Students’reflections on distance education at a Vietnamese university: an exploratory research

Distance education has become increasingly prevalent in higher education to meet diverse student needs and technological advancement, with Learning Management Systems (LMSs) serving as the primary platform for online learning activities. The present study investigated undergraduate learners’ reflections on distant learning offered by a public university in Hanoi, Vietnam. A mixed-methods approach with a survey questionnaire based on Gibbs’ reflective cycle that included both Likert scale questions (ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree) and open-ended questions, along with semi-structured focus group interviews, was used to collect data from 58 English-major students enrolled in a distance learning program. The findings from the students’ reflections revealed a gap between their pre-course expectations and their post-course actual learning experiences in a distance education program. While they valued flexibility and improved technological skills, they faced challenges in interaction, lecturer support, unclear materials, learning motivation, and time management when using the LMS. The implications of the findings of the present study are crucial for instructors, practitioners, policy makers and institutions to improve distance education courses.