Perception of young adults in higher education: a case study of Caribbean students in the online learning environment

ABSTRACT

As the demand for tertiary education increases, Caribbean universities are choosing online education as a means of increasing access to education. The transition from the traditional classroom to the online classroom has proved challenging for some. The purpose of this study was to analyse why Caribbean adult learners do not perceive online education as providing the same learning experience as the traditional classroom. Little research has explored the perception of online learners in the Caribbean. The focus was the immediate needs that must be met before higher order learning needs can be achieved. Research questions explored the perceptions and experiences of Caribbean adult learners in the online class as opposed to the traditional classroom. Young Caribbean adult learners between the ages of 18 and 25 provided their experiences with online classes and in the traditional classroom. Qualitative case study research was used to explore the reasons and motivations of the participants in the research study. The population for this study was 14 students who completed online and on-ground classes. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants for the study. Data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, and template analysis was used to document students’ experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Caribbean learners
• online learning
• tertiary education
• student motivation
• student satisfaction
• perceptions

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr. John Avella from the American College of Education, Indiana, United States, for his helpful feedback on the early draft of this dissertation case study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Denise Greaves

Denise Greaves earned her doctoral degree in Education Leadership from American College of Education, Indiana, United States. Dr. Greaves is a Professor at Herzing University Online. Her research interests lie at the intersection of education and online learning. Dr Greaves is investigating accessibility to online learning and the perception of students in the online learning environment. She uses a variety of methods to explore this topic, including questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore the perception of Caribbean students in the online learning environment.