Distance Online Learning during the COVID-19 Crisis from the Perspective of Agricultural Sciences Students in Jordan: Survey Study

TLDR: In this paper , a study aimed to evaluate the experience of the agricultural sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan with focus on their preparedness, attitude and barriers.

Abstract: Educational practices and strategies have been changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Universities nowadays are adopting online education systems to ensure delivering of their educational information and knowledge. This study aims to evaluate the experience of the agricultural sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan with focus on their preparedness, attitude and barriers. Online survey was distributed to 559 students among four different majors at the College of Agriculture Sciences at Jerash University in Jordan. Data were collected via google forms. The results’ showed no gender differences in any of these domains. However, there was statistical significance difference barrier score, attitude score, and preparedness scores between different age groups. The results showed no statistical difference throughout our four departments in different levels of study. The results indicated that about 76 % of the students were satisfied with the quality of services offered from Jerash University during the COVID-19 lockdown. Student expressed negative impression with the practical session being online instead of being in the field. Finally, students mentioned the availability and the quality of network as a barrier for them to perform better and get higher grades. This new experience for students during pandemic lockdown identified areas for improvement that can done. Sharing the study results could help to enhance online education with similar settings in colleges throughout the country.