THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING WHATSAPP GROUP IN ONLINE LEARNING PROCESS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC OF ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM AT BATURAJA UNIVERSITY

This study aims to find out what was the effectiveness of WhatsApp Group in online learning process during Covid-19 pandemic of English education study program at Baturaja University. This study uses the descriptive qualitative. The Population of this research was 112 students of English Education Study Program. The researcher only took 55 students, namely the Fourth and Sixth semester as the sample by applying purposive sampling. The data was collected through the questionnaire with google form as an intermediary application. It consist of 20 statements. Then the researcher used Likert Scale for analyzing the data based on percentage interval and google form. The advantages of WhatsApp media in teaching learning process during pandemic Covid-19 is WhatsApp as media could improve and accomplished more activities quickly of their English learning performance, interaction via WhatsApp Group helped the students to become active in language learning, quota usage is not too much in using WhatsApp media, WhatsApp makes easy to send assignment whether in the form of direct comments (chat groups), images, video, PPT or other soft files and features of WhatsApp can help students and lecturers interact during learning carried out online or study from home, for example used voice note, video call, video group call, etc. There are many advantages of WhatsApp as a distance learning media, using WhatsApp makes students interested in learning even remotely, more concentration when using group on WhatsApp because it makes students focused on only on screen page, from what I experiences and I researched using WhatsApp as a media makes me enjoy in learning activities. Of the several responses from respondent, mostly of them stated they agreed to answer with all statements items of perceived effective with highest percentage for each item. This states that the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Group creation was very helpful for them in the online learning process during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The result of this research was students had mostly response agreed that WhatsApp Group is effective as a media in the online learning process during Covid-19 Pandemic.

Keywords: Effectiveness, WhatsApp, Covid-19, Online Learning