Distance Learning (D-learning), as an alternative educational solution for students who cannot attend in-person classes, has been deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver the promises promoted long ago by technology and education experts. For many professors and students, the shift was a first as they had to resume their classes fully online despite not being academically competent to do so. This research paper examines the D-learning scenario introduced by Moulay Ismail University (MIU). It is based on the intelligent Association Rules method to identify relations between different variables. The significance of the method lies in its ability to assist in drawing relevant and accurate conclusions for decision-makers on how to rectify and adjust the adopted D-learning model in Morocco and elsewhere. The method also tracks the most probable future rules that govern the behavior of the population under study vis-à-vis D-learning; once these rules are outlined, the training quality can be dramatically improved by adopting better-informed strategies. The study concludes that most recurrent D-learning issues reported by students systematically interrelate with ownership of gadgets and that once specific procedures are implemented, reports concerning the D-learning experience at MIU are likely to be more comforting.
Keywords: COVID-19; D-learning; Intelligent association rules; Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model.
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