Students’ perceptions regarding the abrupt transition to online learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case of Faculty of Chemistry and Hydrocarbons at the University of Boumerdes—Algeria

Abstract

In recent months, universities around the world have been forced to cancel courses and close their doors due to the growing coronavirus epidemic. Following the government’s precautions, Algerian students were bound to quarantine regulations for their safety. Thus, they unexpectedly switched to online learning instead of face-to-face learning. Our objective of this exploratory study is to investigate the perceptions of Algerian university students regarding the abrupt transition to online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, an online survey with closed and open-ended questions was conducted among 380 students from the faculty of chemistry and hydrocarbons (FCH) at the University of Boumerdes—Algeria. The results showed that students have a negative perception of online learning. They are reluctant about this new digital pedagogy and prefer the traditional way of teaching to online teaching during the coronavirus pandemic