Student Readiness for Online Learning: A Case Study of COVID-19 Outbreak in Thailand

Abstract

After the World Health Organization’s designation of the Coronavirus or COVID-19 as a pandemic in early March 2020, many countries have been aware of the rapid spread of the disease. One of most serious concerns is about instructional management in their countries. Likewise, Thai government has launched an official announcement in relation to this crisis affecting universities across Thailand to cancel all in-person classes. Since teaching and learning process has been rapidly changed, student readiness for distance learning has been focused and concerned. Consequently, this study examined student readiness for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 53 English-major students from a university in Bangkok, Thailand. An online questionnaire was used to examine the participants’ background information about the uses of electronic devices and applications in learning, their perceptions of online learning as well as factors that most worried them in an online learning environment. Overall, this case study reveals the participants’ lifestyles in utilizing digital technology and educational applications. A majority of the participants reported that accessibility of Wi-Fi and fewer opportunities to have a two-way communication between lecturers and students were their most concerns. The findings suggested that university administrators should look at making Wi-Fi available and accessible at all times.