IMPACT OF ONLINE CLASSES DURING THIRD WAVE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background: The spread of COVID-19 triggered a range of health sector responses. As a response to minimize the spread,e-learning schemes are employed in many countries including Pakistan. It is playing an important role during this outbreak; however, there are technical, educational, financial, infrastructural, and socio-economic barriers that exist in the developing countries like Pakistan. These barriers have huge impact on the e-learning process in the country on both students and teachers.

Purpose: This study tends to investigate the impact of online classes on students learning process and teachers fulfilling their responsibilities at university level, particularly during the lockdown of the third wave of COVID-19.

Methods: For the data collection, a descriptive cross-sectional online and self-administrated survey has been conducted. The study sample has been made from eight different private and public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Results: The results of the study have presented interesting facts which are not common is developed countries. Around 47.5% of teachers have reported their anxiousness about their online class cause of electrical problems and also 30.5% of the Internet connectivity issues. More than half of the students i.e., 58.5% have faced disturbance due to power shortage (load shedding) and around 56.7% have highlighted the Internet issue including availability and signal strength.The study has also shown that only 59% of the students have fully access their online classes on time. 60.8% of students have used cellular data packages for their online classes due to lack of infrastructure for Internet connectivity.71.1% students have used smartphones and there is a positive association of proposed Demographic variables of the participants with most of the statement (details  and  barrier/benefit).  (P-value <0.05)

Conclusion: E-learning is an excellent alternative of education in the current COVID-19 situation; however, in the context of a developing country like Pakistan, it is not effective unless the factors mentioned above and affecting the e-learning process are worked on. This study finding has potential to facilitate in solving actual problems faced by the teachers and students in e-learning process and resolving these issues/factors can to improve the online educational system.