recognized as a challenge to e-

learning (Jafar et al., 2022). Additional difficulties included a dearth of e-learning policies,
insufficient IT assistance, including a lack of managerial support at the university (Zalat et al.,
2021; Loganathan et al., 2021). The learners pointed at how their attention spans tended to
shorten following the changes, and instructors discussed how hard it had been to maintain
the students' involvement and attentiveness (Rad et al., 2021). Another significant problem
was the discernible decline of in-class contributions. In a similar vein, it has been
demonstrated in previous research that one of the greatest hurdles instructors confront while
providing instruction online is keeping up the level of interaction and engaging learners
(O’Doherty et al., 2018). This challenge is further compounded whenever technical issues
arise (Rad et al., 2021). While formulating e-learning policies in order to improve the
outcomes of education (Palvia et al., 2018), emphasizes the need to take into account the
adverse consequences of technology, which include smartphone addiction. This might be due
to the risk smartphone addiction might pose when using e-learning, particularly in emerging
economies. Pre-COVID-19, research on the barriers to e-learning had been conducted,
primarily with distant learners who were equipped for this mode of education. As a result,
when e-learning is suddenly implemented, learners' experience and challenges might vary,
particularly if they are enrolled in a full-time, in-person program, as had been witnessed
during the initial phases of the COVID-19.

Some students had previously been exposed to e-learning, even though it was not widely
utilized in colleges and universities pre-COVID-19. Among such students are UNITAR
International University's first-year class of 2020 in Malaysia, the subjects of the study who
were instructed in all subjects online (modular). Their perspectives, experiences, and
difficulties with e-learning were unknown because no prior investigation had taken place in
the study environment. They may have encountered different difficulties and experiences
with e-learning than other students who were using the platform during the COVID-19
epidemic, considering this was a rather gradual shift in their learning and assessment
approaches. Further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges
posed by e-learning and the specific strategies learners employ to overcome them (Basar et
al., 2021). Thus, the current research was carried out to investigate and characterize the
challenges associated with e-learning during COVID-19 among postgraduate students at
UNITAR International University who had started their postgraduate programs online
(modular) prior to the Covid-19 and continued to do so during the pandemic.

Materials and Methods

Study Design
In this research, a qualitative methodology as outlined by Yin (1994) is employed, involving
in-depth interviews with key e-learning stakeholders (i.e., students). The objective is to assess
the effectiveness of online learning and the challenges it poses to students’ learning
capabilities. The utilization of interviews is particularly advantageous because it is well-suited
for gaining insights into the diverse perspectives and practices of various e-learning
stakeholders, thereby facilitating a comprehensive understanding of what works well or
poorly in the realm of e-learning (Yin, 1994). An e-learning ecosystem is a complicated system
with several issues. Understanding the views of individual stakeholders (i.e., students) is
required to identify and completely comprehend the essential difficulties associated with

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students’ e-learning for sustainable e-learning. Furthermore, using the interview approach is
useful since it allows for the identification of diverse perspectives on the issues that students
confront in e-learning. Identifying and comprehending these elements can assist both public
and private universities in obtaining feedback on the e-learning process under developing
situations, and the findings of this study may be taken into account by decision-makers when
defining the future of e-learning.
This research was carried out at UNITAR International University, situated in Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia. The university provides a range of postgraduate online programs, including the
Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), Master of Information Technology, Master of
Education (Teaching of English as a Second Language), Master of Education (Instructional
Technology), Master of Education (Educational Leadership & Management), Master of
Education (Early Childhood Education), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Doctor of
Philosophy in Information Technology, Doctor of Philosophy in Management, Doctor of
Philosophy in Business Administration, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education, and Doctor
of Business Administration (DBA). These programs have consistently received recognition as
one of the leading offerings in the Education & Learning category, as evidenced by the public’s
votes in the Putra Brand Awards. Moreover, these programs have received accreditation from
the Accreditation Service for International School, Colleges, and Universities (ASIC) in various
aspects, including Quality Assurance and Enhancement, Student Welfare, Marketing and
Recruitment, Learning and Teaching, Course Delivery, Management and Staff Resources, as
well as Premises and Health & Safety. Additionally, UNITAR International University is highly
regarded by employers and has been awarded a 5-STAR QS Rating in various areas, including
Teaching, Employability, Online Education, Accounting & Finance, and Inclusiveness.

Sampling Strategy and Participants

The researchers utilized purposive sampling and conducted individual interviews with
postgraduate students enrolled in online courses, particularly the Course Networking systems
(CN) and UNIEC Virtual Online (UVOL) platforms via Microsoft Teams. One method used in
qualitative research to purposefully choose a certain set of people or units to study is called
purposeful sampling. Participants are not selected at random, but on purpose. When a certain
objective or target is in mind for the researcher, this technique is employed. As a result, the
researcher chooses the sample based on the traits or qualities that they intend to investigate.
By using purposeful sampling, the researcher may collect detailed information on the
research subjects while concentrating on certain areas of interest. It is frequently applied to
small-scale studies with tiny sample sizes. Of the participants in the interview, women made
up 75% of the group, while men made up 25%.

Data Collection Procedures

Nine people were the subjects of our nine in-depth interviews. We performed individual
interviews with each candidate. Interviews were conducted twice with one participant.
Five interviews had been carried out face-to-face in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, while
the remaining seven had been carried out online via virtual meeting methods (i.e., Microsoft
Teams). This was due to the fact that the majority of the study participants are working adults
with busy schedules who hail from distant states.
Postgraduate students at UNITAR International University, Malaysia's first private virtual
university, which has been providing pre-university, undergraduate and postgraduate

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programmes through conventional and online distance learning modes since 1997,
participated in the study. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, students who had started all of
their coursework online and continued their e-learning during the pandemic were
interviewed.
Potential participants were notified concerning the research and given a link to the online
interview by the researchers. The people taking part had been made aware that they might
withdraw from the engagement at any moment and that it was completely voluntary. The
interviews were directly transcribed from recordings. Every participant received a code (e.g.,
R1 for Respondent 1) to hide their identity, and they were asked not to reveal their identity
to the other participants at any point throughout the recording. Nine postgraduate students
agreed to participate in the study and grant permission for their responses to be recorded.
Interview instructions that were semi-structured were created. Guides for semi-structured
interviews had been developed.

Data Analysis
English was used during the one to one and a half-hour interviews. A verbatim transcription
of the audio recordings was carried out. The additional improvement of the question guides
was guided by concurrent analysis. Researchers engaged in frequent discussions to improve
codes and discover new themes during the immersive, exploratory, and inductive process of
data analysis. The study used Creswell's (2014) methodology for thematic analysis, which
involved identifying and reporting themes through five processes, as seen in the figure that
follows.

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Step 5: Interpreting the Meaning of

Themes/Descriptions

Step 4: Interrelating Themes/Descriptions

Validating the
Accuracy of the
Information
Themes Descriptions

Step 3: Reading Through all Data

Step 2: Organizing and Preparing

Data for Analysis

Step 1: Raw Data (transcripts,

fieldnotes, images, etc.)

Figure 1: Creswell Model of Qualitative Data Analysis

Results
Three interrelated themes and sub-themes emerged from the thematic analysis: 1) “Online
Collaborative Learning”; 2) “Unidirectional Communication” (two sub-themes: 1) interaction
with instructors; 2) Interaction with other students); AND 3) “Barriers to Adopting New
Technology”. The three themes and sample quotes from the participants are described in the
following sections and have been presented in order of importance, as established by the
analysis of the individual interviews.

Theme 1: Online Collaborative Learning

The interviews aimed to explore the participants’ experience with collaborative online
learning. In general, the respondents described their collaborative experience as satisfactory.
Effective communication, team members’ sense of responsibility, fair workload distribution,
and good management skills were identified as crucial elements for successful collaborative
learning. For instance, questions posed during the online interviews included inquiries like,
"How do you believe peer interactions influenced your group’s performance in completing
assignments?” and “Have you encountered difficulties in comprehending the course materials
provided by the instructor?” and “Has work-related commitments affected your
concentration on your studies?”.

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As a result, in asynchronous distance education, particularly in e-learning programs with

limited interactivity, students often experience a sense of isolation from their peers due to
time constraint. This feeling of isolation can lead to negative attitudes toward the course and,
consequently, a reduction in communication among students. This leniency can lead students
who are inadequately prepared for the course requirements or who face other challenges to
avoid quick responses to the course instructor or fellow students in the program.

Theme 2: Unidirectional Communication

The research reveals that there is a significant interaction between students and instructors,
which appears to be a valuable factor for students. Real-time communication with instructors
appears to enhance students’ comprehension of their instructors’ assignments and guiding
concepts. Effective communication, individual responsibility within the team, equitable
distribution of tasks, and strong management skills are critical components of successful
collaborative learning. However, the study also identifies a drawback in internet-based online
programs where the communication process tends to be one-sided, primarily involving the
transmission of information from instructors to students. This unidirectional communication
approach reduces the level of interaction and engagement that students experience with
their instructors.
The findings also reveal that, in text-based online courses, there is typically less pressure to
respond promptly. This can lead students who are ill-prepared for the course requirements
or facing other challenges to delay or avoid quick responses to the course instructor or fellow
students in the program.

Sub-Theme 1: Interaction with Instructors

When participants were asked if there was any lack of interactions with instructors during the
online class, they indicated that there was some kind of obstacle that prevented them from
interacting collectively. An example of what was mentioned in this regard, one respondent
noted, “So normally only the same students are responding to the to the questions”. Other
participants linked the importance of communicating with the teacher to the nature of the
course in terms of the difficulty or complexity of understanding the course content by relying
heavily on themselves. For example, one respondent explained, “During the MBA, they expect
us to learn by ourselves, which can sometimes be done. It is not very difficult, like for example
learning human resource management. Or something easy like managing organization should
be OK... things like we can learn on our own, but when you're talking about something
technical, more technical like project management or you're talking about accounting or
you're talking about... project paper, how to do and the analysis... I mean the university, or
the lecturer cannot expect the student to understand by ourselves because we are not well
versed in terms of the research analysis or the instruments other than what... whatever that
we do not really have the good understanding now... because you're not talking about reading
things we can understand. But we're talking about the technical things. There's a challenge
there especially for those. Everything is done online.”

Sub-Theme 2: Interaction with other Students

Participants shared a mismatch between their expectations regarding interaction with
classmates while engaging in e-learning compared to their mainstream non-modular
educational experience. For example, one participant had this to say, “Oh yeah, peer

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interaction. Limited when all the group members are located far away from each other,
compact from compact to my DBA experience where it was a physical, it was physical classes
where we can meet all the... Are causing all the.. all the group members, all the classmates
right, it was more interactive, of course. OK, so it is more. It was more engaging compared to
online. Yes, we still can do it, but it will not be as interactive as what we expect when we do
it online”.
When participants were asked if they faced any difficulty with peer interactions and in
accessing available information such as those on Customized Virtual Classroom, they
responded that yes, they did, but they would be able to overcome it by using some of the
means of communication available to them and widely used in the country, such as
WhatsApp. An example of what was mentioned in this regard, one respondent replied, “Yeah,
I have issues. I currently I do not use it regularly simply because whenever I use, especially if
I were to access at home, we have a problem. Accessing Customized Virtual Classroom at
home we have also problem accessing from here problem. When further asked how that
interactions have been impacting how well their group is able to complete the tasks assigned
to them, another respondent remarked, “We have a few different platforms slide by the
systems that are prepared by the university and we also have our own WhatsApp group. So,
there's no issue. We can have a different… we can set our own timeline”.
Another participant replied when asked how do you think peer interactions using the new
LMS, ePortfolio, and learning tools interoperability (LTI) system had an impact on how well
one’s group in completing the task assignments, “OK, we have a separate uh if once we
created a group, we would have a separate WhatsApp group and we would communicate in
the group and we would have a frequent meeting every week. There is a compulsory meeting
so that we would update our progress in the meeting on the assignment progress or individual
progress as well. So, we created a group, so one of the group members must be initiative to
put the effort and to be active to push everybody to be reunited, to gather the information,
to complete the assignment. Usually, I would create a group and I would push everybody. I
would manage my group mates… so far, no issue unless it is the group mates is which we are
getting no response from or doesn't give any feedback.”
Another participant responded a little differently when asked by placing the responsibility on
the students rather than on the new LMS, ePortfolio, and learning tools' interoperability (LTI)
system or the instructors. An example of this is a participant who said, “Yes, sometimes I find
it difficult to find things, but then it is actually not their fault. I think it is me that is not well
versed enough or, you know, learn much because they have thought this in the orientation.
Or an onboarding session, and they have this session. But we do not really use much since we
are working adults. Really, use that thing, that platform as much as we should. So that is why
I think I admit that, that student mistake for not being able to put more effort into finding
things and learn about the system well. But for me, there's no problem with the system”.
The participants also pointed out the individual differences between students in e-learning
and how they sometimes see it as positive in their education through the presence of students
who have long work experience, which in turn enriches the educational process by
transferring that experience from the experienced students to those who are less experienced
and younger. Especially if they are in the same group. An example of what was mentioned
relating to this, one respondent noted, “I think in terms of growth, no problem, because for
all the courses, we really choose our team member well. So, we tend to stick to the same

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team member. Us to understand things because some students are quite young, others are
working adults joining the online class, we learn from each other.”

Theme 3: Barriers to Adopting New Technology

The study finds that there is an interaction between the students and technology, which may
be one of the supportive attributes of the students. For example, the question asked during
online interviewed such as, “What are some technical challenges faced by using new system
Course Networking for online learning? Have you faced difficulty in communication through
the Ms Teams? Do you face difficulty in accessing reliable information, such as using KMC?
Consequently, it is crucial that the online learning system and the associated software are
designed to be user-friendly. This is especially important due to the varying levels of
technological expertise among students. Some students may lack experience with the
technology and the new medium used in distance education, which can lead to difficulties
and require additional time to overcome adaptation barriers and become proficient in the
new technology. The result shows that student need to have a soft skill required on the new
Course Networking (CN) system. Technical support was mainly needed to use learning
management systems (CN). Respondents indicated that learning management systems (CN)
data was not fully updated and making it hard for them to progress well with their learning
activities. For online learning to be possible, a reliable and effective educational system must
be developed.

Discussion and Conclusion

Although e-learning is not a newly developed phenomenon, it has become more and more
popular worldwide over the past ten years, and several universities in developing nations
have only started to follow this trend (Bhuasiri et al., 2012). Yet not all countries and societies
have embraced this technology equally (Hodgkinson-et al., 2008). The shutdown caused by
COVID-19 pushed the creation of a wider range of online learning initiatives in order to ensure
that education would continue unhindered. How to provide online course materials, engage
students, and carry out assessments has been a topic of discussion among many faculties
(Mukhtar et al., 2020). From the interviews conducted with students at UNITAR International
University to explore their experience in relation to the challenges they encountered using
CourseNetworking (CN), a new LMS, ePortfolio, and a learning tools' interoperability system.
It was found that they do not face problems in this regard. Of course, these results contradict
those revealed by other studies conducted on students at other universities during the period
of the Covid-19 epidemic. This may be due to the fact that the students at those other
universities had not undergone e-learning before and therefore were not prepared for the
complete transition to e-learning in the way that occurred. During the Covid-19 epidemic;
when they asked the participants whether they faced problems in adapting to the software
and technology through which e-learning is received, especially given that the university had
implemented a new LMS, ePortfolio, and learning tools interoperability system, the
participants unanimously responded that they were sufficiently knowledgeable about how to
use it, and nothing had changed for them, and they did not face problems in using it or
adapting to any new LMS, ePortfolio, or learning tools system that were introduced. For
example, one participant stated the following when asked what some of the technical
challenges are faced using Course Networking, the new LMS, ePortfolio, and learning tools
interoperability system for online learning: “The CN, the course networking. I am ok with this

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new system as compared to before. I think there are no issues for me to just go into the
systems and look at the... notes as well as attending classes using the link, so there is no
issue”, another respondent remarked, “No, I do not find any issues adopting to the new LMS
system because I am quite familiar with Microsoft Teams. So basically, I did not have any
issues communicating and whatsoever through Microsoft Teams. We can access. I have no,
no issues, no problem.” This is in keeping with Zalat et al. (2021), which found that learners
were much happier when they felt their transition from non-modular (conventional) learning
to modular (e-learning) mode was seamless and didn't affect the structure or delivery of the
courses. Thus, when organizing a methodical shift to online learning, it is imperative to make
an effort to establish a culture of change. Ensuring that there is adequate technical help along
the pathway is also crucial. As a result, there is going to be less resistance, which has been
shown to improve online learning as a whole. Along the same lines, a number of studies
conducted in various nations (e.g., Qureshi et al., 2012; Mohammadyari et al., 2015) revealed
that, aside from to the perceived e-learning systems’ value and usability, user adoption and
acceptance of e-learning were influenced by a variety of individual (e.g., readiness to use e-
learning), social (e.g., instructor and interpersonal influence), and organizational (e.g.,
infrastructure, financial, and technological facilities) factors within a particular culture. In a
similar vein, James (2021) stressed that a variety of interrelated elements, including
administrative or institutional support, ambient conditions, system technical configuration
and design, learners' styles of learning, and computer proficiency interact to determine how
well students do in e-learning.
Additionally, the data reveal variations in the level of challenges and strategies employed by
students in online learning. These variations result from the interaction of multiple factors.
According to the participants' responses, their experiences with online learning—including
the difficulties they encountered and the tactics they employed—are shaped by the resources
at their disposal, the relationships they have with instructors and other students, and the
university's current policies and procedures regarding online learning. The results support a
growing body of studies showing that two of the biggest issues facing instructors in online
education revolve around maintaining the degree of engagement and retaining students'
interest (O’Doherty et al., 2018). The findings of this study revealed that this problem was
made worse for learners every time there were technological difficulties. For the most part,
many participants indicated that those instances were uncommon; yet it is crucial to consider
this possibility since, at the final analysis, the IT platform serves as the conduit for all aspects
of the experience. Any obstacles there would mean disruptions to the virtual classroom and
educational environment. In a similar vein, Rad et al. (2021) discovered a constrained range
of interactions and e-learner engagement levels. As per Rad et al. (2021), the shift brought
about by the COVID-19 pandemic naturally resulted in a reduction of the range of contacts,
as individuals became more physically and occasionally socially separated. This distance, in
terms of information interchange, necessitated the use of new abilities that were not
possessed by everyone during the transition. These new ways spread among people quickly,
and this may be attributed to the tendencies of social comparisons (Oraibi et al., 2022).
The findings of this study serve as valuable indicators for improving the e-learning system and
enhancing stakeholder involvement to ensure its long-term effectiveness. As previously
mentioned, these findings offer valuable insights for the pre-university, undergraduate and
postgraduate programmes offered by higher-educational institutions and the accreditation of
e-learning study programs. To attend lectures and retain their early levels of interest, online

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learning students rely heavily on computer software and technology (Daniel, 2020). Remote
learning imposes time and space constraints, but it also has significant drawbacks, including
connectivity issues, application latency, and computers that function slowly, all of which can
interfere with the learning process. To increase users' adoption of e-learning and win their
confidence, e-learning tools ought to satisfy user needs (Kanwal & Rehman, 2017). E-learning
obstacles can be broken down into the student, instructor, curriculum, organizational, and
structural elements, each of which needs more collaborative effort to overcome. Besides, to
encourage peer contact, support, and socializing in an online learning environment, technical
modifications in online learning design are required (Thayalan et al., 2022). In contrast to
traditional face-to-face classrooms, e-learning may limit perception of involvement.
Consequently, in order to promote the adoption and reform the support systems required for
effective educational processes and performances, higher education institutions must
comprehend the challenges and personal experiences that learners face with e-learning.
Institutional arrangements for future pandemics require an understanding of the difficulties
faced by learners at UNITAR International University in Malaysia, who started all of their
coursework online prior to the Covid-19 and continued to do so during the period of the
pandemic. This might aid in the design of systems that assist students' learning at
unpredictable periods, like pandemics, in order to eradicate inefficiencies and yield qualified
and talented individuals. This research has limitations. To begin with, a number of ideas were
provided by the qualitative data and may have been further investigated using different
methods for collecting data (such as focus group sessions). While the narrow focus of the
study allowed for the generation of full-bodied insights, the generalizability of the findings is
restricted to institutions that share similar contextual and distinctive features with UNITAR
International University. This limitation is made even more apparent by the unique
circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic (on all fronts). A better understanding of
this limitation would enable e-learning stakeholders to formulate appropriate strategies and
policies for fostering the development of a sustainable e-learning environment. This research
also assessed the official learning platforms. However, it was clear that informal learning
resources, including social networking apps, improved student learning and instruction. While
planning for online learning, it is crucial to comprehend how to make the most of these kinds
of resources.
This study offers a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of many essential
components entrenched in an e-learning ecosystem that impact the adoption of e-learning
systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's particular research implications include
a range of issues and challenges that both help or impede the adoption of an effective e-
learning approach. Specific challenges that have been identified in this context are those
related to online collaborative learning, difficulties with adopting new technology, and
problems with unidirectional communication (i.e., interacting with instructors and other
students). Prior to COVID-19, studies on the obstacles to online learning had been carried out,
mostly on distance learners who were prepared for this kind of instruction. Because of this,
learners' experiences and challenges may differ when e-learning is abruptly set up, especially
for those who are engaged in a full-time, in-person program, as was observed in the early
stages of the COVID-19. Notwithstanding the fact that e-learning was not extensively used in
colleges and universities prior to COVID-19, some students had previously encountered it.
These students include the first-year class of 2020 at UNITAR International University in
Malaysia, the study's subjects, who received all their instruction online (modular). Because

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no previous research had been conducted in the study context, it was unknown what their
attitudes, experiences, and challenges with e-learning were. Given that this was a relatively
gradual shift in their learning and evaluation processes, they could have faced different
challenges and experiences with e-learning than other students who only started
experiencing e-learning during the COVID-19 outbreak. Studying this group of people enables
a more thorough comprehension of the difficulties presented by online learning and the
specific techniques that students use to get over them. The results of this study, which give a
realistic image of the present e-learning system and might be used as guidelines to increase
student use of e-learning systems, can be beneficial to the policy makers, designers, and
developers at these universities.

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