Student Name Student ID Department

Suraya Khondoker 19-40238 -1 EEE

American International University- Bangladesh

Business Communication Report

Title: Accessibility of online free courses to the rural and

urban students of Bangladesh during COVID-19 Pandemic
Accessibility of online free courses to the rural and urban students
of Bangladesh during COVID-19 Pandemic
Suraya Khondoker
EEE, American International University-Bangladesh
Email: surayakhondoker1429@gmail.com
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Abstract- Due to the rapid spread of
COVID-19, people around the globe are
currently facing many challenges
including changing the way of
communication, conducting businesses,
delivery of education etc. as a response
to prevent further spread of
coronavirus. With the shutdown of
university campuses around the world,
many students are facing challenges to
continue their education since not all
universities have been able to migrate to
online education systems to continue
their classes. As a response, an
impressive number of prestigious
universities and MOOC platforms have
enabled hundreds of free courses to all
students around the world so that they
can continue their learning during this
ongoing pandemic. But not all students
from different areas of Bangladesh have
the necessary facilities that are required
for a smooth online learning experience.
So, the question is whether all students
of Bangladesh, both from the urban
areas and rural areas, are able to be
benefitted from these free online courses
that are being
---------------------------------------------------
offered during this pandemic. Possibility
is that even though the students from
urban areas are being benefitted from
these free online courses, the students
from rural areas are deprived of being
benefitted from this opportunity due to
lack of facilities. To investigate this
issue, a research has been conducted
based on a survey questionnaire and
surveying the students who are living in
both urban and rural areas of
Bangladesh. After analyzing the survey
results, it has been found that nearly
60% participants believe that urban
students get more advantage than rural
students in regards of doing online free
courses whereas 71% of rural students
believed that because of being in rural
area they are having troubles for
accessing online courses during this
pandemic. To sum up, the result of the
survey proving that rural students are
not getting benefitted from the free
online courses as much as their urban
counterparts are having.
Keywords- COVID-19, Pandemic, Survey,
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)
Platforms, Internet, Coursera, Online
Courses, Rural, Urban
 INTRODUCTION lucrative for all students, not all areas of
Bangladesh are properly covered by high
COVID-19 pandemic has brought one of
speed internet and other facilities that are
the greatest challenges in human life from
required for a smooth online learning
the beginning of 2020 that has changed
experience. So, the question is whether all
people’s day to day life style and the way
students of Bangladesh, both from the
of communication. Since the pandemic is
urban areas and rural areas, are able to be
not going away very soon, it was necessary
benefitted from these free online courses
to change the way of conducting everyday
that are being offered during this pandemic.
tasks that normally take place in office
It is most likely that even though the
hours including but not limited to office
students from urban areas are being
works, education, meeting etc. by
benefitted from these free online courses,
conducting them on online. In this way, it is
the students from rural areas are deprived
expected that the spread of COVID-19
of being benefitted from these free online
could be prevented as well as the regular
courses being offered during this pandemic
businesses and education for students will
due to lack of facilities.
also be carried on without violating social
distance. But unfortunately, not all
universities around the world especially
universities in the developing countries like METHODOLOGY
Bangladesh have been able to migrate to
The research has been conducted based on
online education systems so quickly.
a survey questionnaire and investigating the
Because of this, many reputed universities
students who are living in both urban and
around the world (e.g. Harvard University)
rural areas of Bangladesh about the
and online learning platforms (e.g.
availability and acceptance of online free
Coursera) have made available hundreds of
courses in those areas. The survey was
courses for free so that students can utilize
conducted mainly to see the weather both
their spare time in home by continuing their
the rural and urban students are being
learning and enhancing their skills without
benefitted equally from the free courses
wasting time during the pandemic [1] [2].
that are currently being offered by different
Also, this will help students to prepare for
MOOC platforms and prestigious
various types of jobs after the pandemic is
universities due to COVID-19 pandemic.
over. Students from Bangladesh have
During the time of COVID-19 pandemic all
started utilizing these online free learning
the things have been changed in
opportunities during this free time in
Bangladesh, specially the education policy
COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the free
and the continuity of education. Most of the
learning opportunities on online is highly
private universities have adopted the online
education system but majority of the
universities and other education institutions
have not been able to conduct classes in
online medium. Therefore, the students are
suffering a lot. Due to COVID-19
pandemic most of the students who stayed
in Dhaka city have returned to their homes
in different regional and rural areas. For the
survey, many important questions were
created to collect the opinion from the
various students from different areas of
Bangladesh who are currently living in both
the urban and rural areas. The purpose was
to know the thoughts of the students about
whether they are being benefitted from
online free courses and if not, what are the
reasons behind that. The survey had been
conducted for two weeks and the survey
questions followed the main purpose and
the possible outcome of the research. The
questions were specific and there was no
personal comment considered. For the
survey no personal information was
collected. People participated in the survey
voluntarily and the survey was anonymous.
SURVEY RESPONSES AND RESULTS
ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
After analyzing the data collected from the
survey, it is found that most of the
participants agree that online free courses
are beneficial and most of the students are
doing online free courses during COVID-
19 pandemic. It should be noted that
majority of the participants have identified
themselves as from Dhaka area. A large
number of the students are currently living
outside of Dhaka (almost 50%) and most of
them are not blessed with enough learning
resources, good internet connection speed
and proper electricity. Besides many of
them don’t have a laptop or a smart phone
to attend the online classes. Most of the
participants believe that urban students get
more advantage than rural students in
regards of doing online courses (nearly
60% among the participants). The survey
has shown that many of the students has
demanded for cheap cost of internet
packages. Majority of the rural students
uses mobile data for online courses and
62% of the participants thought that the
internet price is much high in Bangladesh.
Around 70% of the respondents have
agreed that the internet speed is very slow
in rural areas. 71% of rural students stated
that because of being in rural area, they are
getting disadvantages for accessing online
courses during the pandemic. From the
analysis it has been found that many of the
rural students are not so interested
regarding free online courses (especially in
the remote areas) perhaps due to lack of
facilities that are required for doing online
courses.
RESULT
From the survey, it has been observed that
most of the students are doing online free
courses during COVID-19 pandemic.
Majority of the respondents are from Dhaka
and about half of the students are currently
living outside of Dhaka. The students from
rural areas cannot get better facilities than
the urban students, for example, good
internet connection, enough learning
resources, and proper electricity. A large
number of students who participated in the
survey agreed that urban students get more
advantages than their rural counterparts.
Majority of the participant’s think that
internet package is costly which may
prevent poor rural students for doing online
courses. The rural students also don’t have
access to high speed internet connection.
The survey report reflects that majority of
students don’t prefer online courses over
traditional class room-based course. Above
all the full survey shows that it is very
difficult for rural students to do online
courses in this pandemic situation and thus
they are not being benefitted from the free
online courses currently being offered
during this pandemic.
CONCLUSION
The survey for the Covid-19 pandemic
could not be conducted at the field level
and in rural areas in person. The survey
was conducted solely on online and for
those who have internet access. If the
survey had been conducted at the field level
and in the countryside in person, the survey
would probably have been more subtle and
unbiased. Thus, from the limitations of the
survey it has been observed that the
Covid19 epidemic online free course is
beneficial for most students of urban areas
but students in rural areas may be deprived
of this opportunity due to insufficient
internet connection, for expensive internet
packages and lack of electricity. In rural
area, most of the students’ families are
needy, they haven't enough digital devices
to do their online free courses and also,
they don’t have enough money for buying
internet packages and digital devices. Thus,
the survey result proves that the assumption
about rural students not equally getting
access to online courses as their urban Learning Due to Coronavirus (Updated
counterparts was correct. Students in rural Continuously), Class Central, Apr. 18,
areas are being deprived of this facility and 2020.
facing problems like expensive internet Accessed on: Sept. 14, 2020. [Online].
packages, lack of necessary devices and Available:
because of these most of them are not able https://www.classcentral.com/report/freeonl
to learn from free online courses. To solve ine-learning-coronavirus/
this problem our government, social
welfare agency and the rich must come [2] “University and college students, learn
forward and need to take necessary steps for free with Coursera,” Accessed on:
like to ensure digital devices and free high- Sept.
speed internet connections for all students 14, 2020. [Online]. Available:
so that all students can get access to online https://www.coursera.org/for-
learning indiscriminately. universityand-collegestudents?
utm_campaign=studentupswell&utm_conte
nt=c4cv-
studnetfaq&utm_medium=c4cvwebsite&ut
REFERENCES
m_source=c4cv
[1] R. Ma, M. C. Mendez, Free Online
Hypothesis 1: The report would attempt to show the availability for online
free courses in rural and urban areas and the acceptance of the courses by
the students in both the areas during Covid-19 pandemic

Hypothesis 2: Consequences of online free courses for the students of rural

areas during Covid-19 pandemic

Sample Survey Questions:

1) Where are you living now?

Answer:
(i) Dhaka
(ii) Outside of Dhaka City
(iii) Rural Area
(iv) Remote Areas

2) Are you doing any free online course during COVID-19 pandemic?
Answer:
(i) Yes
(ii) No

3) Do you think rural students will be benefited from online courses?

Answer:
(i) Strongly Agree
(ii) Agree
(iii) Neutral
(iv) Disagree
(v) Strongly Disagree

4) If you are not doing any online course, what could be the closest response
(You can choose multiple answers)?
Answer:
(i) I don’t feel it necessary
(ii) I have internet connection problem
(iii) I don’t have access to necessary equipment (e.g., laptop, smartphone etc.)
(iv) I am depressed for the pandemic
(v) I want to spend most of my times with my family during the pandemic
instead of doing courses.
(vi) I am already doing online courses

5) Do you think being in urban area giving you the advantage in regards of
doing online courses (Ignore the question if you are residing in rural areas)?
Answer:
(i) Strongly Agree
(ii) Agree
(iii) Neutral
(iv) Disagree
(v) Strongly Disagree

6) Do you think being in rural area giving you the disadvantage in regards of
doing online courses (Ignore the question if you are residing in urban
areas)?
Answer:
(i) Strongly agree
(ii) Agree
(iii) Neutral
(iv) Disagree
(v) Strongly Disagree

7) What could be the possible solution that would make it easy for the rural
students to get access to the online MOOC courses? (You can choose
multiple responses) Answer:
(i) High speed internet connection
(ii) Cheap or free internet package
(iii) Giving access to desktop or laptop or smartphone (iv) Use Projector for the
Online courses in rural area.
(v) I have no idea since I am residing in an urban area

8) Do you think the atmosphere of E-tutoring is better than traditional class

room course? (Choose responses if you are doing any online course
otherwise share your opinion)

Answer:
(i) Strongly Agree
(ii) Agree
(iii) Neutral
(iv) Disagree
(v) Strongly Disagree
9) Are the teachers that much interactive in online classes compare to the
traditional classes?
Answer:
(i) Yes
(ii) No
(iii) Sometimes
(iv) Most of the time

10) Do you have any friends living in rural areas? If yes then how he/she is
completing this semester?
Answer:
(i) Using Mobile Data
(ii) Recording the classes
(iii) Goes to someone else’s house where the network is strong
(iv) Need not to go anywhere because mobile network is quite good in the
villages of Bangladesh
(v) He/ She has dropped this semester
(vi) I don’t have any friend living in the village

11) Did you notice any problem in terms of understanding the online
courses than the traditional class room courses? Answer:
(i) Yes
(ii) No
(iii) Maybe
(iv) I think it’s the same in both online and offline courses (v) I haven’t done any
online course yet

12) Do you think every student living in the villages has access to the
internet?
Answer:
(i) Strongly Agree
(ii) Agree
(iii) Neutral
(iv) Disagree
(v) Strongly Disagree

13) Do you think the internet speed is good in the rural areas of Bangladesh?
Answer:
(i) Strongly Agree
(ii) Agree
(iii) Neutral
(iv) Disagree
(v) Strongly Disagree

14) Do you think the cost of internet packages are affordable for all the rural
students?
Answer:
(i) Strongly Agree
(ii) Agree
(iii) Neutral
(iv) Disagree
(v) Strongly Disagree
15) Do you think the students are learning enough by taking online classes?
Answer:

(i) Strongly Agree

(ii) Agree
(iii) Neutral
(iv) Disagree
(v) Strongly Disagree