How Satisfied are Students with the Distance Education in the COVID-19 Period?

Background: During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, educational institutions globally, including those in Türkiye, were shut down, transitioning to distance learning (DE).<br style="color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Aim: This research was carried out to assess the satisfaction of university students with the DE they received during the COVID-19 pandemic.<br style="color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Methods: The descriptive study involved 458 students from a state university. Data were collected using the “Distance Education Satisfaction Questionnaire” through Google Forms. The data was analyzed using descriptive tests in the SPSS 20 package program.<br style="color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Results: The study’s findings indicated that 76% of the participants were female, 34.1% were 2nd-year students, and 25.3% were enrolled in the nursing faculty. Among the participants, 60.3% owned a personal computer, while 98.5% had a smart mobile phone. Students were generally satisfied with the sub-dimensions of “instructor”, “systems used in DE,” “university/faculty management” and “digital content/teaching material” of DE. On the other hand, it was determined that they were not satisfied with the “student” and “assessment and evaluation” dimensions.<br style="color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Conclusion: The research concluded that students were generally satisfied with distance learning, yet they did not find it as effective and efficient as traditional face-to-face education. To ensure the rapid and effective implementation and continuation of DE in future pandemics, it is recommended that all universities enhance their DE infrastructure.