Track: Case Studies

Abstract

The use of Online Class (OC) in higher education has become more magnificent than before significantly during the Covid19 pandemic outbreak. This paper investigates the practice of OC among Mandarin foreign language learners for their elective courses. The purpose was to create a productive OC.  The study presented students' perceptions of the productiveness of OC. The study aimed to figure out how students viewed the instructor's teaching and actions and how such aspects impacted students' expectations of the course and the OC in general. A mixed-method which involved quantitative and qualitative data collection from 65 of Mandarin foreign learners' approach employed in this study. The instruction of OC carried out for seven weeks.  After OC, the students were given questionnaires and interviewed to explore their experiences deeply. Data was a quantitative analysis based on the themes of Learner access, Learner Interaction, Learner response, and Learning outcomes. The emerging themes of qualitative analysis were teacher, students, content, and technology. The findings indicated that the students were active, work more autonomously and become more responsible for their learning. OC enabled the teachers to provide teaching materials via various online applications, better-personalised assistance, and better track student progress. Most students liked learning in the OC environment and indicated they would prefer this instructional approach more than conventional classes. The study found that instructors need to be always reflective in considering and altering the emerging positive or negative feedback with students' suggestions while integrating advanced technology in students' learning. There is a need to reflect, re-act, and re-plan in engaging generation Z with their learning preferences to achieve the learning outcomes.   

Keywords: Online class, student's perception and productiveness, Mandarin foreign language, COVID-19 pandemic