Faculty engagement with e-learning tools in Jordan: Practices and constraints

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which faculty members in Jordanian universities use e-learning tools and the obstacles they face in doing so. The data were collected in the 2020–2021 academic year, when Jordanian universities were teaching largely online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and a 32-item questionnaire, comprising a 15-item scale on the use of e-learning tools and a 17-item scale on obstacles, was administered to a random sample of 350 faculty members at universities in the central region of Jordan. Faculty members used e-learning tools at a positive level (M = 3.61 out of 5). They used them most often to involve students in learning activities, to direct them to educational websites, and to assign readings, and least often to exchange assignments by e-mail or to ask students to gather information from the web. The obstacles were rated high overall (M = 3.84). The most serious were the density of course content, weak Internet connections, and the low effectiveness of the devices available in universities, whereas weak training and the limited skills of lecturers and students were rated as moderate. The findings suggest that infrastructural and curricular constraints, more than a lack of competence, limited the use of e-learning during this period. The study recommends investment in network infrastructure and equipment, the redesign of course materials for online delivery, and continued professional development for faculty members.