research papers on online education in india

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Students' perception and preference for online education in India during COVID -19 pandemic

Affiliations.

1 Division of Agricultural Economics, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 11001, India.
2 Division of Agricultural Extension, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 11001, India.
PMID: 34173507
PMCID: PMC7836920
DOI: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100101

Educational institutes across the world have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic jeopardizing the academic calendars. Most educational institutes have shifted to online learning platforms to keep the academic activities going. However, the questions about the preparedness, designing and effectiveness of e-learning is still not clearly understood, particularly for a developing country like India, where the technical constraints like suitability of devices and bandwidth availability poses a serious challenge. In this study, we focus on understanding Agricultural Student's perception and preference towards the online learning through an online survey of 307 students. We also explored the student's preferences for various attributes of online classes, which will be helpful to design effective online learning environment. The results indicated that majority of the respondents (70%) are ready to opt for online classes to manage the curriculum during this pandemic. Majority of the students preferred to use smart phone for online learning. Using content analysis, we found that students prefer recorded classes with quiz at the end of each class to improve the effectiveness of learning. The students opined that flexibility and convenience of online classes makes it attractive option, whereas broadband connectivity issues in rural areas makes it a challenge for students to make use of online learning initiatives. However, in agricultural education system where many courses are practical oriented, shifting completely to online mode may not be possible and need to device a hybrid mode, the insights from this article can be helpful in designing the curriculum for the new normal.

Keywords: Content analysis; Online learning; Perception; Preferences; Readiness; TC, Total Count.

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The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Impact of Online Learning in India: A Survey of University Students During the COVID-19 Crisis

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The unprecedented situation of COVID-19 caused the government of India to instruct educational institutions to switch to an online mode to mitigate the losses for students due to the pandemic. The present study attempts to explore the impact of online learning introduced as a stop-gap arrangement during the pandemic in India. A survey was conducted (N=289), via Facebook and WhatsApp, June 1-15, 2020 to understand the accessibility and effectiveness of online learning and constraints that students of higher education across the country faced during the peak times of the pandemic.

The analysis and interpretation of the data revealed that the students acclimatized in a short span of time to online learning, with only 33.21% saying they were not satisfied with the online learning mode. However, the sudden shift to online education has presented more challenges for the socially and economically marginalized groups, including Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Class (OBC), females, and students in rural areas, due to factors like the price of high-speed Internet (78.20% identified it as a barrier to online learning), insufficient infrastructure (23.52% needed to share their device frequently or very frequently), poor Internet connectivity, etc. According to 76.47% of respondents, the future of learning will be in “blended mode.” A total of 88.92% of the respondents suggested that the government should provide high-quality video conferencing facilities free to students to mitigate the division created by online education in an already divided society.

The unprecedented situation of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the Indian education system to move to digital learning and teaching to fill the gap created by suspending classroom teaching across the country. Technological development and the Internet have changed the lives of people immensely and have also brought a huge change in various fields (Nadikattu , 2020) .

The majority of countries worldwide temporarily closed educational institutions to contain the spread of the COVID-19. According to UNESCO (2020) , 191 countries have implemented nationwide or localized school closures, resulting in over 91% of enrolled students, or 1.5 billion people, not being able to go to school as of April 20, 2020 (Lamrabat , 2020) . UNESCO has supported countries in their efforts to mitigate the immediate impact of school closures, particularly for more vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, and to facilitate the continuity of education for all through remote learning (UNESCO , 2020) .

The decision of the countries to switch to an online mode of education in light of the outbreak of COVID-19 was needed to contain the spread of the pandemic. Although the Indian government has attempted to control the damage by introducing online teaching through the virtual classroom, uploading and sharing e-study materials, and through virtual interaction, all such tools and techniques have limitations. This damage control mechanism will certainly have long-term consequences on the quality, accessibility, and deliverability of educational content. The effects of the global pandemic on the education system may vary from country to country, depending mainly on infrastructure and quality of content. The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected all segments of students, but it is particularly damaging to students of the vulnerable groups of the society.

The people of the vulnerable groups in India are disadvantaged in comparison to others mainly on account of limited access to basic needs or services. The vulnerable groups susceptible to mainly social and economic discrimination include women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, children, aged, disabled, poor migrants, people living with HIV/AIDS, and sexual minorities (MES , 2011) . As per census of India 2011, the Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) account for 8.2% and 16.2% of the total population of the country respectively (Census India , n.d.) . The term OBC, which stands for Other Backward Class, is collectively used by the Government of India to categorize the educationally or socially underprivileged castes living across the country. It is one of the official classifications of the population alongside General Class, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs).

There are reports of students of a large section of the country facing difficulties coping with the present online system of delivery of education based on the digital divide. The closure of 1.5 million schools due to the pandemic and lockdowns in 2020 has impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in India (UNICEF , 2021) . The interruptions in the teaching and learning process have adversely affected mainly the students without smartphones and computers, those with poor Internet speed or lack of stable Internet connection, electricity failures, etc. The early evidence and news reports also indicate that the impact of COVID-19 is most severe among the students from vulnerable groups due to their inability to continue with studies due to meager economic conditions. Moreover, re-contextualizing the teaching and learning process to an e-learning mode has several limitations for students with less access to technology.

The problem for the students with meager sources of family income is more severe and such students require additional attention and support. The online method of delivering content is a big barrier for such students and their families. It has restricted both the cognitive as well as non-cognitive development of these students. The online delivery of education may turn out to be harmful if the pandemic situation continues for a long time for the students living in poverty. The situation will adversely affect students from indigent and other marginalized groups in particular. Moreover, health and psychological issues such as mental stress, eye strain, headache, backache, neck ache, spondylitis, sleeplessness, irritation, aloofness, lack of physical peer interaction, etc. emerging from the sudden introduction of online education can cause the students to experience many difficulties. Any stress and inadequate resources to alleviate these potential harms may lead the individual to experience psychological distress (Lazarus & Folkman , 1984) .

As an offshoot of digital and Internet technology, e-learning or online learning has developed the potential to make some notable changes in accessing educational curriculum outside the traditional classroom and previously existing technology over the last two decades. However, the widespread technological innovations and infrastructural growth divided the world into the physical and digital world since the dawn of the new millennium. Besides the availability of the infrastructure, a detailed lesson plan, presentation, and good study materials need to be prepared for effective online learning. The lack of online teaching skills, no training for preparing lesson plans, poor or no hands-on training of software, unavailability of infrastructure, etc. among the educators of developing and underdeveloped countries stand as a major challenge. The trend of online learning has been benefiting the learners from developed counties with sound technological infrastructure more than the developing and poor counties, resulting in a huge gap between education rich and education poor countries.

Over the years, India has introduced several public policies in different sectors to acquaint and encourage citizens to accept digital technology for a wide range of benefits. Of late, digital activity is gaining acceptance across different sectors including education, especially in private educational institutes, coaching centers, and distance learning universities in pre-COVID-19 India.

In a country as diverse as India, along with overcoming the infrastructure barrier, there needs to be a focus on overcoming the barriers of language and content (Saini , 2018) . The migration to online learning has been looked at as a good solution for the future by experts while overcoming the infrastructural barriers in gradual progression to maintain quality and accessibility to meet the learning needs of the growing population of the country.

There may be numerous pros and cons of online education with respect to the students of different classes, castes, genders, and economic conditions. Despite all odds, the government and stakeholders of educational institutions have been working hard to strengthen the knowledge of the individual, larger community, and society for any normal and future crisis situations.

This paper concentrates on the socio-demographic impact of the introduction of online learning process in higher education on students of different classes, castes, genders, urban, and rural areas in higher education.

Literature Review

Fast research growth and technology have made distance education easy (McBrien et al. , 2009) . “Most of the terms (online learning, open learning, web-based learning, computer-mediated learning, blended learning, m-learning, for ex.) have in common the ability to use a computer connected to a network, that offers the possibility to learn from anywhere, anytime, in any rhythm, with any means” (Cojocariu et al. , 2014) .

Not only the teachers but also the students are facing challenges due to a deficiency in proper learning attitudes, lack of suitable materials for learning, more involvement in classroom learning, lack of self-discipline, and the inadequate learning environment at some of their homes during self-isolation (Brazendale et al. , 2017) .

Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the study conducted by Sun and Chen (2016) reviewed 47 published studies and research regarding online teaching and learning since 2008. Their study primarily focuses on how theories, practices, and assessments apply to an online learning environment. Some prominent factors required for effective online instruction included well-designed course content, motivating interaction between the instructor and learners, well-prepared and fully supported instructors, creation of a sense of online learning community, and rapid advancement of technology Sun and Chen (2016) .

In their systematic analysis, Navarro and Shoemaker (2000) observed that the learning outcomes of students having online classes were as good as or better than traditional classroom learning, irrespective of the background characteristics of the students. The student learners were highly satisfied with online learning.

Lederman (2020) had the opinion that the COVID-19 crisis compelled both teachers and students to embrace the digital academic experience of the online teaching-learning process. Bao (2020) was perhaps one among the early researchers during the pandemic who described how universities have been moving from classroom-based education to online education, owing to the exponential number of COVID-19 cases. The teachers have been delivering course content through various online platforms, including online educational platforms, videoconferencing software, and social media (Aguilera-Hermida , 2020) . The online educational platforms like Google Classroom and Blackboard allow teachers to share notes and multimedia resources to continue the regular studies of students. Students can submit their assignments via educational platforms and teachers can track the progress of students.

Videoconferencing tools such as Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams have been playing important roles in delivering online lectures and organizing discussion sessions. In fact, these platforms typically support slideshows and have several useful features. A number of universities and institutions of higher education have been disseminating course material through their official websites (Chatterjee & Chakraborty , 2020) .

Several countries were equipped with significant infrastructure for online education before the pandemic hit the world (Mishra et al. , 2020) . Despite this, not all universities were prepared to shift to complete online education. There are some empirical studies that suggest that students have a better learning experience in a physical classroom than through online education (Bojović et al. , 2020) . Students miss the assistance they obtain from their peers in classrooms and laboratories and access to a library (Aguilera-Hermida , 2020) . However, students believe that online education facilitated the continuation of their studies during the pandemic (Mishra et al. , 2020) .

The caste system of Indian society is one among the world’s oldest forms of surviving social stratification. The system of caste segregates the Hindus into four main categories - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, based on their karma (work) and dharma (religion or duty in Hindi language). This system of casteism among Hindus is believed to be more than 3,000 years old. This system of social division dictates nearly all facets of Hindu religious and social life, where each group occupies a definite place in the complex social hierarchy. The communities living in rural India are mainly segregated on the basis of castes - the upper and lower castes. They have been living in segregated colonies with restrictions on movements, alliances and sharing facilities. The Constitution of India banned discrimination on the basis of caste after country’s independence from British rule, and, in an attempt to correct historical injustices and provide a level playing field to the traditionally disadvantaged, the authorities announced quotas in government jobs and educational institutions for scheduled castes and tribes, the lowest in the caste hierarchy, in 1950 (BBC , 2019) . The Constitution of India defines who are members of the SC and ST under Article 341 and 342 with respect to any state or union territory.

The population of OBC consisted of 52% of the country’s population according to the B P Mandal Commission report (TNS , 2021) of 1980, and it was determined to be 41% in 2006 (TNN , 2007) by the National Sample Survey Organisation. A constitutional provision of 27% reservation (PIB , 2014) was made in public sector employment and higher education to uplift the OBC.

The review of literature suggests that online learning has both positive and negative aspects in terms of delivery of content, current environment, and availability of infrastructure. The trend of learning via online mode is not new for the students belonging to privileged classes in India. There are a section of people opting for online learning via various platforms like edX and Coursera for better learning and international exposure. The present crisis of the pandemic forced some students to not be able to carry out their studies in the online mode due to several to social, economic, and infrastructure related issues. These issues include no or poor Internet facilities, no mobile phone, laptop or computer, no conducive environment for learning, etc. The sample for the current study mainly represents only those higher education students who were forced to go to an online mode of learning.

The researchers have not found any studies on the effectiveness of online learning among the students of higher education of varied demographics during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study may be helpful to understand the effectiveness of online learning especially among the vulnerable groups of the society during the pandemic.

Research Questions and Hypotheses

The current study investigates the effect of the sudden shift of the entire learning environment from physical to online mode. The research questions formulated for the study are as follows.

RQ1 : How or what were the opinions of the students regarding online mode of learning?

RQ2 : How has online learning affected the students of different groups, particularly disadvantaged members of society, including OBC, SC, ST, rural, and female students?

RQ3 : Will the online mode of learning will reduce the discrimination among the different socio-economic groups of the society?

The following hypotheses have been framed and will be tested from the data collected.

H 1 : Different sections of the society were differently impacted due to the sudden shift to an online mode of learning.

H 2 : There were sections of the society who lacked sufficient infrastructure for online learning.

H 3 : Online learning is considered less effective and the interaction level is also less.

Methodology

There is the need during the ongoing pandemic to study and understand the efficacy of online education when students of various disciplines of India are entirely dependent on learning online. An explorative research design technique has been chosen for this study, and the analysis in this paper will also look into the following aspects of online learning.

Frequency of participation in learning via online classes, the kind of devices used, mode of connection, and the platform used for learning online.

Suitability of the additional e-material available for the online learning process among learners.

Effectiveness of online learning among students in higher education. (Satisfaction, understanding the subject, classroom adjustment, teacher-pupil interactions, peer interaction/sharing).

Constraints faced during online learning (gender, economic status, social status, place of residence, and health).

Problems faced by e-learners in the process of learning such as conceptual, theoretical, and practical clarity of the content, technical problems, and the physical environment.

Effectiveness of online learning in the present situation of the pandemic and future implications.

Need and preference of learners for better learning and understanding of the content and realistic approach to the subjects.

A Google Form containing 38 questions has been developed to understand respondents’ experiences and perception of online classes during the pandemic. It also attempts to investigate how the sudden shift has differently impacted students belonging to different socio-demographic backgrounds. The responses to the questionnaire helped us to determine the frequency of participation in learning via online classes, the kind of devices used, connection mode, the platform used for learning online, etc.

The link to the questionnaire was circulated online via various Facebook and WhatsApp groups of students of higher education, aged 18-30 years across India. The link was kept active for 15 days from June 1, 2020 to June 15, 2020 to collect responses from the e-learners of the target group. The responses of 289 e-learners were recorded during the period. All the questions were close ended. The collected data was recorded on a nominal or ordinal scale. Therefore, the data received is categorical data.

Pertinent tools to analyze categorical data were used, which include frequency analysis, contingency tables, and chi-square test for testing the associations of the categorical data. Using cross-tabulation, we could get grouped frequencies to find whether there is a pattern of association between two or more variables.

Results and Discussion

Out of 289 responses, 171 (59.16%) were male and 118 (41.83%) were female. In terms of caste, the majority of the responses were received from the General Category ( n =192, 66.43%) and Other Backward Class (OBC) ( n =67, 23.18%); only 15 responses were received from members of a Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) each.

Participation, Device, Connectivity, and Platform

A total of 211 (73.01%) students responded that they participate most of the time in online learning, whereas 69 (23.87%) said that they participate some of the time. The number of students who seldom or never attended online classes was very low (8 students and 1 student, respectively). This clearly reflects that students did not face much difficulty starting to learn online. The majority of students ( n =245, 84.77%) were using smart phones for online learning, whereas the uses of laptops, tablets, and desktops were limited to only 38, 4, and 2 students (13.15%, 1.38%, and <1%) respectively. More than three-quarters of the students (76.12%) used mobile Internet to participate in online learning, which indicates that using wi-fi connectivity is less popular or not available.

The number of students using Zoom as a platform for learning was the highest ( n =153, 52.94%); 60 (20.76%) used WhatsApp, 33 (11.42%) used Google Classroom, 21 (7.27%) used Google Meet, and 22 (7.61%) used other platforms of class room meetings. When it comes to receiving study material, most of the learners preferred WhatsApp ( n =252, 87.20%) and only 35 (12.11%) preferred other online platforms.

E-Material Preference and Satisfaction

It was observed that students preferred e-notes and online videos over e-books as supporting resources for online learning (see Table 1 ).

E-material		%
E-books	27	9.34
E-notes	116	40.14
Online video	126	43.60
Other	20	6.92
Total	289	100

In response to the question about whether they were satisfied with the online mode for effectively learning the subjects covered on their syllabus, 96 (33.22%) of the e-learners were not satisfied. Other students responded to the same question that they were very satisfied (20, 6.92%), satisfied ( n =62, 21.45%), or that it was manageable ( n =111, 38.40%).

Exposure and Material

A total of 122 (42.21%) strongly agreed and 124 (42.91%) agreed with the statement that hands on experience in a physical classroom may not work in an online mode. A total of 19 e-learners (6.57%) could not decide. Another 18 (6.23%) and 6 (2.08%) respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed, respectively, with the statement that practical exposure with a teacher in a physical classroom interaction may not work online. The responses reflect that the majority of the students felt that they get less practical exposure in the online mode of learning.

Most of the students ( n =270, 93.43%) received online material from their teachers; only 19 (6.57%) said that they had not received it. Only 58 students (20.07%) had recorded lectures from their teachers. A chi-square test revealed that type of course and the level of satisfaction in online learning are independent, that is, not affecting each other (χ 2 (9, N =289)=10.257, p =.330). However, residential area (urban, suburban, or rural) and students’ satisfaction level are associated (χ 2 (6, N =289)=29.239, p <.001). This is an indication that the urban students (privileged) are more satisfied than suburban and rural (less privileged) students. It hints that online education has created a divide in the society. This result shows that H 1 is supported that is, the different sections of the society were differently impacted.

Constraints of Learning

To explore the constraints faced during online learning, several questions were asked, and pivot tables were created to understand the associations between the responses to these questions and some important demographic variables such as gender, caste, family income, place of residence, etc.

On the question about whether the online schedule of classes caused any problem to their family members’ daily routine or not, the majority of students reported that it has created a little problem ( n =108, 37.37%) or it was never a problem ( n =94, 32.53%). However, when the responses of the same questions were cross tabulated with gender and caste and a chi-square test was applied, it was found that responses were independent of caste (χ 2 (12, N =289)=9.6776, p=.1389), but related to gender (χ 2 (4, N =289)=13.531, p =.009). These test results suggests that female students had to adjust their household work for online classes. In addition, while this does not directly indicate infrastructural issues, it may be an indication that female students may not own their own device for attending online classes, which may be attributed to less infrastructure. Therefore, these results may support H 2, which stated certain sections of society have insufficient infrastructure for online learning.

The responses of the e-learners were evenly spread when the question of whether the sharing of a device while attending an online session created any problems for family members or not. A total of 80 respondents (27.68%) rarely had any problem, whereas it was never a problem for 72 respondents (24.91%). The details of the responses are in Table 2 . The results of chi-square tests showed that problems due to sharing a device were related to both caste (χ 2 (4, N =289)= 25.504, p =.009) and gender (χ 2 (4, N =289)=13.68709, p =.008), further supporting H2.

Statements	1	2	3	4	5	Total
Problems due to sharing device	15 (5.19)	53 (18.34)	69 (23.88)	80 (27.68)	72 (24.91)	289 (100)
The price of high-speed Internet is a barrier to online learning.	107 (37.02)	119 (41.18)	9 (3.11)	28 (9.69)	26 (9.00)	289 (100)
Online classes are stressful.	62 (21.45)	107 (37.03)	75 (25.95)	16 (5.54)	29 (10.03)	289 (100)
Music and meditation can reduce the stress of online classes	52 (18.00)	105 (36.33)	57 (19.73)	19 (6.58)	56 (19.36)	289 (100)
Frequency of online class attendance during COVID-19 pandemic.	52 (17.99)	134 (46.37)	51 (17.65)	39 (13.49)	13 (4.50)	289 (100)
There will be a blended mode of learning (classroom and online) in the future	67 (23.18)	154 (53.29)	6 (2.08)	18 (6.23)	44 (15.22)	289 (100)
The government should provide high quality video conferencing facilities free to all students.	145 (50.17)	112 (38.76)	7 (2.42)	7 (2.42)	18 (6.23)	289 (100)
It is difficult to comprehend lab/field-based activities online.	141 (48.79)	119 (41.17)	3 (1.04)	10 (3.46)	16 (5.54)	289 (100)

Note. 1 = very frequently/strongly agree , 2 = frequently/agree , 3 = occasionally/neutral , 4 = rarely/disagree , 5 = never/strongly disagree

An attempt to explore whether this problem has any association with gender/caste/household income and residential area (urban, suburban, or rural) has been done. Cross tabulations have been done with all these. A chi-square test for independence for attributes was performed. The chi-square test revealed that the constraints of learning are associated with gender (χ 2 (4, N =289) =13.687, p=.008) and caste (χ 2 (12, N =289)=26.504, p =.009). However, no association was found between the responses to this question and the income status of the respondents’ families. These results help to understand the online learning constraints of e-learners in terms of their gender, economic status, place of residence, and societal standing (caste). The results of the test support H 1 .

Internet Speed

Most of the respondents ( n =226,78.20%) agreed or strongly agreed that the price of high-speed Internet is a barrier to online learning (see Table 2 ). Caste (χ 2 (12, N =289)=25.501, p =.013) and income (χ 2 (12, N =289) =27.921, p =.006) were found to be significantly associated with the price of high-speed Internet being a barrier to online learning. These results support H 2 , that is, that certain groups lacked the infrastructure needed for online learning.

Information Overload

Most of the respondents (52.60%) opined that the abundance of e-materials on course curriculum may lead to information overload, whereas the number of students who responded yes or no were found to be 76 (26.30%) and 61 (21.10%) respectively (see Table 3 ).

Statements	1	2	3	4	Total
The abundance of e-materials will lead to information overload.	76 (26.30)	0 (0.00)	152 (52.60)	61 (21.10)	289 (100)
Online learning tools are user-friendly.	139 (48.10)	102 (35.29)	0 (0.00)	48 (16.61)	289 (100)
Readiness of India for online learning in all levels of education.	65 (22.49)	65 (22.49)	47 (16.26)	112 (38.76)	289 (100)
Can online teaching replace classroom teaching?	44 (15.22)	65 (22.49)	26 (9.00)	154 (53.29)	289 (100)
Online learning has affected the art of teaching and zeal for learning.	153 (52.94)	53 (18.34)	27 (9.34)	56 (19.38)	289 (100)

Note. 1 = Yes, 2 = Somewhat, 3 = Maybe/Not sure, 4 = No.

Stress and Remedies

The majority of the students strongly agree (21.45%) and agree (37.03%), that online classes were stressful.

The majority of the students believe, that is, agreed (36.33%) or strongly agreed (18.00%), that inclusion of online music and meditation classes can reduce the stress of online classes. Table 2 shows that 19.73% disagreed and 6.58% strongly disagreed that music would reduce stress, and 19.36% were undecided.

If undecided responses are excluded, strongly agree/agree are combined, and strongly disagree/disagree are combined, and a z -test for difference of proportion is conducted, it reflects that more people agreed with introducing music and meditation as supplementary classes along with main the subjects ( z =5.3, p < .001).

User-Friendliness of Tools

A total of 139 respondents (48.10%) found online learning tools user-friendly (see Table 3 ). When the responses yes and somewhat were combined and a z -test was conducted, the result of the test suggests that the majority found online tools user friendly ( z =11.4, p <.001).

Readiness for Online Learning

The number of respondents who feel that India is not ready for online classes was found to be highest ( n =112, 38.75%) in the survey (see Table 3 ). An equal number ( n =65, 22.49%) of participants responded somewhat or yes, whereas 47 (16.26%) of respondents were not sure. The responses of the participants indicate that the present situation for online learning is not encouraging when considering India’s readiness for online learning in similar situations in the future.

Online vs. Classroom Teaching

On the question of whether the students, who have been forced to attend online classes due to the pandemic, had attended classroom classes before the outbreak of COVID-19, the majority of the students, which includes very frequently (17.99%) and frequently (46.37%), had attended classes regularly, 17.65% attended occasionally, and 13.49% rarely attended classroom classes before the outbreak of COVID-19, whereas a small percentage (4.50%) never attended classes held in regular classrooms (see Table 2 ). The majority of the students (64.36%), which includes very frequently (17.99%) and frequently (46.37%), attended online classes regularly.

Should We Replace Classroom Teaching with Online Teaching?

More than half of the respondents (53.29%) had the opinion that online teaching cannot replace classroom teaching, whereas 22.49% believed that online teaching can replace traditional classroom teaching; 9.00% of the respondents were not sure, and only 15.22% believed that online teaching can replace classroom teaching (see Table 3 ).

The limitations of online learning may hamper the majority of the respondents’ ability to understand contents and develop skills related to the subjects.

Art of Teaching and Students’ Zeal for Learning

More than 70% (71.28%) of the respondents believed (yes or somewhat) that online learning has affected the art of teaching and zeal for learning (see Table 3 ). A total of 28.75% (19.38% no and 9.37% not sure) have different views.

Future Approach to Learning

More than three-quarters of total respondents, who either agreed or strongly agreed, believe the future of learning would be blended, that is, a combination of classroom and online learning (see Table 2 ). Only 2.42% disagree and 6.23% were not sure about it.

Support from Government

A total of 88.93% of the respondents either strongly agree or agree (see Table 2 ) with the statement that the government should provide high quality video conferencing facilities free to all students. The percentage of respondents with opinions such as disagree, strongly disagree, or undecided were minimal.

Practical Components of Learning

The majority of the respondents ( n =260, 89.97%) either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that they faced difficulties in comprehending lab/field-based activities when taught online (see Table 2 ). These results support H 3 .

Preference of Learning

More than half of the respondents (54.33%) believe that face-to-face interaction is a better option (see Table 4 ). A total of 22.14% preferred 50% face-to-face and 50% online. Only 4.15% preferred completely online learning. These findings support H 3.

Responses		%
Completely face-to-face interaction	157	54.33
About 50% face-to-face and 50% online	64	22.14
Mostly, but not completely, face-to-face interaction	35	12.11
Mostly online, but not completely online	21	7.27
Completely online	12	4.15
Total	289	100

The findings of the study suggest that there is a serious need to invest a sizeable amount of money in the development of infrastructure and to frame national policy to overcome challenges faced during the stop-gap arrangement of the teaching-learning process and continue it as an additional mode of teaching and learning even after the pandemic ends.

With the current experience of online education, advancement in technologies, proliferation of education, and ample opportunities of learning from experts, the modes and ease of learning have been significantly changing over a period of time. Hence, there is a need to develop new theories that deal with effectiveness, opportunities, and necessity for online learning.

We can observe the following from this study.

(i) Different sections of the society were differently impacted due to sudden shift on online mode of learning.

(ii) There were sections of the society who did not have sufficient infrastructure for online learning.

(iii) Discrimination among different classes may not be there as it takes place in physical classes, but the online mode of education will widen the gap among different sections of the society.

(iv) Teaching satisfaction level with the online mode is less than in-person education mode and even less for suburban and rural students.

(v) Constraints of online education are associated with gender and caste, indicating that online education creates more division in an already divided society.

The findings of the study may not be suitable to derive a universally acceptable conclusion, as it was conducted with a small group of people. The results may vary due to different social and economic standings of different groups of students of higher education, who have been continuing their online education during the pandemic crisis. However, the results of the study may give a direction to future researchers who wish to conduct similar studies with a larger sample and derive any model, concept, or theory based on the findings.

Submitted : February 27, 2021 KST

Accepted : July 18, 2021 KST

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Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection

Students’ perception and preference for online education in India during COVID -19 pandemic

T. muthuprasad.

a Division of Agricultural Economics, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 11001, India

S. Aiswarya

b Division of Agricultural Extension, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 11001, India

K.S. Aditya

Girish k. jha, associated data.

Educational institutes across the world have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic jeopardizing the academic calendars. Most educational institutes have shifted to online learning platforms to keep the academic activities going. However, the questions about the preparedness, designing and effectiveness of e-learning is still not clearly understood, particularly for a developing country like India, where the technical constraints like suitability of devices and bandwidth availability poses a serious challenge. In this study, we focus on understanding Agricultural Student’s perception and preference towards the online learning through an online survey of 307 students. We also explored the student’s preferences for various attributes of online classes, which will be helpful to design effective online learning environment. The results indicated that majority of the respondents (70%) are ready to opt for online classes to manage the curriculum during this pandemic. Majority of the students preferred to use smart phone for online learning. Using content analysis, we found that students prefer recorded classes with quiz at the end of each class to improve the effectiveness of learning. The students opined that flexibility and convenience of online classes makes it attractive option, whereas broadband connectivity issues in rural areas makes it a challenge for students to make use of online learning initiatives. However, in agricultural education system where many courses are practical oriented, shifting completely to online mode may not be possible and need to device a hybrid mode, the insights from this article can be helpful in designing the curriculum for the new normal.

1. Introduction

With the COVID-19 -a novel corona virus disease spreading across the globe, many countries have ordered closure of all educational institutes. Educational institutions have come to a functional standstill since they had to protect their students from viral exposures, which are likely in a highly socializing student community. In the beginning of February 2020, schools only in China and a few other affected countries were closed due to the proliferating contamination. However, by mid-March, nearly 75 countries have implemented or announced closure of educational institutions. As on 10th March, school and university closures globally due to the COVID-19 has left one in five students out of school. According to UNESCO, by the end of April 2020,186 countries have implemented nationwide closures, affecting about 73.8% of the total enrolled learners ( UNESCO, 2020 ). Even though the lockdown and social distancing are the only ways to slowdown the spread of the COVID-19 by breaking the chain of transmission, closure of educational institutions has affected large number of students.

As the schools and colleges are shut for an indefinite period, both educational institutions and students are experimenting with ways to complete their prescribed syllabi in the stipulated time frame in line with the academic calendar. These measures have certainly caused a degree of inconvenience, but they have also prompted new examples of educational innovation using digital interventions. This is a silver lining on a dark cloud considering the sluggish pace of reforms in academic institutions, which continues with millennia-old lecture-based approaches in teaching, ingrained institutional biases and obsolete classrooms. Nevertheless, COVID-19 has been a trigger for educational institutions worldwide to pursue creative approaches in a relatively short notice. During this time, most of the universities have shifted to online mode using Blackboard, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or other online platforms.

The educational institutions in affected areas are seeking stop-gap solutions to continue teaching, but it is important to note that the learning quality depends on the level of digital access and efficiency. The online learning environment varies profoundly from the traditional classroom situation when it comes to learner’s motivation, satisfaction and interaction ( Bignoux & Sund, 2018 ). The Community of Inquiry (COI) framework offers a convenient baseline for intervening in online teaching and learning ( Garrison et al., 2001 ). According to COI framework, success of web-based instruction is determined by creating a learners’ group. In this group (analogous to the traditional classroom situation), learning happens through three interdependent elements: (1) social presence, (2) cognitive presence, and (3) teaching presence. Study by Adam et.al . (2012) argued that there was no significant difference between online learning and face to face class with regard to their satisfaction and also, they supported the fact that online class will be as effective as traditional class if it is designed appropriately. These facts clearly show us that online learning is a perfect substitute for the traditional classroom learning if they are designed suitably.

Educational institutions in India have also made a transition to online teaching environment soon after Union Government’s decision to impose nation-wide lock-down for 21 days from 25th March, 2020 which was later extended for 19 more days. However, the major concern is about the quality of learning which is closely related with how well the content is designed and executed. Effectiveness of learning also depends on how the content is curated to online environment and also in understanding and addressing the constraints faced by students. The study is even more relevant considering that in India the system of online education has never been tried at this scale and this is like a massive social experiment. Further, in agriculture education sector, the curriculum of agriculture gives a lot of importance to practical aspects and adopting it to online platform can decide the effectiveness. In this line, we have examined Indian agricultural students’ perception regarding online education and various attributes which could make the online learning more effective and successful.

The results of the study are important for educational institutes in Agriculture for two main reasons. Firstly, the shift to online mode has been an abrupt one due to unprecedented lockdown imposed to manage the COVID-19, and the institutes did not had time to design and adopt the course contents for online mode. In this context, experience of students and the learnings can be incorporated to make online learning easy, efficient and productive. Second, even after lockdown is revoked, life after the COVID-19 pandemic will not be like before and online learning is here to stay, though in combination with regular offline classes. There is uncertainty about the length of the pandemic and chances of reinfections, the social distancing can become a new normal. So, all the educational institutes need to be prepared to shift majority of the course content to e-learning platforms and modify the course structure and curriculum suitably. The results of our study can be important input in deciding on the learning environment in online platform to promote effective learning. In the next section, we provide a brief review of literature followed by data and methods section where we describe the methodology used in the study. Then, we discuss the results and the implications followed by concluding remarks of the study.

2. Review of literature

The current technological advancements allow us to employ several ways to design the online content. It is very important to consider the preferences and perception of learners while designing the online courses to make the learning effective and productive. Preference of the learner is related to the readiness or willingness of the learner to participate in collaborative learning and the factors influencing the readiness for online learning. In the section to follow, we summarie the learnings from the review of related literature.

Warner et al. (1998) proposed the concept of readiness for online learning in the Australian vocational education and training sector. They described readiness for online learning mainly in terms of three aspects:(1) the preference of student’s for the way of delivery opposed to face-to-face classroom instruction; (2) student’s confidence in the utilising the electronic communication for learning which includes competence and trust in the use of the Internet and computer-based communication; and (3) capability to engage in autonomous learning. The concept was further refined by several researchers like McVay (2000 , 2001) who developed a 13-item instrument which measured student behaviour and attitude as predictors. Subsequently, Smith et al. (2003) conducted an exploratory study to validate the McVay’s, (2000) questionnaire for online readiness and came up with a two-factor structure, “Comfort with e-learning” and “Self-management of learning”. Later, several studies were taken up for operationalising the concept of readiness for online learning ( Evans (2000) ; Smith (2005) ).The factors that influenced the readiness for online learning as put forth by researchers were self-directed learning( Guglielmino (1977) ; Garrison (1997) ; Lin and Hsieh (2001) ; McVay (2000 , 2001) ), motivation for learning ( Deci and Ryan (1985) ; Ryan and Deci (2000) ; Fairchild et al. (2005) , learner control ( Hannafin (1984) ; Shyu and Brown (1992) ; Reeves (1993) ),computer and internet self-efficacy (( Bandura (1977 , 1986 1997) ; Compeau and Higgins (1995) ; Eastin and LaRose (2000) ; Tsai and Tsai (2003) ; Tsai and Lin (2004) ; Hung et al. (2010) ), online communication self-efficacy ( Palloff and Pratt (1999) ; McVay (2000) ; Roper (2007) ).

Any efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of online learning needs to understand the perception of the users. Studies have documented both favourable and unfavourable perceptions by students on online learning. Several studies indicate that the instructor’s interaction with students has considerable impact on the student’s perceptions of online learning. Consistency in course design ( Swan et al. 2000 ), the capability of the interaction with course instructors to promote critical thinking ability and information processing ( Duffy et al. (1998, pp. 51–78) ; Picciano (2002) ; Hay et al.(2004) ) rate of interactivity in the online setting ( Arbaugh (2000) ; Hay et al. (2004) ), the extent of instructional emphasis on learning through interaction, the flexibility of online learning ( Chizmar and Walbert (1999) ; McCall (2002) ; National Centre for Vocational Education Research (2002) ; Petrides (2002) ; Schrum (2002) ; Klingner (2003) ; Kim et al. (2005) ), chances of engaging with teachers and peers in online learning settings ( Soo and Bonk (1998) ; Wise et al. (2004) ; Kim et al. (2005) ), social presence ( Barab and Duffy (2000) ; Kim et al. (2005) ; Jonassen (2002) ),academic self-concept ( Trautwein et al. (2006) ; Lim et al. (2007) ), competencies required to use the technology ( Wagner et al. (2000) were identified as the perceived strengths of online learning. Hence an effective online class depends upon well-structured course content ( Sun and Chen (2016) ), well-prepared instructors ( Sun and Chen (2016) ), advanced technologies ( Sun and Chen (2016) ), and feedback and clear instructions ( Gilbert, 2015 ).

However, several weaknesses related to online learning were also described in the literature. Delay in responses ( Hara and Kling (1999) ; Petrides (2002) ; Vonderwell (2003) , scepticism of their peers’ supposed expertise( Petrides (2002) ); lack of a sense of community and/or feelings of isolation ( Woods’, (2002) ; Vonderwell (2003) ; Lin & Zane, (2005) ); , problems in collaborating with the co-learners, technical problems Piccoli et al.(2001) ; Song et al. ( 2004) ), issues related to instructor (Muilenburg & Berge, 2005) higher student attrition rates ( Frankola (2001) ; Ryan (2001) ; Laine (2003) ), the need for greater discipline, writing skills, and self-motivation; and the need for online users to make a time commitment to learning ( Golladay et al. (2000) ; Serwatka (2003) are considered to be barriers or weakness of online learning.

Several researchers compared the efficacy of online or web-based tutorials with conventional teaching in classrooms. The types of possible encounters that might occur online as compared to conventional classrooms differ substantially, and the impact of communicating within one setting or another can have a direct effect on attitudes of the students and faculty. The studies explored perceptions of online learning experiences vs. conventional classroom experiences by students and faculty and reported mixed findings that demand further studies. Some of those areas include analysing the nature and amount of interactions that is available online ( Moore and Kearsley (1995) ), flexibility and accessibility of web - based instructions ( Navarro and Shoemaker (2000) ),the skills, motivations, time and perception of learner and instructor( Yong and Wang (1996) ; Shih, Ingebritsen, Pleasants, Flickinger, & Brown, 1998 ; McIsaac et al. (1999) ; White (2004) and whether some or all of these aspects are linked to academic achievement ( Brewer and Erikson (1997) ).It was also found that there was no significant difference between online learning and face to face class with regard to their satisfaction and also in terms of their academic performance ( Hara and Kling, 1999 ).Studies also supported the fact that online class will be as effective as traditional class if it is designed appropriately ( Nguyen, 2015 ).

The literature has highlighted different models which provides the basic framework to understand the students perception regarding online education. Papers have also highlighted potential bottlenecks for success of the online learning. However, not many papers have attempted to understand the students perception and preference in Indian context. It is understandable that only limited number of distance education platforms were using online mode of education before the Covid-19 pandemic. Further, to the best of our knowledge, study on these lines has not been attempted in the field of agricultural education, where online learning initiatives are even lesser probably because of higher share of practical learning aspects in curriculum. We try to fill this gap with our study, drawing insights from the literature in conceptualizing the problem, exclusively focusing our attention on online learning in agricultural education.

3. Data and methods

3.1. participants.

Agricultural graduates were chosen as the respondents for this study as agriculture is the most diverse subject that includes subjects ranging from life sciences to social sciences where students work from lab to land. The participants were 307 agricultural graduates from different universities of National Agricultural Research System (NARS). It included 136 Under Graduates, 84 Postgraduates and 87 students pursuing their Ph.D. Among them 172 were female and 135 were male.

3.2. Procedure

A structured and unstructured preliminary questionnaire was designed with the help of literature survey and informal discussions with the students who are currently attending the online classes. Pre-testing was done with 12 respondents and their feedbacks were considered for designing the final questionnaire.

3.3. Domain of the study

First of all, we identified key-informants among different agricultural universities for online survey. The link for Google form was sent to the key-informants through the WhatsApp. After submitting their responses, they circulated the questionnaire among other university students like snowball sampling. We have disabled the link after 10 days of circulating the Google forms. In this way, responses from a total of 307 students were obtained from different universities of the NARS.

3.4. Data analysis

Data were collected on demographic features, followed by learners’ preferences, perception, advantages, constraints and suggestions. The statements were prepared based on extensive review of literature and discussion with experts to minimize researchers bias. To analyze and summarize the perception, statements were rated on a five-point continuum scale (five being most effective and 1 being the least effective). Frequency and percentage were calculated for most of the questions to summarize the data. Apart from calculating the percentage table for the perceptions, we used a measure of consensus for each of the statements. The consensus was calculated by the formula suggested by Tastle and Wierman (2007) .

p i = probability or frequency associated with each Likert attribute X i ; i ranges from 1to 5
d X = width of X
μ X = mean of X.

Further, each statement regarding perception of respondents based on effectiveness of online learning in comparison to classroom teaching was ranked based on mean rank obtained by Friedman’s test. Formula used for calculating mean rank in Friedman’s test is as follows

Where, k = number of columns(treatments); n r = number of rows(blocks); R i = Sum of the ranks.

To identify the most important benefits and constraints of online learning, Garret ranking technique was used. For this, 5 benefits and 8 constraints were given to the respondents and they were asked to rank it based on their opinion. As a first step these ranks were be converted into percent positions based on the following formula

R ij = Rank given for the ith Benefit/constraint by jth respondents
N j = Number of Benefits/constraints ranked by jth respondents

As a second step these percent position of each rank was converted into scores using the table given by Garrett and Woodworth (1969) . And then for each factor, scores of individuals were added and divided by the total number of respondents to get the mean score of each factor. The Benefit and Constraint with the highest mean score was considered as the most important.

The perception study detailed above has a limitation that the responses are dependent on how the questions are framed. Insights can be drawn only on statements for which answers are recorded. In this context, to broaden the perception of students regarding the online course and factors determining the success, we have used content analysis. To analyze the open-ended questions conventional content analysis was done. Content analysis is defined as a generic name for a variety of textual analyses that typically involves comparing, contrasting, and categorizing a set of data ( Schwandt, 1997 ). We tried to perform content analysis to identify the trends in learners’ perspective regarding online classes. As a foremost step, two authors after looking into all the responses of the open-ended questions, created the themes and sub-themes which was checked for inter-rater reliability using Kappa Co-efficient with the help of the other two authors. The estimated Kappa co-efficient was found to be 0.72 which denotes substantial agreement between the two rater’s.

Findings from the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the present study are presented below.

4.1. Demographic details of respondents

The demographic variables included age, sex, degree, and place of residence. The mean age of the respondents was 23 years. There were more female respondents 172(56.03%) than male respondents 135 (43.97%). Majority of the respondents were belonging to rural background 140 (45.60%) whereas 121 (39.41%) were from urban areas and only 46(14.98%) were from peri urban areas (see Table 1 ).

Table 1

Demographic details of the respondents.

		N = 307
Demographic variables		Percentage
Degree	UG	44.29
	PG	27.36
	Ph.D.	28.33
Sex	Female	56.03
Sex	Male	43.97
Place of Residence	Peri-urban	14.98
	Rural	45.60
	Urban	39.41

4.2. Basic information regarding online classes ( Table 2 )

Table 2.

Basic information regarding online classes.

		N = 307
Questions	Response	Percentage
Did you attend any online course earlier?	No	52.77
Did you attend any online course earlier?	Yes	47.23
Whether your college has begun online classes in the wake of corona?	No	17.92
	Yes	82.08
As the COVID-19 continues to spread, educational institutions around the globe has been shut, disrupting the educational system. What will you suggest to meet the current situation?	Assignments and reading materials can be provided	2.93
	Curriculum schedule can be suspended	29.97
	Managing with online classes	67.1

Among the respondents, only 145 (47.23%) were having prior experience of online classes and 162 (52.2%) did not attend online classes before. And 82% of the respondents said that online classes have already started by the universities where they have enrolled. When a question was asked how to cope up with curriculum during this COVID-19 pandemic, majority of the respondents (67.1%) indicated that online classes can be used as substitute for class room teaching to cover the syllabus, whereas 29.97% of the students wanted the curriculum to be suspended and very few (2.93%) wanted teachers to provide only assignments and reading material. The reasons behind the response of those 30% respondents who were not in favour of online classes can be traced to inability to focus on curriculum due to the fear of the pandemic or technological constraints they face for online learning. In the later part of the paper we will examine the constraint faced by students for online learning.

5. Learner’s prefernce for online classes

5.1. technical availability.

Various devices preferred by the respondents for attending online classes were Smartphone (57.98%), laptop (35.83%), tablet (4.89%) and desktop(0.65%)which clearly suggests that if any organization which wants to develop an application for the online learning, it has to ensure that the platform is compatible with smartphone. Mobile data pack was the source of internet for 82% of the respondents. Majority of the respondents (62%) said that WhatsApp was the best way to communicate class updates (see Table 3a ).

Table 3a

Technical requirements for online classes.

		N = 307
Attributes		Percentage
Communication means to class updates	Any two mode	1.63
	Posting in university website	5.86
	Text message	8.47
	e-mail	21.50
	WhatsApp	62.54
Preferred device for an online course	Both smartphone and laptop	0.65
	Desktop	0.65
	Laptop	35.83
	Smart phone	57.98
	Tablet	4.89
Source of internet	LAN	2.93
	Mobile data pack	85.67
	Wi-Fi	11.40

5.2. Structure of online classes

Recorded classes uploaded at the university website/YouTube/any other application was the most preferred (54.4%) class format by whereas 27.04% of the respondents preferred live classes that can be recorded, 17.92% opined in favour of live classes and 0.65% preferred only reading materials.

Majority of the respondents preferring recorded classes and live classes that can be recorded since it gives them a flexibility in learning. Regarding the nature of reading materials majority of the respondents (84%) preferred video content supplemented with reading materials. More than half (53%) of the respondents preferred the instructor to teach using PowerPoint presentations (see Table 3b ).

Table 3b

Structure of online classes.

		N = 307
Attributes		Percentage
Online class format	Live online Classes	17.92
	Live classes that can be recorded	27.04
	Recorded classes that is uploaded at University website/YouTube/any other application	54.40
	Sending reading material	0.65
Nature of Course material	Reading material is sufficient	11.40
	Video Content supplemented with reading material	84.36
	Video content is sufficient	4.23
Nature of Video content	As per the convenience and requirement	2.93
	Both PowerPoint and whiteboard	2.28
	Course Instructor should teach using whiteboard	34.53
	Course instructor should use PowerPoint	52.77
	Lecture only	7.49

5.3. Frequency and duration of online classes

Around 58% of the learners wanted online classes for twice in a week with 46% respondents preferring 45 min duration for each class. Around 48% of the respondents desired to spend only two to 4 h in a day for online class and wanted a break of 15 min in between the two classes (See Table 3c ).

Table 3c

Frequency and duration of online classes.

		N = 307
Attributes		Percentage
How often do you expect the course instructor to conduct the classes?	Alternate days	0.65
	As per the schedule to complete the syllabus	4.56
	Daily	1.30
	Fortnight	4.56
	Weekly once	29.97
	weekly twice	58.96
Suitable duration for online classes (per class)	30 min	29.97
	45 min	45.93
	more than hour	0.65
	1 h	23.45
How much time would you like to spend in a day for online classes	2–4 h	48.86
	4–6 h	14.33
	6–8 h	0.65
	Less than 2 h	36.16
How much time you need as break between two online classes	10 min	22.15
	15 min	47.88
	Less than 10 min	5.21
	More than 15 min	24.76

5.4. Addressing the queries

Various methods preferred for clarifying the queries were a platform with option for posting queries (48.21%), through live chat (35.5%), email to the course instructor (14.33%) and WhatsApp (0.98%). Interestingly,40% of the respondents expect the instructor to clarify their doubts within a day (See Table 3d ).

Table 3d

Addressing the queries.

		N = 307
Attributes		Percentage
Way for clarifying queries	All three can be made available	0.33
	Both live chat and email	0.65
	Live chat	35.5
	Platform for posting queries	48.21
	email to the course instructor	14.33
	WhatsApp	0.97
Expected time for clarifying the queries by instructor	Within Next class.	0.33
	Within 2–3 days	17.59
	Within a day	40.39
	Within a week	12.05
	Within few hours	29.64

5.5. Plans and criteria for evaluation

Majority of the students preferred quiz (75.9%) and assignments (56.3%) at the end of every class for effective learning. Around 47 %of the respondents felt that one-week time should be given for submitting their assignments.

Surprisingly,60% of the respondents wished to attend online exams and around 70% of the respondents preferred objective mode of examination rather than descriptive examination (See Table 3e ).

Table 3e

Plans and criteria for evaluation.

		N = 307
Attributes		Percentage
Do you feel quiz of 5–10 min during each class is necessary to achieve better?	No	24.10
	Yes	75.9
Do you feel assignments at end of every class are necessary to achieve effective learning?	No	43.97
	Yes	56.03
Deadline for submitting assignments	1 day	2.93
	1 week	46.58
	2–3 days	14.98
	before the next scheduled class	35.5
Do you like to attend online exams	No	39.74
Do you like to attend online exams	Yes	60.26
Nature of online exam	Both	26.06
	Objective	70.03
	Subjective	3.91

6. Respondent’s perception towards online learning

The frequency and percentage were calculated for each of the seven statements rated on a scale of five-point continuum as shown in Table 4 a.

Table 4a

Respondents’ perception towards online learning.

						N = 307
Statements	1(%)	2(%)	3(%)	4(%)	5(%)	Consensus
S1–I prefer my online courses as they are very structured with set due dates similar to face-to-face courses	21.00	23.45	28.34	17.26	9.45	0.52
S2- Online classes help me comprehend the course materials compared to Classroom learning	26.38	25.73	21.50	19.22	7.17	0.50
S3- Online environment makes it easier for me to communicate with my instructor than classroom environment	31.60	31.27	14.33	14.33	8.47	0.49
S4 – I am more comfortable responding to questions by email than orally	26.38	15.96	19.22	21.50	16.94	0.41
S5- My technical skills (email/internet apps) has increased since attending online classes	12.38	14.66	23.45	31.60	19.30	0.51
S6– I spend more time on my homework in comparison with regular classroom learning	15.64	20.85	25.73	22.48	15.31	0.51
S7- Instructor understands the online environment and makes it easy to learn whereas continuums	14.98	20.85	30.62	21.82	11.73	0.55

Where,1- online is or might be less effective

2- online is or might be somewhat less effective

3- online is or might be equally effective

4- online is or might be somewhat more effective

5- online is or might be much more effective.

Results suggested that, there was not much differences in the perception of Graduate and Post Graduate students towards online learning. Around 50% of the respondents agree with the statement online leaning improves their technical skills as compared to face-face classes. It also evident that around 60% of respondents are agree with the statement that online classes are less effective when it comes to communication with the instructor as compared to face-face classes. On an average 20–30% of the respondents perceive that online and face-face classes are equally good when it comes to the above criterions.

It should also be noted that the consensus varied from 0.40 to 0.56 implying that there was neither perfect disagreement nor perfect agreement between the respondents regarding the effectiveness of online learning. Difference in perception among the respondents could be attributed to lack of equity in internet availability, poor teaching skills or poor learning environment.

Further, to test for the presence of pattern in the data, we employed Friedman test. The ranking provided by the respondents might as well be random without any pattern and simply comparing them based on mean rank can be erroneous. So, mean ranks can be compared only after making sure that there is a pattern in the ratings provided by the users. The analysis revealed that there is a pattern in the data as the test statistics turned out to be significant. Mean value for each statement was used to rank the statements related to the perceived effectiveness of online classes in comparison with classroom teaching. The results revealed that enhancement in technical skills; instructors’ ability to understand the virtual environment and making the platform easier to learn and spending more time on assignments in comparison to classroom environment were ranked first, second and third respectively (see Table 4b ). The test statistic is presented in the Table 4 c and its level of significance indicated that the differences were highly significant.

Table 4b

Friedman rank test.

Ranks
Statement	Mean Rank
S1	3.90
S2	3.59
S3	3.24
S4	4.03
S5	4.76
S6	4.23
S7	4.24

Table 4c

Test Statistics for Friedman Rank test.

Test Statistics
N	307
Chi-Square	129.88
df	6
Asymp. Sig.	.00

7. Benefits of online learning

Results of the study indicate that flexible schedule and convenience was ranked as the major benefits of the online learnings. Online education offers students the opportunity to study at their own pace and time of their convenience. Hence, flexibility and convenience are major drivers behind the demand for online education.

More comfortable environment, enhancing the technical skills, more interaction and greater ability to concentrate and self-discipline and responsibility were ranked two, three, four and five respectively (see Table 5 ).

Table 5

Benefits of online learning.

Benefits of online learning	Total Score	Number of Respondents	Average Score	Rank
Flexible schedule and convenience	17730	307	57.75	1
More comfortable environment	15470	307	50.39	2
Improves your technical skills	15310	307	49.87	3
More interaction and greater ability to concentrate	14175	307	46.17	4
Self-discipline and responsibility	14065	307	45.81	5

8. Bottlenecks for online learning

Table 6 indicates that lack of connectivity was the ranked as the major hindrance in online learning. The situation is even worse for those from remote areas. The findings highlight the India’s digital divide and lack of equity in access to uninterrupted internet proving to be a hassle to many students.

Table 6

Bottlenecks in online learning.

Constraint of online learning	Total Score	Number of Respondents	Average Score	Rank
Lack of connectivity	17659	307	57.52	1
Data limit	17178	307	55.95	2
Data speed	17037	307	55.50	3
Little/no face to face interaction	16448	307	53.58	4
Intense requirement for self-discipline	15710	307	51.17	5
Lack of device	14143	307	46.07	6
Poor learning environment	13868	307	45.17	7
Technophobia	11064	307	36.04	8

The second and third constraints were data limit and data speed which were again the limitations of internet infrastructure. These give us an insight that if any country wants to move towards online education then as a pre-requisite it should focus on its internet facilities. Lack of traditional way of direct interactions in classrooms is also a major concern along with those mentioned above in conducting online classes.

9. Factors affecting success of online classes

Qualitative analysis of the open-ended questions indicate that the majority of the participants recognized the following components for conducting online classes successfully such as nature of content, infrastructure, competency of the instructor, student readiness and follow up and various subcomponents were also discussed.

Majority of the respondents opined that nature of content and infrastructure were the major determinants for smooth conduct of online classes (see Table 7a , Table 7b ) The course instructor should spend quality time to design the content which should be well structured, concise, interactive and relevant. The students should be able to record the classes such that content can be accessed at any time based on their convenience. Recording will also come in handy for those students who have internet connectivity issues to live stream the classes.

Table 7a

Factors affecting success of online classes.

S.No	THEMES	SUBTHEMES	Criteria	Examples
1.	Nature of content	Structure	Comprehensive and efficient course design incorporating course goals and learning objectives	“Staffs should spend quality time in preparing the content, rather than just copying from other material and making PowerPoint Presentations and reading it to students”
		Accessible	“universal design for learning” as it considers all possible learners	“good reachability for all learners”
		Interactive	Ensuring active participation of learner along with interactive videos making them to assimilate the concept	“Platform should facilitate face to face interaction and should use animated videos to enhance interactivity”
		Comprehensive	Content should be easy to understand	“classes should be crisp, concise and precise”
		Flexibility	Study anywhere at anytime	“timetable should be fixed according to the convenience of learner”
		Relevancy	Appropriateness of the content to the curriculum as perceived by the learner	“lecture should be productive with practical experience”
2.	Infrastructure	Connectivity	Learners can access the internet without interruption	“elimination of network issues”
		Data pack	Availability of sufficient data pack to enjoy the internet facility	“free data pack for attending the online classes”
		Data speed	Quick flow of information without interruption	“high speed internet without interruptions”
		Devices	Possession of suitable devices to attend the classes	“we should be able to attend the classes using mobile phones”
		Video/audio quality	Fidelity of video/audio output during the classes	“clarity in audio/video”
		User friendly	Software/hardware that is use to learn	“using student friendly interface”
3	Competency	Technical skills	Basic knowledge of computer and Internet skills required by instructor	“Our instructor should be the one with good technical knowledge”
3	Competency	Communication skills	The ability of the instructor to convey the concepts effectively	“Creation of classroom like environment by the instructor using his communication skills”
4	Readiness	Motivation	Goal directed behaviour of the learner	“students should possess self-learning interest”
		Discipline	Staying organized and responsible	“Students should be more disciplined”
		Focus	Ability of the student to avoid distraction and stay focussed on the curriculum	“ability of the students to remain focussed decides the success of online classes”
5.	Follow up	Query	Question answer session that will help in clearing the doubts	“Recorded videos and good study materials with platform to ask queries will be more effective”
5.	Follow up	Evaluation	Monitoring the learners during the class time to ensure their presence and taking the feedbacks about the previous classes, providing the assignments and conducting the online tests for evaluation	“Classes with regular online tests”

Table 7b

Frequency of themes identified for success of online classes.

Q	THEMES		SUBTHEMES	Count(n = 292)
1.	Nature of content TC = 150	1.1	Structure	43
		1.2	Accessible	9
		1.3	Interactive	42
		1.4	Comprehensive	24
		1.5	Flexibility	28
		1.6	Relevancy	4
2.	Infrastructure TC = 142	2.1	Connectivity	41
		2.2	Data pack	9
		2.3	Data speed	23
		2.4	Devices	4
		2.5	Video/audio quality	58
		2.6	User friendly	7
3	Competency TC = 48	3.1	Technical	7
3	Competency TC = 48	3.2	Communication	41
4	Readiness TC = 33	4.1	Motivation	16
		4.2	Discipline	11
		4.3	Focus	6
5.	Follow up TC = 37	5.1	Query	11
5.	Follow up TC = 37	5.2s	Evaluation	26

Where TC-Total Count.

The online classes will succeed only if all the students have access to internet. Minimum technical requirements such as internet connectivity, devices and software requirements should be fulfilled for optimal learning experience.

10. Factors that could lead to failure of online classes

Many participants in this research study reported that technological constraint, distractions, instructor’s incompetency, learner’s inefficacy and health issues were challenges in their online learning experience.

The biggest challenge reported by participants was technological constraints. The concern over technological constraints was also reflected across all the responses (see Table 8a , Table 8b ) . Lack of access to internet will exclude some of the learners from the online classes. Slow connections can also make accessing course platforms and materials frustrating. Online classes will be successful only if internet facility is provided to all by making it equitable and affordable.

Table 8a

Factors affecting failure of online classes.

S.No	THEMES	SUBTHEMES	Criteria	Example
1.	Technological constraint	Digital divide	Gap between the learners who have ready access to internet and computers and those who don’t	“not all rural students have the privilege of internet and laptop”
		Data limit	Insufficient data pack to access the material/to attend the class	“online classes consume large amount of data which is difficult to afford”
		Poor connectivity	Interrupted internet supply that makes the learners difficult to learn	“dragging of classes due to network problem”
		Issues with the device	Lack of device or device incompatibility to the applications used for online classes	“Unavailability of gadgets with some of the students”
		Non recordable videos	Online classes that cannot be downloaded or recorded for future learning	“videos that cannot be recorded or watched later pose difficulty in learning”
		Technical issues	Low quality audio or video; low bandwidth	“lack of voice clarity and poor signal strength”
		Virtual presence only	No face to face interaction between the learners and teachers	“only one-way communication and no scope for interaction”
2.	Distractions	Poor learning environment	Lack of congenial learning environment	“home environment is not suitable for learning as it leads to lot of disturbances from children and relatives”
2.	Distractions	Noise	Distractions that deviate learner from learning	“two-way communication is loathsome as the voices from all the sides are raising”
3	Instructor’s incompetency	Technophobia	Instructors fear of handling ICT’s	“Lack of technical expertise of the teacher”
		Poor teaching skills	Inability of instructor to render the subject matter	“prolonged monotonous lectures with improper explanations”
		Unstructured content	Curriculum which is designed improperly lacking a clarity in course objective	“poorly designed content where classes are held for name sake”
		No follow up	Instructor doesn’t take the feedback/online exams nor addresses their queries	“doubts cannot be cleared effectively compared to classroom environment”
4	Learner’s inefficacy	Indiscipline	Irresponsible and unorganised behaviour of learner	“lack of discipline as no one is there to control the students”
		Student attritions	Reduction in the number of learner’s attending the classes	“Poor attendance and students miss the classes without any reason”
		Unmotivated	Learner does not possess interest or enthusiasm in learning	“Lack of interest and laziness among the students to learn during vacations”
5.	Health issues	Strain	Difficulty in concentration due to the harmful radiations from device used for online classes	“prolonged usage of mobile phone for classes causes headaches due to harmful rays”
5.	Health issues	Worsening of existing health issues	Deteriorating the already existing health issues due to prolonged online classes	“continuous classes lead to worsening of migraine and backache”

Table 8b

Frequency of themes identified for failure of online classes.

S.No.	THEMES		SUBTHEMES	COUNT(n = 300)
1.	Technological constraint TC = 266	1.1	Digital divide b/w rural and urban	15
		1.2	Data limit	44
		1.3	Poor connectivity	130
		1.4	Issues with the device	17
		1.5	Non recordable videos	6
		1.6	Technical issues	23
		1.7	Virtual presence only	31
2.	Distractions TC = 41	2.1	Poor learning environment	28
2.	Distractions TC = 41	2.2	Noise	13
3	Instructor’s incompetency TC = 93	3.1	technophobia	15
		3.2	Poor teaching skills	38
		3.3	Unstructured content	27
		3.4	No follow up	13
4	Learner’s inefficacy TC = 53	4.1	Indiscipline	21
		4.2	Student attritions	6
		4.3	Unmotivated	26
5.	Health issues TC = 12	5.1	Strain	8
5.	Health issues TC = 12	5.2	Worsening of existing health issues	4

The concern over a lack of community was also expressed by the respondents. It is challenging to build a comfortable environment for learning or a sense of community in the online environment. It will be important to think about ways that students and teachers can get to know each other and stay connected.

Incompetency of the instructor was also reflected from the survey. Efforts should be made by the instructor to make classes interesting and effective so as to sustain the interest of the learner. It is also important to feel comfortable using a computer and navigating the Internet.

In addition to discussing specific challenges and useful components, interviewees provided several suggestions for conducting online classes smoothly during COVID-19 pandemic. The major themes identified were general, content, connectivity, interactivity, flexibility, skills and follow-up (see Table 9a , Table 9b ) .

Table 9a

Themes identified for suggestions for online classes.

Themes	Criteria	Examples
General	Refers to overall comment about online classes without referring to a specific context or content	“Online classes are innovative way, and is supplementing classroom teaching”
Content	Presentations or videos or audios used by the instructor	“Add more images/videos/GIFs/comic etc., appropriate to the course content would make it more interesting and feel good for listeners thereby magnetise the concentration of the listeners.”
Connectivity	Access to internet	“Attendance should not be considered for some students as they have not responded due to poor network”
Interactivity	Active participation of instructor and learners’ during the class	“Online classes are not lively. Instructor should ensure active participation of students”
Flexibility	Convenience of teacher and learner	“Convenience of the student should be considered and give sufficient time to learn themselves”
Skills	Expertise of instructor in imparting knowledge and digital literacy of instructor	“Instructor should explain in an effective way such that students can remember for longer time”
Evaluation	Assessing the learning by queries raised by learner, online tests and assignments and taking their feedback	“Make it mandatory so that students ask doubts and that will be marked”

Table 9b

Frequency of themes identified for suggestions.

S.No.	Theme	TC (n = 78)
	General	63
	Content	23
	Connectivity	15
	Interactivity	10
	Flexibility	4
	Skills	12
	Evaluation	12

Where- TC-Total Count.

Majority of the participants opined that online classes are effective provided that the classes are well structured and interactive with flexible curriculum supported with uninterrupted internet connectivity and competent instructor.

11. Discussion

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the preference and perception of students regarding the online classes.

Majority of the respondents preferred online classes to cope up with the curriculum due to lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, whereas 30% of the respondents suggested suspending the classes or providing reading materials till the lockdown is lifted. In order to probe into this matter, analysis of perception of the respondents regarding online classes was required.

We also identified the learners’ perceptions of successful components and hindrances in online learning environment. Early work has provided some fundamental insights into the prospects of online learning ( Cereijo et al., (1999) ; Hartley and Bendixen (2001) ; Hill (2002) ). The components identified by the participants were in line with previous research. One of the primary factors listed for determining the success of online classes was structure of online classes. This finding is reinforced by the studies of Dempsey and Van Eck (2002) ;; Song et al.(2004) ; Allen (2011) .In order to enhance the productivity of the learners’ long duration classes should be avoided and sufficient break should be given between two consecutive classes. It will not only avoid cognitive load but also takes care of the physical strain caused due to prolonged use of electronic gadgets. It was supported by Thompson’s (2014) formula of work for 52 min and break for 17.

Technical proficiency of teachers and learners related to usage of computer and internet is a major factor determining the effectiveness of online classes. It was in line with the findings of Tsai and Lin (2004) ; Peng, et al. (2006) ; Convenience and flexibility were identified as the strength of online classes. Petrides (2002) claimed that respondents indicated that it was convenient to work in an online course in collaborative groups without rearranging the schedule for everyone as one would do in traditional classroom learning. Poole (2000) found that learners often accessed resources for the course from their home computers, the most convenient location for them. Hence care should be taken to fix the online classes based on the learner’s convenience and it will be better if recorded videos are uploaded in the university website so that the learner can access the videos as per the convenience.

Agriculture education system gives a lot of emphasis on imparting practical skills to the learners. But conducting the practical classes online is a difficult task. In the wake of adapting to the changed times, innovative solutions like 3D virtual labs are being devised. A teacher’s competency in communication as well his ability to use the multimedia contents for effective presentation are very important in this juncture. The results of the study clearly highlight that the lack of teachers’ competencies could be a major reason for failure of online classes and also calls for further exploration on the potential of the recent initiatives in online practical classes to further develop suitable models/applications to cater the real needs.

Interactivity was found to be one of the major driving forces for success of online classes. For example, the findings by Johnson et al. (2008) indicates that developing and sustaining a collaborative learning space within an e-learning environment is essential for maximizing the satisfaction of the participants. In addition to this Gunawardena and Zittle (1997) found a strong correlation between learners’ social presence and their overall satisfaction in the medium.

Online classes must engage participants through frequent, meaningful activities that helps to keep them focussed. The importance of frequency of interaction in making online classes was also explained by Huggett (2014) . It was also found that lack of immediacy in getting answers to their queries was also found to be a challenge in online learning. It was also reported by Hara and Kling’s (1999) ; Petrides’ (2002) ; Vonderwell’s (2003) . Hence care should be taken by the instructor to answer the queries of the learners’ immediately.

Suggestions were also taken from the participants to enhance the effectiveness of online learning. It was found that appropriate content, connectivity, recorded videos along with proper follow up makes online classes on par with the traditional classroom situation. Majority of the participants reiterated the point several times. Therefore, Online learning thus allows institutions and/or teachers to reach learners virtually, enhances convenience and strengthens educational opportunities ( Bourne et al.(1997) ; Owston (1997) ; Hara and Kling (1999) , ( 2001 ); Schrum (2000) ; Rourke (2001) ; Hill (2002) ; Hofmann (2002) ).

Even in countries with little digital divide, unlike India, and has better internet connectivity has never shifted to complete online mode before this pandemic. Reasons could be varied including the advantage of face to face interactivity, immediate feedback and sense of community amongst many other. One reason could also be related to difficulty in teaching skills, as in practical classes. In Agricultural Education, where the weightage to practical aspects of learning is more, shifting completely online mode may not be possible. In the immediate future, the universities may resort to a hybrid mode where the classes are conducted online and practical’s are conducted in small batches with social distancing. The findings of the study can be very useful in designing the content as well as structure for the online classes.

12. Limitations

Due to time constraint the study was restricted only to Agricultural students from India. Further we have limited our analysis to understand the perception of learners and excluded the instructors for the sake of brevity and time constraint.

13. Conclusion

With efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the contours of education system are changing with online education becoming the primary means of instruction. Universities and institutions are shifting to online platforms to catch up with the curriculum. It may be too early to say how students and teachers will cope with online learning as they figure out the constraints, reorient to address them but the perception and readiness of teachers and students is an important consideration which we have tried to document.

The findings of this study indicated that majority of the students evinced a positive attitude towards online classes in the wake of corona. The online learning was found to be advantageous as it provided flexibility and convenience for the learners. Students preferred well-structured content with recorded videos uploaded in university websites. They also indicated the need for interactive sessions with quizzes and assignments at the end of each class to optimise the learning experience. However, most students also reported that online classes could be more challenging than traditional classroom because of the technological constraints, delayed feedback and inability of the instructor to handle effectively the Information and Communication Technologies. Therefore, all these factors should be considered while developing an online course to make it more effective and productive for the learner.It’s possible that once the COVID-19 pandemic settles down, we may see a continued increase in education systems using online platforms for study aids, albeit in a hybrid mode in combination with regular classes. Hence this study will prove useful for reimagining and redesigning the higher education with components involving online mode.

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

T. Muthuprasad: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Project administration, Writing - original draft, Validation, Investigation. S. Aiswarya: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing, Formal analysis, Validation, Investigation, Visualization. K.S. Aditya: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - review & editing, Validation, Resources. Girish K. Jha: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - review & editing, Supervision.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgement

We whole-heartedly acknowledge all the respondents for spending their valuable time on filling our questionnaire. We also acknowledge the anonymous referee for providing valuable comments.

Appendix A Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100101 .

Appendix A. Supplementary data

The following is/are the supplementary data to this article:

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Online education and its effect on teachers during COVID-19—A case study from India

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation Area of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Management Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India

Surbhi Dayal

Published: March 2, 2023
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282287
Reader Comments

COVID pandemic resulted in an initially temporary and then long term closure of educational institutions, creating a need for adapting to online and remote learning. The transition to online education platforms presented unprecedented challenges for the teachers. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of the transition to online education on teachers’ wellbeing in India.

The research was conducted on 1812 teachers working in schools, colleges, and coaching institutions from six different Indian states. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected via online survey and telephone interviews.

The results show that COVID pandemic exacerbated the existing widespread inequality in access to internet connectivity, smart devices, and teacher training required for an effective transition to an online mode of education. Teachers nonetheless adapted quickly to online teaching with the help of institutional training as well as self-learning tools. However, respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of online teaching and assessment methods, and exhibited a strong desire to return to traditional modes of learning. 82% respondents reported physical issues like neck pain, back pain, headache, and eyestrain. Additionally, 92% respondents faced mental issues like stress, anxiety, and loneliness due to online teaching.

As the effectiveness of online learning perforce taps on the existing infrastructure, not only has it widened the learning gap between the rich and the poor, it has also compromised the quality of education being imparted in general. Teachers faced increased physical and mental health issues due to long working hours and uncertainty associated with COVID lockdowns. There is a need to develop a sound strategy to address the gaps in access to digital learning and teachers’ training to improve both the quality of education and the mental health of teachers.

Citation: Dayal S (2023) Online education and its effect on teachers during COVID-19—A case study from India. PLoS ONE 18(3): e0282287. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282287

Editor: Lütfullah Türkmen, Usak University College of Education, TURKEY

Received: November 13, 2021; Accepted: January 27, 2023; Published: March 2, 2023

Copyright: © 2023 Surbhi Dayal. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: Data apart from manuscript has been submitted as supporting information .

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

As of November 4, 2021, the spread of novel coronavirus had reached 219 countries and territories of the world, infecting a total of 248 million people and resulting in five million deaths [ 1 ]. In March 2020, several countries including India declared a mandatory lockdown, resulting in the temporary closure of many institutions, not least educational ones. Since then, various restrictions and strategies have been implemented to counter the spread of the virus. These include wearing masks, washing hands frequently, maintaining social and physical distance, and avoiding public gatherings. The pandemic has greatly disrupted all aspects of human life and forced new ways of functioning, notably in work and education, much of which has been restricted to the household environment. The closure for over a year of many schools and colleges across the world has shaken the foundations of the traditional structures of education. Due to widespread restrictions, employees have been forced to carve out working spaces in the family home; likewise, students and teachers have been compelled to bring classes into homes [ 2 ]. Nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries have been physically out of school due to the pandemic. In total, 94 percent of the world’s student population has been affected by school closures, and up to 99 percent of this student population come from low-to middle-income countries [ 3 ].

According to the World Economic Forum, the pandemic has changed how people receive and impart education [ 4 ]. Physical interaction between students and teachers in traditional classrooms has been replaced by exchanges on digital learning platforms, such as online teaching and virtual education systems, characterized by an absence of face-to-face connection [ 5 ]. Online education has thus emerged as a viable option for education from preschool to university level, and governments have used tools such as radio, television, and social media to support online teaching and training [ 6 ]. Various stakeholders, including government and private institutions, have collaborated to provide teachers with resources and training to teach effectively on digital platforms. New digital learning platforms like Zoom, Google Classroom, Canvas, and Blackboard have been used extensively to create learning material and deliver online classes; they have also allowed teachers to devise training and skill development programs [ 7 ]. Many teachers and students were initially hesitant to adopt online education. However indefinite closure of institutions required educational facilities to find new methods to impart education and forced teachers to learn new digital skills. Individuals have experienced different levels of difficulty in doing this; for some, “it has resulted in tears, and for some, it is a cup of tea” [ 8 ].

Teachers have reported finding it difficult to use online teaching as a daily mode of communication, and enabling students’ cognitive activation has presented a significant challenge in the use of distance modes of teaching and learning. Teachers have also expressed concerns about administering tests with minimal student interaction [ 9 ]. Lack of availability of smart devices, combined with unreliable internet access, has led to dissatisfaction with teacher-student interaction. Under pressure to select the appropriate tools and media to reach their students, some teachers have relied on pre-recorded videos, which further discouraged interaction. In locations where most teaching is done online, teachers in tier 2 and tier 3 cities (i.e., semi-urban areas) have had to pay extra to secure access to high-speed internet, digital devices, and reliable power sources [ 10 ]. Teachers in India, in particular, have a huge gap in digital literacy caused by a lack of training and access to reliable electricity supply, and internet services. In rural or remote areas, access to smart devices, the internet, and technology is limited and inconsistent [ 6 ]. In cities, including the Indian capital Delhi, even teachers who are familiar with the required technology do not necessarily have the pedagogical skills to meet the demands of online education. The absence of training, along with local factors (for example, stakeholders’ infrastructure and socio-economic standing), contributes to difficulties in imparting digital education successfully [ 10 ]. The gap in digital education across Indian schools is striking. For example, only 32.5% of school children are in a position to pursue online classes. Only 11% of children can take online classes in private and public schools, and more than half can only view videos or other recorded content. Only 8.1% of children in government schools have access to online classes in the event of a pandemic-related restrictions [ 11 ].

The adverse effects of COVID-19 on education must therefore be investigated and understood, particularly the struggles of students and teachers to adapt to new technologies. Significant societal effects of the pandemic include not only serious disruption of education but also isolation caused by social distancing. Various studies [ 7 , 12 , 13 ] have suggested that online education has caused significant stress and health problems for students and teachers alike; health issues have also been exacerbated by the extensive use of digital devices. Several studies [ 6 , 11 , 14 ] have been conducted to understand the effects of the COVID lockdown on digital access to education, students’ physical and emotional well-being, and the effectiveness of online education. However, only a few studies [ 13 , 15 – 17 ] have touched the issues that teachers faced due to COVID lockdown.

In this context, this study is trying to fill existing gaps and focuses on the upheavals that teachers went through to accommodate COVID restrictions and still impart education. It also provides an in-depth analysis of consequences for the quality of education imparted from the teachers’ perspective. It discusses geographical inequalities in access to the infrastructure required for successful implementation of online education. In particular, it addresses the following important questions: (1) how effectively have teachers adapted to the new virtual system? (2) How has online education affected the quality of teaching? (3) How has online education affected teachers’ overall health?

Because of lockdown restrictions, data collection for this study involved a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in the form of online surveys and telephonic interviews. A questionnaire for teachers was developed consisting of 41 items covering a variety of subjects: teaching styles, life-work balance, and how working online influences the mental and physical well-being of teachers. In the interviews, participants were asked about their experiences of online teaching during the pandemic, particularly in relation to physical and mental health issues. A pilot study was conducted with thirty respondents, and necessary changes to the items were made before the data collection. The survey tool was created using google forms and disseminated via email, Facebook, and WhatsApp. A total of 145 telephonic interviews were also conducted to obtain in-depth information from the respondents.

The data were collected between December 2020 and June 2021. The Research Advisory Committee on Codes of Ethics for Research of Aggrawal College, Ballabhgarh, Haryana, reviewed and approved this study. A statement included in the google survey form as a means of acquiring written consent from the participants. Information was gathered from 1,812 Indian teachers in six Indian states (Assam, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, New Delhi, and Rajasthan) working in universities, schools, and coaching institutions. Nearly three-quarters of the total sample population was women. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 60, with an average age of 34 and a clear majority being 35 or younger. Nearly three-quarters of participants work in private institutions (25% in semi-government entities and the remainder in government entities). In terms of education, 52% of participants have a graduate degree, 34% a postgraduate degree, and 14% a doctorate. Table 1 summarizes the demographic characteristics of the participants.

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Results & discussion

Upon analyzing the survey responses, three crucial areas were identified for a better understanding of the effect of COVID-19 on the Indian education system and its teachers: how effectively teachers have adapted, how effective teaching has been, and how teachers’ health has been affected.

1. How effectively have teachers adapted to the new virtual system?

The first research question concerns how willing teachers were to embrace the changes brought about by the online teaching system and how quickly they were able to adapt to online modes of instruction. This information was gathered from December 2020 to June 2021, at which point teachers had been dealing with school lockdowns for months and therefore had some time to become conversant with online teaching.

While 93.82% of respondents were involved in online teaching during the pandemic, only 16% had previously taught online. These results were typically different from the results of a similar study conducted in Jordon where most of the faculty (60%) had previous experience with online teaching and 68% of faculty had also received formal training [ 16 ]. Since the spread of COVID-19 was rapid and the implementation of the lockdown was sudden, government and educational institutions were not prepared for alternative modes of learning, and teachers needed some time for adjustment. Several other factors also affected the effectiveness of the transition to online education, namely access to different types of resources and training [ 18 ].

a. Access to smart devices.

Online teaching requires access to smart devices. A surprising number of teachers stated that they had internet access at home via laptops, smartphones, or tablets. A more pertinent question, however, was whether they had sole access to the smart device, or it was shared with family members. Only 37.25% of those surveyed had a device for their exclusive use while others shared a device with family members, due to lack of access to additional devices and affordability of new devices. During the lockdown, an increase in demand led to a scarcity of smart devices, so that even people who could afford to buy a device could not necessarily find one available for purchase. With children attending online classes, and family members working from home, households found it difficult to manage with only a few devices, and access to a personal digital device became an urgent matter for many. Respondents admitted to relying on their smartphones to teach courses since they lacked access to other devices. Teachers on independent-school rosters were significantly better equipped to access smart devices than those employed at other types of schools. The data also indicates that teachers in higher education and at coaching centers had relatively better access to laptops and desktop computers through their institutions, whereas teachers in elementary and secondary schools had to scramble for securing devices for their own use.

b. Internet access.

Internet access is crucial for effective delivery of online education. However, our survey shows that teachers often struggled to stay connected because of substantial differences between states in the availability of internet. Of the respondents, 52% reported that their internet was stable and reliable, 32% reported it to be satisfactory and the rest reported it to be poor. Internet connectivity was better in the states of Karnataka, New Delhi, and Rajasthan than in Assam, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. Internet connectivity in Assam was particularly poor. Consequently, many teachers with access to advanced devices were unable to use them due to inadequate internet connection.

The following comments from a teacher in Assam capture relevant situational challenges: “I do not have an internet modem at home, and teaching over the phone is difficult. My internet connection is exhausted, and I am unable to see or hear the students.” Another teacher from Haryana reported similar difficulties: “During the lockdown, I moved to my hometown, and I do not have internet access here, so I go to a nearby village and send videos to students every three days.” Another teacher from Madhya Pradesh working at a premier institution reported experiencing somewhat different concerns: “I am teaching in one of the institute’s semi-smart classrooms, and while I have access to the internet, my students do not, making it difficult to hear what they are saying.”

These responses indicates clearly that it is not only teachers living in states where connectivity was poor who experienced difficulties in imparting education to students; even those who had good internet connectivity experiences problems caused by the poor internet connections of their students.

c. Tools for remote learning.

Teachers made use of a variety of remote learning tools, but access to these tools varied depending on the educator’s affiliation. Teachers at premier institutions and coaching centers routinely used the Zoom and Google Meet apps to conduct synchronous lessons. Teachers at state colleges used pre-recorded videos that were freely available on YouTube. Teachers in government schools used various platforms, including WhatsApp for prepared material and YouTube for pre-recorded videos. To deliver the content, private school teachers used pre-recorded lectures and Google Meet. In addition to curriculum classes, school teachers offered life skill classes (for example, cooking, gardening, and organizing) to help students become more independent and responsible in these difficult circumstances. In addition to online instruction, 16% of teachers visited their students’ homes to distribute books and other materials. Furthermore, of this 36% visited students’ homes once a week, 29% visited twice a week, 18% once every two weeks, and the rest once a month. Additionally, a survey done on 6435 respondents across six states in India reported that 21% teachers in schools conducted home visits for teaching children [ 19 ].

d. Knowledge and training for the use of information and communication technologies.

With the onset of the pandemic, information and communication technology (ICT) became a pivotal point for the viability of online education. The use of ICT can facilitate curriculum coverage, application of pedagogical practices and assessment, teacher’s professional development, and streamlining school organization [ 20 ]. However, the effective adoption and implementation of ICT necessitated delivery of appropriate training and prolonged practice. Also the manner in which teachers use ICT is crucial to successful implementation of online education [ 21 ]. While countries such as Germany, Japan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States recognized the importance of ICT by integrating it into their respective teacher training programmes [ 22 ], this has not been case in India. However, there are some training programmes available to teachers once they commence working. In accordance with our survey results, the vast majority of respondents (94%) lacked any ICT training or experience. In the absence of appropriate tools and support, these teachers self-experimented with online platforms, with equal chances of success and failure.

The transition from offline to online or remote learning was abrupt, and teachers had to adapt quickly to the new systems. Our data indicate that teachers in professional colleges and coaching centers received some training to help them adapt to the new online system, whereas teachers in urban areas primarily learned on their own from YouTube videos, and school teachers in rural areas received no support at all. Overall, teachers had insufficient training and support to adjust to this completely new situation. Policy research conducted on online and remote learning systems following COVID-19 has found similar results, namely that teachers implemented distance learning modalities from the start of the pandemic, often without adequate guidance, training, or resources [ 23 ]. Similar trends have been found in the Caribbean, where the unavailability of smart learning devices, lack of or poor internet access, and lack of prior training for teachers and students hampered online learning greatly. Furthermore, in many cases the curriculum was not designed for online teaching, which was a key concern for teachers [ 24 ]. Preparing online lectures as well as monitoring, supervising and providing remote support to students also led to stress and anxiety. Self-imposed perfectionism further exacerbated these issues while delivering online education [ 15 ]. A study conducted on 288 teachers from private and government schools in Delhi and National Capital Region area, also found that transition to online education has further widened the gap between pupils from government and private schools. It was more difficult to reach students from economically weaker sections of the society due to the digital divide in terms of access, usage, and skills gap. The study also found that even when teachers were digitally savvy, it did not mean that they know how to prepare for and take online classes [ 10 ].

2. How has online education affected the quality of teaching?

Once teachers had acquired some familiarity with the online system, new questions arose concerning how online education affected the quality of teaching in terms of learning and assessment, and how satisfied teachers were with this new mode of imparting education. To address these questions, specific questionnaire items about assessment and effectiveness of teaching has been included.

a. Effectiveness of online education.

Respondents agreed unanimously that online education impeded student-teacher bonding. They reported several concerns, including the inattentiveness of the majority of the students in the class, the physical absence of students (who at times logged in but then went elsewhere), the inability to engage students online, and the difficulty of carrying out any productive discussion given that only a few students were participating. Another significant concern was the difficulty in administrating online tests in light of widespread cheating. In the words of one teacher: “I was teaching a new class of students with whom I had never interacted in person. It was not easy because I could not remember the names of the students or relate to them. Students were irritated when I called out their names. It had a significant impact on my feedback. I would like us to return to class so I do not have to manage four screens and can focus on my students and on solving their problems.”

For these reasons, 85.65% of respondents stated that the quality of education had been significantly compromised in the online mode. As a result, only 33% reported being interested in continuing with online teaching after COVID-19. The results show slightly higher dissatisfaction in comparison to another study conducted in India that reported 67% of teachers feeling dissatisfied with online teaching [ 25 ]. Findings of this study were similar to the findings of a survey of lecturers in Ukraine assessing the effectiveness of online education. Lower quality student work was cited as the third most mentioned problem among the problems cited by instructors in their experience with online teaching, right behind unreliable internet connectivity and the issues related with software and hardware. Primary reasons for lower quality student work were drop in the number of assignments and work quality as well as cheating. Almost half (48.7%) of the participants expressed their disapproval of online work and would not like to teach online [ 26 ].

Due to the nature of the online mode, teachers were also unable to use creative methods to teach students. Some were accustomed to using physical objects and role-playing to engage students in the classroom, but they found it extremely difficult to make learning exciting and to engage their students in virtual space. Similar trends have been reported in Australia, where schoolteachers in outback areas did not find online education helpful or practical for children, a majority of whom came from low-income families. The teachers were used to employing innovative methods to keep the students engaged in the classroom. However, in online teaching, they could not connect with their students using those methods, which significantly hampered their students’ progress. Some teachers mentioned difficulties with online teaching caused by not being able to use physical and concrete objects to improve their instructions [ 27 ].

b. Online evaluation.

Of our respondents, 81% said that they had conducted online assessments of their students. Teachers used various online assessment methods, including proctored closed/open book exams and quizzes, assignment submissions, class exercises, and presentations. Teachers who chose not to administer online assessments graded their students’ performance based on participation in class and previous results.

Almost two-thirds of teachers who had administered online assessments were dissatisfied with the effectiveness and transparency of those assessments, given the high rates of cheating and internet connectivity issues. They also reported that family members had been helping students to cheat in exams because they wanted their children to get higher grades by any means necessary. In response, the teachers had tried to devise methods to discourage students and their families from cheating, but they still felt powerless to prevent widespread cheating.

As one respondent stated: “We are taking many precautions to stop cheating, such as asking to install a mirror behind the student and doing online proctoring, but students have their ways out for every matter. They disconnect the internet cable or turn it off and reconnect it later. When we question them, they have a connectivity reason ready”.

Teachers are also concerned about the effects of the digital skills gap on their creation of worksheets, assessments, and other teaching materials. As a result, some private companies have been putting together teacher training programs. The main challenge pertains to be implementation of a type of specialized education that many teachers are unfamiliar with and unwilling to adopt [ 28 ]. Because of the lack of effective and transparent online assessments, school teachers have reported that students were promoted to the next level regardless of their performance. Thus, only time will tell how successful online education has been in terms of its effects on the lives of learners.

3. How has online education affected teacher’s overall health?

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a situation that few people had experienced or even imagined living through. Governments and individuals tried their best to adjust to the new circumstances, but sudden lockdown, confinement to the household periphery, and working from home had adverse effects on the mental and physical health of many people, including educators and students. To clarify the effects of online education on teachers’ overall health, a number of questionnaire items were focused on respondents’ feelings during the lockdown, the physical and mental health issues they experienced, and their concerns about the future given the uncertainty of the present situation.

a. Physical health issues.

COVID-19 brought a multitude of changes to the lives of educators. Confinement to the household, working from home, and an increased burden of household and caregiving tasks due to the absence of paid domestic assistants increased physical workload and had corresponding adverse effects on the physical health of educators.

Of the study participants, 82% reported an increase in physical health issues since the lockdown ( Fig 1 ). Notably, 47% of those who were involved in digital mode of learning for less than 3 hours per day reported experiencing some physical discomfort daily, rising to 51% of teachers who worked online for 4–6 hours per day and 55% of teachers who worked more than 6 hours per day. Respondents reported a variety of physical health issues, including headaches, eye strain, back pain, and neck pain.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282287.g001

The number of hours worked showed a positive correlation with the physical discomfort or health issues experienced. A chi-square test was applied to determine the relationship between the number of online working hours and the frequency of physical issues experienced by the participants and found it to be significant at the 0.05 level ( Table 2 ).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282287.t002

As Fig 2 shows, 28% respondents’ complaint about experiencing giddiness, headaches; 59% complain of having neck and back pain. The majority of the participants had eye-strain problems most of the time; 32% faced eye problems sometimes, and 18% reported never having any eye issue. In addition, 49% had experienced two issues at the same time and 20% reported experiencing more than 2 physical issues at the same time.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282287.g002

The data in this study indicates a link between bodily distresses and hours worked. As working hours increased, so did reports of back and neck pain. 47% respondents reported back and neck pain after working for 3 hours or less, 60% after working for 3–6 hours, and nearly 70% after working for 6 hours or more.

The analysis also indicates link between physical issues experienced and the educator’s gender. Women experienced more physical discomfort than men, with 51% reporting frequent discomfort, compared to only 46% of men. Only 14% of female educators reported never experiencing physical discomfort, against 30% of male educators.

In terms of types of discomfort, 76% of female teachers and 51% of male teachers reported eye strain; 62% of female teacher and 43% of male teachers reported back and neck pain; 30% of female teachers and 18% of male teachers said they had experienced dizziness and headaches. The gender differences may be caused by the increase in household and childcare responsibilities falling disproportionately on female educators compared to their male counterparts. Several studies [ 17 , 29 – 31 ] have reported similar results, indicating that the gender gap widened during the pandemic period. The social expectations of women to take care of children increased the gender gap during the pandemic by putting greater responsibilities on women in comparison to men [ 29 ]. Women in academics were affected more in comparison to the men. Working from home burdened female educators with additional household duties and childcare responsibilities. A study done [ 32 ] in France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom discovered that women were immensely affected by lockdown in comparison to men. On top of this, women with children are affected more than women without children.

No effect of age on physical discomfort was observed in this study but increasing use of online tools (such as class websites) for content creation and delivery and extended working periods were major contributors to health problems.

b. Mental health issues.

The psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemics have also proved difficult to manage. Being at home all day with limited social interaction, not to mention other pandemic-related sources of stress, affected the mental health of many people. The majority of the participants in this study admitted experiencing mental health issues including anxious feelings, low mood, restlessness, hopelessness, and loneliness. According to UNESCO [ 33 ], due to the sudden closure of schools and adaptability to new systems, teachers across the world are suffering from stress. Studies conducted in various parts of the world confirmed similar trends [ 34 , 35 ]. In Israel, teachers reported psychological stress due to online teaching. 30.4% teachers reported being stressed in comparison to 6.1% teachers in traditional classroom settings [ 34 ]. In Spain, teachers experienced various kinds of mental health issues like anxiety, stress, and depression [ 36 ]. An Arabian study found an increased number of cases related to anxiety, depression, and violence during the pandemic [ 37 ]. In New Zealand teachers in Higher education reported being overwhelmed due to the online teaching [ 15 ].

Online teaching appears to have negatively affected the mental health of all the study participants. Women (94%) reported more mental health issues than men (91%), as shown in Fig 3 . Nearly two-thirds of participants said they had been dealing with mental health issues regularly and a third occasionally; only 7% said they never dealt with them. Findings of this study are in line with other studies which found that female teachers had higher levels of stress and anxiety in comparison to men [ 36 ]. Studies conducted in China reported that teachers developed mental health issues due to online classes [ 37 , 38 ].

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282287.g003

Our analysis indicated a positive relationship between the number of working hours and the frequency of mental health issues. Of the respondents who worked online for less than 3 hours, 55% experienced some kind of mental health issue; this rose to 60% of participants who worked online for 3–6 hours, and 66% of those who worked more than 6 hours every day. A chi-square test was applied to determine the relationship between the number of online working hours and the frequency of mental issues experienced by the participants and found it to be significant at the 0.05 level ( Table 3 ).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282287.t003

In terms of types of mental health issues, respondents reported restlessness, anxious feelings, and a sense of powerlessness, along with feelings of hopelessness, low mood, and loneliness as shown in Fig 4 . The stress of adapting to a new online working environment, the extended hours of work required to prepare content in new formats, the trial-and-error nature of learning and adopting new practices, uncertainty caused by lockdown, and an overall feeling of having no control were some of the contributing factors.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282287.g004

Mental health issues were more common among those under the age of 35, with 64% reporting a problem most of the time compared to 53% of those over 35. It has been found that job uncertainty is one of the primary causes of a higher prevalence of mental health concerns among younger respondents than among older respondents. These findings are in line with other studies which found higher levels of stress among the young people in comparison to older one [ 36 , 39 ]. Feelings of loneliness and a sense of no control were reported by 30% of respondents under the age of 35, with these feelings occurring constantly or most of the time; only 12% of respondent over the age of 35 reported experiencing these feelings always or most of the time. Of respondents under 35 years of age 61% felt lonely at some point during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to only 40% of those age 35 or older.

This study also found gender-based differences in the frequency of mental health issues experienced, with 62% of male respondents and 52% of female respondents reporting that they had always experienced mental health issues. The types of issues also differed by gender, with men more likely to report restlessness and loneliness and women more likely to report feeling anxious or helpless. More female respondents reported feelings of hopelessness than male respondents (76% compared to 69%), and they were also more anxious (66%).

The uncertainty of the pandemic seems to have caused helplessness and anxious feelings for female teachers in particular, perhaps because a lack of paid domestic help increased the burden of household and caregiving tasks disproportionately for women at a time when the pressure to adapt to new online platforms was particularly acute. In some cases, respondents left their jobs to accommodate new family dynamics, since private employers offered no assistance or flexibility. Deterioration of mental health also led to the increased number of suicides in Japan during COVID-19 [ 39 ].

However, female teachers fared better than their male counterparts on some measures of mental health. Although half of the respondents (men and women equally) reported low mood during the pandemic, the men reported more restlessness (53%) and loneliness (59%) than the women (50% and 49%, respectively). Restrictions on eating and drinking outside the household may have had a disproportionate effect on male respondents, making them more likely to feel restless or lonely than their female counterparts, who may have handled COVID-related isolation better by being more involved in household work and caregiving.

Number of hours worked online was also a factor contributing to mental health issues. Just as respondents had more physical complaints (including eye strain, back and neck pain, and headaches) the more hours they worked online, respondents who worked longer hours online reported more mental health issues.

One of the major drawbacks of online education is the widespread occurrence of physical and mental health issues, and the results of this study corroborate concerns on this point. This study found that online teaching causes more mental and physical problems for teachers than another study, which only found that 52.7% of respondents had these problems [ 12 ].

A report by the University of Melbourne has also indicated that online teaching and learning have a negative effect on the physical and mental well-being of individuals. Teachers working from home, in particular, have reported isolation, excessive screen time, inability to cope with additional stress, and exhaustion due to increased workload; despite being wary of the risks of exposure to COVID-19, they were eager to return to the campus [ 27 ].

c. Support mechanisms.

In general, teachers experienced good support from family and colleagues during the pandemic, with 45.64% of teachers reported receiving strong support, 29.64 percent moderate support (although the remainder claimed to have received no or only occasional support from family and colleagues). 9.39% of male respondents reported that they have never received any support in comparison to 4.36% females. Female respondents reported receiving more support than male respondents perhaps because they have access to a more extensive network of family members and coworkers. Children, parents, and siblings were cited as the provider of a robust support system by most female respondents. For example, maternal relatives called or texted children to keep them engaged and helped them with homework, and female participants said their peers helped them to prepare lectures and materials. A link was also found between age and support; the older the respondent, the stronger the support system. A possible explanation for this difference is that older people have had time to develop stronger and longer-lasting professional and personal ties than younger people.

This study explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Indian education system and teachers working across six Indian states. The effectiveness of online education methods varied significantly by geographical location and demographics based on internet connectivity, access to smart devices, and teachers’ training. While premier higher education institutions and some private institutions had provided teachers with the necessary infrastructure and training to implement effective successful online learning with relatively few challenges, teachers at schools and community colleges have more often been left to adopt a trial-and-error approach to the transition to an online system. Further, it indicates that online education has had a significant effect on the quality of education imparted and the lives and wellbeing of teachers. While online learning has enabled teachers to reach out to students and maintain some normalcy during a time of uncertainty, it has also had negative consequences. Owing to the lack of in-person interaction with and among students in digital classes, the absence of creative learning tools in the online environment, glitches and interruptions in internet services, widespread cheating in exams, and lack of access to digital devices, online learning adversely affected the quality of education. Teachers experienced mounting physical and mental health issues due to stress of adjusting to online platforms without any or minimal ICT training and longer working hours to meet the demands of shifting responsibilities. A positive correlation was found between working hours and mental and physical health problems.

The long-term impact of COVID-19 pandemic on both the education system and the teachers would become clear only with time. Meanwhile, this study sheds light on some of the issues that teachers are facing and needs to be addressed without further ado. These findings will provide direction to the policy makers to develop sound strategies to address existing gaps for the successful implementation of digital learning. However, researchers should continue to investigate the longer-term effects of COVID pandemic on online education.

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Digitalization of Education: Rural India’s Potential to Adapt to the Digital Transformation as New Normality

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First Online: 04 June 2022
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research papers on online education in india

Ankita Sahu 7 &
Swati Samantaray 7

Part of the book series: Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies ((SIST,volume 271))

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Education at its core is a social endeavour and the use of technology in education has a decisive role in providing innovative forms of support to teachers, students and the learning process more copiously. As a source of empowerment in education, technology is enhancing teaching and learning in a blended learning environment. The digital education in India is strengthening the education level and developing the nation to take a stand in the worldwide competition. With an increase in the active Internet subscribers, there is a rise in the use of diverse technologies as well as the web tools for the teaching and learning process. In order to enhance the educational system, the government is trying its best to provide all possible technological facilities for the students as well as the teachers alike so that they may equip themselves with the advanced technologies and web tools. This paper not only assesses the digital shift in education, but also estimates the capability of rural India to embrace the forthcoming digital changes. In the rural areas, adapting to newer technologies in education is of course vital, yet still a challenging task. Hence, this paper makes a modest attempt in spreading awareness regarding the digitalization needs in education and the implementation of various technological schemes launched by the government for digital transformation of education system amongst the learners in the rural areas in order to meet the future technological challenges.

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Sahu, A., Samantaray, S. (2022). Digitalization of Education: Rural India’s Potential to Adapt to the Digital Transformation as New Normality. In: Dehuri, S., Prasad Mishra, B.S., Mallick, P.K., Cho, SB. (eds) Biologically Inspired Techniques in Many Criteria Decision Making. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 271. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8739-6_35

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This paper discusses the challenges of effective digital learning and recommendations for overcoming the barriers of Online and Blended Learning, with a focus on how technology would then take over and shoot through the roof of learning in the future. ... R., Selva Ganesh, R. Dealing with online and blended education in India. Decision 49, 195 ...
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