College students’ perceptions of online learning: A study on learners’ satisfaction and experiences in online general English course

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of Korean EFL college learners toward online learning based on their level of satisfaction as well as their experiences of online learning. Methods A total of 111 college students who enrolled in online general English course were asked to complete a survey including 22 closed- and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS statistical package to examine learners' satisfaction with online classes. Regarding responses of participants’ experiences on online learning, all the narrative data was examined and divided into themes that emerged in the data. Results The findings showed that learners were generally satisfied with online learning and in particular, they were highly satisfied with pre-recorded video lectures than synchronous classes or combined classes. In addition, the level of satisfaction on ‘teacher-centered lectures’ was high, and those of ‘cooperative learning’ and ‘peer feedback activities’ were relatively low. Furthermore, students recognized accessibility, flexibility, and the possibility of repetitive learning as advantages of online learning while perceiving technical problems, communication with others, and lack of immediate feedback as disadvantages of online learning. Conclusions Based on the findings, discussion and suggestions on effective teaching methods and activities for online classes were presented.