ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE: A CASE STUDY OF MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH STUDENTS AT A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

Background: Online teaching and learning in Public Health has emerged as an important and perhaps transformative development in higher education in the recent 4.0 industrial era. So far, no studies have explored the perceptions of students with respect to whether online learning enhances academic experience. Methods: The purpose of this study was to determine whether online learning enhances the general student experience and satisfaction. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among the fully online Master of Public Health students at the University of Johannesburg, where questionnaires were used to gather data. Results: The results showed that the majority of the participants were females, and the mean age average was 39 years. There is a statistically significant association (p = .040) between students’ perception of ease in obtaining assistance from module facilitators and their satisfaction with timely completion of activities (P= 16.135,), with 4.0% of students reporting ease of obtaining assistance and satisfaction with timely completion. There is also a significant association between ease of obtaining assistance from module facilitators and satisfaction with activity support availability (Pearson Chi-Square = 47.479, p < .001), indicating a need for further analysis to determine the percentage of students experiencing this satisfaction. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of accessible support structures in facilitating students’ academic success and enhancing their overall satisfaction with their educational experience. Future research should incorporate more research settings amongst online program facilitators, qualitative data, and validation of findings or trends by repeating the survey at a future period