The coronavirus substantially affected education systems globally as institutions had to shift to web-based learning. Such changes led to many problems for both instructors and learners in nearly all levels of the education system, including high schools, colleges, and universities. Many interesting and informative publications arose due to the pandemic. Such publications addressed such problems as a low grasp of the relevant technologies, low-quality internet provision, lack of suitable space at home, and lack of access to proper equipment due to socio-economic issues. Other problems are limited student guidance and monitoring, low-class attendance, limited resources to implement the program effectively, assessment challenges, and inadequate technological proficiencies.
Nazir, M. A., & Khan, M. R. (2021) investigated the challenges that may hinder the online education bid for learners in higher institutions of learning during the coronavirus in their “Exploring Barriers to Online during the Covid-19 outbreak journal.” The study was research-based and used qualitative methods based on interviews; it highlighted interesting and significant challenges. Such problems include lack of reliable technology and electricity, inadequate proficiency to use technology by both staff and students satisfactorily, negative perception concerning web-based education, and health-related issues that extended sitting and loneliness posed to learners and educators.
Barrot, J. S., Llenares, I. I., & Del Rosario, L. S. (2021) also conducted an interesting research-focused study in their “Students’ Online Learning Challenges During the Pandemic and how they Cope with them.” The research was qualitative and sought to assess problems related to web-based learning during the coronavirus epidemic and offered potential recommendations to address the challenges. The research outcome showed that learners struggled with unsuitable home environments and inadequate technological know-how to appreciate the method properly. The investigators proposed proper time management techniques and seeking help as the main ways of coping with the condition.
Maatuk, A. M., Elberkawi, E. K., Aljawarneh, S., Rashaideh, H Alharbi, H. (2021) also conducted an insightful investigation in a journal dubbed “The COVID-19 pandemic and e-learning: Challenges and opportunities from the perspective of students and instructors.” The researchers explored the problems related to changing the entire educational system to an online-based affair following the spread of the coronavirus and the subsequent lockdowns from the outlook of educators and learners. The investigators employed a research-focused approach that used a descriptive-analytical technique. The investigators discovered that the most prevalent challenges were low internet connection speeds and expensive implementation processes. The researchers recommended studies on the application of technological training and funding of digital learning platforms in educational institutions.
Akram, H., Aslam, S., Saleem, A., & Parveen, K. (2021) performed interesting research published in a journal called “The challenges of online teaching in COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of public universities in Karachi, Pakistan.” The study was a scientific investigation based on empirical data and reviews from multiple peers; the researchers employed a mixed-method study approach including surveys and direct interviews to gather information. According to the study’s outcome, most academic staff welcome web-based learning reactions to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus its global implications. However, faculty members expressed various challenges associated with online learning, including class-management challenges, limited student guidance and monitoring, low-class attendance, limited resources to implement the program effectively, assessment challenges, and inadequate technological proficiencies.
All the above studies sought to investigate the implication of the movement of the class to the internet due to the coronavirus pandemic. One of the most dominant challenges spanning the four studies is the learners’ and instructors’ perception regarding the mode of study. Also, most of the studies revealed a low grasp of the relevant technologies, low-quality internet provision, lack of suitable space at home, and lack of access to proper equipment due to socio-economic issues. Other challenges are limited student guidance and monitoring, low-class attendance, limited resources to implement the program effectively, assessment challenges, and inadequate technological proficiencies. Relevant authorities should take steps to improve this approach to learning since we may need it again in the future.
References
Akram, H., Aslam, S., Saleem, A., & Parveen, K. (2021). The challenges of online teaching in COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of public universities in Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 20, 263–282. https://doi.org/10.28945/4784
Barrot, J. S., Llenares, I. I., & del Rosario, L. S. (2021). Students’ online learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them: The case of the Philippines. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7321–7338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x
Maatuk, A. M., Elberkawi, E. K., Aljawarneh, S., Rashaideh, H., & Alharbi, H. (2021). The COVID-19 pandemic and e-learning: Challenges and opportunities from the perspective of students and instructors. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-021-09274-2
Nazir, M. A., & Khan, M. R. (2021). Exploring the barriers to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. A case of Pakistani students from HEIs [higher education institutions]. GIST – Education and Learning Research Journal, 23, 81–106. https://doi.org/10.26817/16925777.1195
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