Online Engagement Gaps among Adult Learners of Higher Education in the Post-Covid-19-Era

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discover the factors behind the online engagement gaps among adult learners in their postgraduate educational studies in the post-COVID-19 era. The qualitative approach was conducted on postgraduate adult students from an open university in Malaysia, using interviews, observations, and document analysis techniques. The findings of this study show three main themes of factors that influence the online engagement gaps among adult learners; personal conditions, institutional conditions, and external digital technology conditions. The small sample size only involved participants from a similar postgraduate course. The results are accurate only for this group of participants, limiting the transferability of the findings. There is no rich data to affirm on the internet connection of all students since the data can only be collected via interviews of participants and observation of participative students during live sessions. The study revealed that the factors influencing online engagement among adult learners could be helpful for future conceptual framework development and ensure continued success in online learning engagement in the post-COVID-19 era.