Effect of Obstacles Faced Nursing Students related Applying E-learning during COVID-19 Pandemic on their Attitudes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Benha University, Egypt

2 Lecturer of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Benha University, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: E learning is a formalized teaching with the aid of electronic resources wherein education can be delivered
to large number of students (the target audience) at same or different time. The synchronized e-learning was the panacea
at the time of the covid- 19 pandemic. However, it negatively influenced the learners’ performance, attitude and learning
outcomes. Aim: To assess the effect of obstacles faced nursing students related applying e-learning during COVID-19
pandemic on their attitudes. A descriptive correlational study design was used. The research was carried out at Benha
University's Faculty of Nursing in Egypt. Subjects: During the academic year 2020/2021, a stratified random sampling
technique was used to choose 25% of students from each of the four academic years enrolled in the Faculty of Nursing at
Benha University. Tools: Interviewing questionnaire, attitude towards e-learning scale, and obstacles of e-learning
questionnaires. Results: 55.5 % of students expressed negative attitudes regarding e-learning, according to the findings.
The highest level of total obstacles presented among academic students in the first year (66.8%) and the lowest level of
total obstacles presented among academic students in the fourth year (57%) were encountered by nursing students when
using e-learning. The most common dimensions of obstacles to e-learning were infrastructure and technological
advancements, technical and managerial assistance and instructors' characteristics (88.2%, 86.3% and 83.3% respectively).
Conclusions: There was a highly statistically significant negative correlation between obstacles facing nursing students
and their attitudes towards e-learning. Recommendations: In light of the uniqueness of learning programs, the study
proposes that higher education institutions improve their e-learning strategy in order to encourage students' academic
achievement.

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