Online Course: Factors Influencing Students’ Decision

Purpose – This research aims to analyze the factors that influence students' decision-making in order to continue choosing online learning methods after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology – The research method was quantitative research using survey research techniques. The research sample included 375 students who were currently enrolled in university and had attended online courses. The collected data will be analyzed using SEM Amos. Result – The results of data processing and analysis revealed that the factor influencing students' decisions to continue choosing online learning methods was students' attitudes towards online learning methods. Because there was a strong incentive to choose online lectures if the student's attitude was positive. In addition, students' decisions to choose online learning methods in the post-COVID-19 pandemic will be heavily influenced by their experience taking online lectures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, experience influences student attitudes, perceptions, and motivation. Originality – This research used Attitude, Perception, Motivation, and Experience as mediators to analyze students' decisions to continue choosing online learning methods. In addition to perception and motivation, attitude and experience factors as mediators can help to understand the factors that most influence student decisions.


Introduction
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the entire world, including Indonesia, has resulted in enormous changes in all aspects of human life.Everyone strives to maintain their lives, the health of their families, and their jobs.Similarly, the Indonesian people are still struggling to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.The establishment of a circumstance that threatens social interactions fosters a creative human attitude that encourages people to live.Particularly in the field of education, particularly in the teaching and learning process between teachers and students or lecturers and students.According to Firman & Rahayu (2020), lectures must still be held in such a way that direct physical interaction between educators/lecturers and students, or between students and students, is avoided.
Given this situation, the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, issued Circular Letter Number 4 of 2020 concerning the Implementation of Education in the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Emergency Period, requiring all learning to shift from face-to-face (offline) learning in the classroom to online learning.
The online learning system is a learning method that does not require direct face-to-face interaction between educators and students and is carried out entirely online via the internet network.Online learning is one of the strategies that universities require to ensure that the learning process continues well.Online learning should not be additional learning (Williams et al., 2012).
Support for mobile devices, such as smartphones or Android phones, laptops, PCs, tablets, and iPhones, that can be used to access information anytime and anywhere is required to carry out online learning (Gikas & Grant, 2013).Moreover, distance learning necessitates considerations such as managing the material presented independently, discussing together, being effective at time management, being able to improve skills and knowledge, and assisting students in learning online (Darmawan, 2016).
There are many alternative learning media that can be used for online learning.For example, Google Classroom allows every teacher to create a virtual class in which teachers/lecturers can provide teaching materials, assignments, and assessments.This is 21st-century learning, and it can be done without needing to meet in person in class (He et al., 2014).
Online learning is learning that uses the internet to bring students and lecturers together for learning interactions (Kurtarto, 2017).Hence, the use of technology for learning is a significant aspect that cannot be ignored (Orgaz et al., 2018).Saifuddin (2018) stated that online lectures are a form of learning that can increase students' involvement in the learning process.Modern learning will be created through online learning, which will be accessible to everyone regardless of geographic or time constraints (Huda et al., 2018).
According to Almeida & Simoes (2019), learning through the use of internet resources must be able to create innovation for learning activities both inside and outside the classroom.This condition necessitates an immediate adjustment in the implementation of teaching and learning activities through online learning at all levels of education (Hamid et al., 2020).Sudden changes in learning make learning not run optimally (Irawati & Jonatan, 2020).As a result, during online learning, students experience both positive and negative effects, which might have an impact on student psychology.
The positive aspect is that students can readily obtain the material and re-evaluate it presented by the lecturer (Dewi, 2020).Online learning also provides several advantages for students, such as control over content and time spent learning, allowing the process to be adapted to the learner's specific learning needs and goals.Research conducted by Nurcita & Susantiningsih (2020) revealed that online learning has advantages, such as technology that makes it easier to obtain material, students can learn through relevant visual and audio stimuli, and it allows introverted students to ask questions without feeling embarrassed.Online learning created positive conditions for improving educators'/lecturers' digital literacy skills because educators/lecturers are encouraged and motivated to learn online learning method strategies (Lederman, 2020).Students also feel more comfortable studying at home, they do not need to go to campus, doing practicums is easy, and can prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus (Fitria et al., 2020).
The negative impacts felt by students during online learning are as follows: students misuse time on things that are not important and are detrimental to students (Dewi, 2020).Students complain about pain in the musculoskeletal area, such as the neck and hips, which makes concentration less optimal (Herliandry et al., 2020).According to Hidayat et al. (2020), students have a low level of freedom because not all students are used to learning online, and there are still many lecturers who teach who are not proficient in using online media technology, particularly in different regions, resulting in the low benefits of online learning.In addition, students experience a lack of enthusiasm during online learning, do not understand the material, the existing facilities are limited, it is difficult, and they use a huge and expensive internet quota (Adi, 2021).Students feel less prepared, and that online learning makes them since they must adapt to the current environment, causing them to feel dissatisfied and unable to concentrate (Rondonuwu, 2021).
Based on the results of an evaluation conducted by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture, the results of online learning are not as good as those of offline learning.From the perspective of scientific delivery, lecture material can still be conveyed to students.However, interactions involving group discussion processes remain limited (Kristina, 2022) Apart from the survey results discussed above, the government is also looking at the spread of COVID-19, which is becoming more under control due to widespread immunization.Therefore, the Ministry of Education and Culture issued regulations to implement offline learning in the odd academic year 2022/2023.This, of course, makes learning return to its original form, which is face-to-face instruction in a classroom.In fact, according to Puspitasari (2014), education must play a role in the mastery of science and technology; this is a paradigmatic demand.As a result, understanding technology and information is a requirement for students.Students will not miss out on information in various fields thanks to science and technology.
The use of online media in carrying out assignments allows students to obtain a wealth of information, giving them the opportunity and freedom to develop their learning.An effective learning environment that uses multiple senses can absorb a wide range of information, making it easier to understand what one is learning (Novitasari, 2016).
Learning must be integrated with information and communication technology.Thus, educators and students must be capable of creating technology-based media (Pamungkas & Usman, 2017).As a result, online learning still requires development in schools (Irhandayaningsih, 2020;Lakoriha et al., 2019;Megawanti et al., 2020;Santika, 2020).
Online learning is still used effectively to support learning because it can be used to enhance learning material carried out by students at home.Hence, learning that is integrated with technology is a requirement that must inevitably be implemented in order to produce graduates who can use technology.Given these circumstances, the university must take action to encourage students' decisions to continue participating in online learning.
Youlinda Loviyani Putri (2019) conducted research on students' decisions to participate in online learning, with results indicating that the success of the learning model or media is dependent on the students' attitudes.According to Hanifah et al. (2020), the decision to choose online learning is influenced by learning environment factors, as well as the characteristics and attitudes of the students themselves.Likewise, according to Moore & Kearsley (2011), students' perceptions of the flexibility, quality, and effectiveness of online learning are factors influencing their decision to use online learning methods.Meanwhile, according to Hamalik (2004) students' prior experiences have a significant impact on the learning process.This experience serves as the basis for accepting new experiences.
This research is about online learning and the factors that influence students' decisions to choose online courses.The identified factors are attitudes, perceptions, and motivation toward students' decisions to choose online learning through experience factors such as mediation.It is expected that the research results will determine the influence of attitudes on students' decisions to choose online learning; the influence of perception on students' decisions to choose online learning; the influence of motivation on students' decisions to choose online learning, and the influence of prior experience on students' decisions to choose online learning.It is hoped that the research results will serve as a resource for future research as well as leaders and educators organizing online learning.
According to Katz (1964), attitude is "an individual's reaction to a particular object, which involves judgment, feelings, and actions."Katz distinguished attitudes into three categories: cognitive (judgments), affective (feelings), and behavioral (actions).
According to Festinger (1962), attitudes are "certain attitudes that influence attitudes towards the objects associated with them."He developed the term "cognitive dissonance," which refers to the conflict between opposing attitudes.Meanwhie, Ajzen (1991) defined attitude as "a stable tendency to respond to an object or class of objects in a particular way." Based on the definition of attitude given above, attitude plays a significant role in students' decisions to choose online learning.Students' attitudes toward distance learning (including online learning), as stated by Moore and Kearsley in their book, can influence their success in participating in distance learning (online learning).Furthermore, Tallent-Runnels et al. (2006) discovered that students' attitudes toward flexibility of time and place in online learning influenced their decision to take online courses.Students who are enthusiastic about this flexibility are more likely to choose online learning.Artino (2009) showed that students' attitudes toward technology influence their motivation to participate in online learning.In addition, Piurko et al. ( 2011) consider attitudes to be the most widely used construct for predicting behavioral intentions.Whereas, according to Tune Sumar & Tune Sumar (2020), attitude is the tendency to act, think, and feel in response to objects, ideas, situations, or values.As stated by Galib & Hidayat (2020), attitude is an expression of a consumer's feelings about an object, such as liking an object, or it can be a consumer's belief in the various benefits of a product.Attitude is defined as a person's willingness to respond and form beliefs or opinions that are evaluative statements about objects or events.H1: Attitudes influence students' decisions to continue choosing online learning.
According to Rakhmat (1999), Perception is the process of giving meaning to sensations in order for humans to learn new things.Within the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework, Garrison & Kanuka, 2004) highlight that students' perceptions of the interactive, cognitive, and social qualities of online learning can influence their decisions to participate actively and committedly in that environment.
In a study on the use of educational technology, Zhao et al. (2014) stated that students' perceptions of the benefits of technology in improving learning quality can influence whether they will take online courses.According to Artino, 2009), students' perceptions of the ease of use of technology, the quality of content, and the benefits of online learning all influence their decision to participate in online learning.
In the context of the "Community of Inquiry" theory, Anderson & Dron (2011) state that students' perceptions of a sense of belonging, feelings of presence, and active participation in an online learning community can influence their decision to continue participating in online courses.According to Kotler & Keller (2011), perception is the process of selecting, organizing, and translating input information to create a meaningful picture of the world.As a result, perception is influenced not only by physical stimuli but also by stimuli related to the surrounding environment and the individual's condition.Thus, perception is a process in which individuals organize and interpret sensory impressions in order to provide meaning to their environment.Therefore, perception is not only a psychological process, but it also begins with a physiological process known as sensation.Perception can be both positive and negative.If customers have a positive impression of the company's products, this will result in a positive perception, and vice versa.The inner perception of a person is greatly influenced by his thoughts and the environment.Furthermore, perceptions can differ significantly from reality or actual reality.According to Walgito (1989), the following indicators can be used to measure perception: absorption of stimuli or objects from outside the individual, understanding or comprehension, and assessment or evaluation.Meanwhile, according to Chuang et al. (2016) perception can be measured using the following criteria: efficiency, effectiveness, usefulness in improving performance, and usefulness in responding to information needs.This research employs indicators proposed by Chuang et al. (2016) to test the following hypotheses: H2: Perception influences students' decisions to choose online learning.
According to Uno (2023), motivation is someone's encouragement to change their behavior in order to achieve their goals.Zusho (2015) suggested that motivation should be considered a process in which several factors interact and play a significant role in the outcome.To ensure that student learning motivation remains consistent in the post-COVID19 pandemic period, the role of lecturers and students themselves is extremely important.If the conditions seen or felt directly by the student do not match what is expected, doubts will arise, which may lead to a decision to choose or not.
According to Hamali (2018) motivation is a factor that encourages a person to engage in a specific activity in which it is frequently interpreted as a factor that drives a person's behavior.Motivation is the drive that a person has that causes, directs, and organizes behavior (Setiawan & Mulyapradana, 2018).Romadon & Maryam (2019) stated that motivation, derived from the word motive, refers to a driving force, desire, need, and desire.Meanwhile, according to Baber (2020), one of the determinants of learning success is a person's motivation; intrinsic motivation has a significant influence on learning, particularly online learning.You can use indicators of desires, needs, goals to achieve, willingness, and pressure to test motivation: H3: Motivation influences students' decisions to choose online learning.Houde (2006) stated that experience has an important role in adult education.Whereas the needs and goals for learning are formed by their experiences in both social life and education.According to Sanjaya (2010), experiences are events that can provide meaning and significance to a person's life.Chaplin (1989) defined learning experience as defined as knowledge or skills gained through practice or outside learning efforts.Experience refers to how long a person has known/exchanged knowledge with other people in order to effectively do their job (Nasaruddin, 2008).
According to Sahertian (2000), experience is an activity or effort to develop the meaning of an event or situation so that people can solve a problem now and in the future.Experience is an effort for future action.Extensive experience enables us to gain a thorough understanding of a problem, enhancing our ability to put it into action.Education is in charge of encouraging and fostering creativity.
According to Wilson (2012), There are four stages of experience: real-life experiences, observations of surrounding events, concepts based on orientation, and implications of existing situations.These four stages will form a learning process that is appropriate for prior experience.There are two types of experiences: single-loop, which are direct experiences, and double-loop, which are indirect experiences that form new thought patterns.Meanwhile, Anggriawan (2014) stated that experience is knowledge or expertise obtained from an event through direct observation or participation in the event.This research used real-life experiences, observations of surrounding events, concepts based on orientation, and implications of existing situations to test the following hypothesis: H4: Experience influences students' decision to choose online learning.H5: Experience mediates attitudes towards students' decisions to continue choosing online learning.H6: Experience mediates perception towards students' decisions to continue choosing online learning.H7: Experience mediates motivation towards students' decisions to continue choosing online learning.
Griffin & Herres ( 2002) define decision-making as "the act of choosing an alternative from a set of alternatives."According to Hasibuan (2012), decision-making is a systematic approach to the nature of the alternatives faced and taking action that is calculated to be the most appropriate.
Meanwhile, Lencioni (2010) defines a decision as a choice between various alternatives.Thus, student decision-making in choosing learning is a decision in which students make considerations tailored to the conditions they experience and feel.The consequences of making this decision can have both short and long-term that will undoubtedly affect their future.Terry (1972) defines decision making as the process of selecting options based on criteria that will occur in the future.According to Salusu (2004), decision making is the process of selecting one of several alternatives using an efficient and appropriate method for the situation.
According to Mulyadi & Wicaksono (2019), consumer decision-making is a process in which humans share knowledge in all aspects of their lives through the interaction of affective attitudes, cognitive attitudes, behavioral attitudes, and environmental factors.Cognitive attitudes reflect understanding attitudes, affective attitudes reflect belief attitudes and behavioral attitudes reflect actual action attitudes.Terry (1972) recommends measuring decisions as follows: 1).Intuition: Decisions based on intuition or feelings are more subjective, which means they are more susceptible to outside influence and other psychological factors.For problems with limited impact, intuition-based decision-making necessitates a quick turnaround; 2).Experience: Decisions based on experience are extremely beneficial for practical knowledge.Experience and the ability to estimate the background of the problem and how it will be resolved are extremely beneficial in problem-solving.3).Fact: Decisions based on sufficient facts, data, or information are valid but gathering sufficient information is difficult.4).Authority: Decisions made solely based on authority will be routine and associated with dictatorial practices.Decisions made by decisionmakers on authority frequently result in problems that were supposed to be solved becoming unclear or less clear.5).Rational: Rational decisions are related to the problem's usability.The problems encountered necessitate rational solutions.Decisions made on rational grounds are more objective.
Meanwhile, according to Nurarif& Kusuma ( 2015), decisions can be measured using the following criteria: Goals must be specific to the individual's needs, clarity, and abilities; gathering information entails seeking information from a variety of sources, such as social media, advertisements, or even people in the surrounding area; interest is a tendency to have a strong liking for something that has become a choice, or the most important basis for a person's success; the best alternative choice is the alternative that is thought to be the most appropriate to solve the problem after careful consideration because it determines whether or not the alternative used will be successful; and, satisfaction is the final stage in which students are satisfied with their chosen study program and decide to enroll.
This research uses, objectives, collecting information, interests, choices, satisfaction to test the following hypothesis.H8: The influence of attitudes, perceptions and motivation on students' decisions to choose online learning after the COVID-19 pandemic is mediated by experience.
The conceptual framework for this research is depicted in Figure 1.

Research Methods
Research methods are essentially scientific methods of gathering data for specific purposes and applications.Based on this, four key words must be considered: scientific methods, data, objectives, and uses (Sugiyono, 2017).Because the data to be processed is ordinal, the method used in this research is quantitative.And the goal of this study is to determine the magnitude of the influence between the variables under consideration.
The data used in this research is primary data derived from a questionnaire distributed to students enrolled in a private university in Bandung City.Purposive sampling was used, with criteria for students who were still actively studying and had participated in online learning for at least two semesters.
The collected data will be analyzed using the Structure Equation Model (SEM).Before conducting the Structure Equation Model (SEM) analysis, validation and reliability tests were carried out.The operational variables used in this research are as follows in the Table 1.Validation tests are carried out to determine the degree of accuracy and precision of a measuring instrument.Meanwhile, the Reliability Test is carried out to determine the extent to which the measuring scale has a relatively consistent consistency when repeated measurements on the same subject are taken.

Measurement Model
The model construction is measured by first order measurement with several items are wellvalidated.Each construct is formed from a number of questions that are selected based on theoretical studies.All factor loadings exceed the 0.50 and the t-values of all indicators greater than 1.96.Table 2 shows the standard loading factor, t-value, AVE, and the overall model fit index.The estimated factor loading to assess Convergent validity and its significance (t-value) were evaluated and factor loadings exceed the 0.50 and the t-values of all indicators greater than 1.96.Discriminant validity with AVE for each construct was always greater than 0.50.Meaning variance along with the others construction (Fornell & Larcker, 1981).Overall, the measures used in the study have adequate reliability and validity.Table 1 shows the standard loading factor, t-value, AVE and the overall model fit index.

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Analysis
The results of data processing with LISREL 8.5 are as follows:

Figure 2. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Analysis
The results of the data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) are presented in Table 3.The aforementioned results indicate that the employed model is valid.The AGFI, CFI, and RMSEA measurement indices fall within the range of acceptable values.After fulfilling all assumptions, the hypothesis testing will be conducted.The results of hypothesis testing for direct effects are presented in Table 4. Source: Primary Data Processed, 2023 Table 4 shows that all t value >1.96 or have probabilities below 0.05.As a result, all hypotheses are accepted, confirming that Attitude, Perception, Motivation, and Experience directly influence students' decisions to continue online learning.Test results for the Experience variable as mediation using the Sobel test reveals that Experience partial mediates the link between students' Attitude and Perception.Thus, when influenced by Experience, it impacts students' decision to pursue online education.Additionally, Experience serves as partial Mediator for Motivation.In simple terms, Motivation can directly influence a student's decision to opt for online learning without relying on the Experience.

Discussion
The research results show that attitudinal factors influenced students' decisions to participate in online learning.As a result, a strong student attitude towards implementing online learning will have a significant influence on student decisions.This can be seen from an enthusiastic, attentive and happy attitude when participating in online learning.Aside from that, students will respond quickly to everything communicated through online learning activities.These results are in line with the results of research conducted by Arif et al. (2022), which revealed that Student attitudes remain consistent whether learning is done online or offline.Where students still have a positive attitude toward learning.Likewise, Sri Sulastri (2020) also stated that sudent attitudes toward online learning were positive, as evidenced by student participation or reactions while participating in online learning.
Students' perceptions had a direct influence on their decision to continue participating in online learning.This means that positive student perceptions will encourage students to conduct lectures online.The results of this research are in accordance with the results of research conducted by Gultom & Sitanggang (2020) and Misran & Yunus (2020), which revealed that student perceptions of online lectures are high, with students believing that online lectures give them the opportunity to seek out learning resources and explore themselves.Thus, encouraging the use of online lectures.Meanwhile, research conducted by Rahmatih & Fauzi (2020) and Adijaya & Santosa (2018) revealed that most students' perceptions are less supportive of online learning because students think it is easier for them to interact directly with lecturers rather than online.These results are not in accordance with the results of this study.
The research results also stated that motivation directly played a role in students' decisions to continue participating in online learning.As a result, it is possible to ensure that students are highly motivated to participate in online learning that is relevant to their interests, needs, and goals.Because it eliminates students' reluctance to ask questions, allows them to freely express their questions and opinions, and supports adaptive learning.Furthermore, online learning necessitates that students prepare thoroughly, critically evaluate information, effectively organize their studies, and maintain a high level of motivation to learn (Syarifah et al., 2022).This research results was consistent with research conducted by Sur et al. (2020) who found that online lectures influence student learning motivation.
The research results explain that experience influenced students' decisions to choose online lectures.Good and bad experiences determine students' choice.According to the results of research conducted by Misran & Yunus (2020), the most common problem encountered by students is internet network problems.This has a significant impact on student participation in online classes.As a result, it is critical to design learning experiences that align with learning objectives, which is an important aspect of learning planning (Nurhakim et al., 2017).
In addition, Aurel et al. (2021) also stated that the online learning experience would make it easier for students to take subsequent online lectures.This is in accordance with the results of this research, which found that experience influenced students' decisions to choose online lectures.Therefore, the experiences that students have while participating in online learning will influence their attitudes and perceptions, as well as their motivation to choose online lectures.
The experience mediation test results revealed that experience mediates attitudes, perceptions, and motivation regarding students' decisions to participate in online learning.This means that students' attitudes, perceptions, and motivation to continue participating in online learning will be influenced by their positive or negative experiences during online learning.

Conclusions
Variables such as attitude, perception, motivation, and experience had a direct influence on students' decisions to continue participating in online learning.Meanwhile, the Sobel test results revealed that the experience variable partially mediated the relationship between student attitudes and perceptions.Therefore, a student's decision to choose online education is influenced by experience.Aside from that, the results obtained for the Motivation variable show that experience occurred partial mediation, so that the influence of motivation on students' decisions to continue participating in online learning did not directly depend on experience.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, online lectures can still be given due to the many benefits students and universities can gain.Thus, the integration of education and technology can continue to produce high-quality students.
Based on the research results, in order to continue providing high-quality education, it is essential to optimize the online learning experience.This optimization must also take into consideration student-lecturer interaction, and the language used in student-lecturer communication must be comprehensible (Allo, 2020).In addition, it must be able to create an atmosphere of interaction, such as classroom learning and discussion, through the use of interesting/current case topics, simulations, games, questions and answers, and so on.Thus, students will have a really memorable experience while participating in online learning.Another key consideration is that face-to-face online lectures be conducted more extensively; do not simply email materials and ask students to download and read the materials/modules, as this will foster unfavorable attitudes and impressions of online learning among students.Students are less motivated to participate in online learning as a result.And it certainly gives kids a negative impression.
It is expected that the outcomes of this research might be used as a starting point for future research.However, this research has limitations because it was only conducted to private university students in Bandung City.Further research can be conducted on lecturers, who appear to play a significant influence in establishing attitudes, perspectives, motivation, and creating experiences for students based on the research findings.Moreover, lecturers, as educational implementers, must create and continue to develop learning instruments based on student attitudes, perceptions, and motivation.

Table 2 .
Results of Validity and Reliability Test for Variables Attitude, Perception, Motivation, and Student Decision-making

Table 3 .
Structural Equation Model (SEM) Feasibility Test Results