Online And Distance Learning (ODL) and Hybrid Learning in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Qualitative Exploration of Effects and Challenges on Law Students

The rapid expansion of Online and Distance Learning (ODL) and hybrid learning after COVID-19 has changed the delivery of higher education, including legal education. This article provides a concise qualitative exploration of the effects and challenges of ODL and hybrid learning among undergraduate law students in Malaysia. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, the discussion focuses on cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence as key elements for sustaining legal reasoning, engagement, and academic resilience in digital and blended environments. The article adopts a descriptive qualitative and cross-sectional approach based on student-oriented reflections and selected pedagogical literature. The revision clarifies that the findings should be interpreted as contextual insights rather than causal or statistically generalisable results. It further acknowledges the need to include faculty members, administrators, and legal practitioners in future studies, and recommends mixed-method, longitudinal, and comparative research to measure outcomes such as performance, retention, advocacy skills, and professional readiness.

Online and Distance Learning, Hybrid Learning, Legal Education, Community of Inquiry, Qualitative Research, Post-COVID-19

1. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Garrison, D. R., & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 95–105. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause Review, 27. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. U.S. Department of Education. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. (2021). Way forward for higher education in the post-COVID-19 era. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Rapanta, C., Botturi, L., Goodyear, P., Guàrdia, L., & Koole, M. (2020). Online university teaching during and after the Covid-19 crisis: Refocusing teacher presence and learning activity. Postdigital Science and Education, 2(3), 923–945. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Slomanson, W. R. (2014). Blended learning: A flipped classroom experiment. Journal of Legal Education, 64(1), 93–102. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Influence of Goal Orientations on Online Motivation: A PLS-SEM Analysis