Online Learning Platforms and Covenant University Students’ Academic Performance in Practical Related Courses during COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examines the effectiveness of online learning platforms (Zoom and Moodle) and their effect on the academic performance of Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria, students studying practical-related courses during COVID-19. This study specifically seeks to determine students’ attitudes towards online learning platforms, investigate the effectiveness of these platforms on practical-related courses as well as ascertain the effect of Zoom and Moodle platforms on the students’ academic performance during the Pandemic. Data were gathered through a survey of 380 CU students through the purposive sampling technique to pick students offering practical related courses. Results show that due to the effectiveness of the platforms (Zoom and Moodle) and the positive communication between lecturers and students via these platforms, students would like to see online learning continually adopted after the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings further show that students had no difficulties using these platforms. Due to the sheer adaptability of the online learning platforms used during the pandemic, the usage of Zoom and Moodle had a favorable impact on student’s academic achievement in practical-related courses. The study concludes that distance learning is a future direction in teaching practical-related courses because of the flexible nature of the platforms. Thus, universities in this part of the world should invest more in online education platforms to maintain academic continuity, especially during times of emergency. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.