Qualitative study of lived experiences of virtual education from the perspective of students during the corona outbreak

With the onset of the Corona virus, many educational institutions were closed and their educational methods were changed. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the lived experiences of virtual education of students in the era of Corona. The participants were 60 male and female students of Payam Noor University of Ahvaz, who were selected voluntarily and asked to share their experiences of virtual education. Due to the fact that the classes were virtual and the physical presence of the students was low, they were selected from among the applicants to the university. The qualitative research method is phenomenology. Data were obtained through a researcher-made questionnaire (with adequate reliability and validity) and a semi-structured interview. Content validity (60 students, 3 psychology professors, and one educational science professor) was used to measure the validity of the findings, and Cronbach's alpha was used to measure reliability. Data analysis was done with the help of seven-step coding by Collaizzi (1978). The results showed that the lived experiences of virtual education from the students' point of view have two general positive themes (savings, reduction of accidents, and useful attendance) and their negative lived experiences of virtual education (reduction of social interactions, physical problems, learning and evaluation problems, and technical problems). Composed. Due to the fact that virtual education has strengths, therefore, in order to develop this method of education, it is possible to provide a solution for their development, and with proper planning, its negative aspects can be reduced.