INVESTIGATING STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS REGARDING CLOUD-BASED LEARNING AMONG UNIVERSITY GRADUATES

Abstract

Cloud-based learning has become a new normal in universities because of COVID-19 pandemic. Google classroom and Microsoft teams are being widely used in Pakistani universities. However, perception of Pakistani students towards cloud-based learning has not been researched sufficiently. This study aimed to understand the perception of BSCS students in Air university Multan Campus towards cloud-based learning. We focused on four factors including accessibility, collaboration, ease of use, and technical issues. The design used for this study was quantitative survey technique which helped us to collect data of 120 students by using a 35 item questionnaire. Questions were answered on the basis of 5- point Likert scale (strongly disagree – strongly agree). Results showed students are feeling positive overall. Students scored highest on accessibility (mean = 4.2) followed by collaboration (mean = 4.0) and ease of use (mean = 3.9). Students scored lowest on technical issues(mean = 3.2) which shows that students are somewhat concerned about internet speed and privacy of their data. We also found that ease of use had a positive relationship with satisfaction(r = 0.58, p < 0.01), which means students who find it easy to use cloud platforms are more satisfied with these platforms. Study shows cloud-based learning is successful among students but universities should fix internet issues and data security concerns such as privacy.