CHAPTER 1:- INDRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the field of education underwent an unprecedented
transformation, compelling institutions worldwide to swiftly adapt to alternative modes of instruction.
This paradigm shift, particularly in a populous and diverse country like India, triggered a comprehensive
exploration of online education. The focus of this thesis is to delve into the nuanced landscape of
students' perceptions and preferences for online education in India, an environment characterized by
cultural richness, technological disparities, and the lingering uncertainties brought about by the ongoing
public health crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institutions across India to reevaluate their traditional
methods and embrace virtual learning platforms. Amidst this seismic shift, understanding how students
perceive and prefer online education becomes pivotal for the successful integration of technology into
the educational fabric of the nation. This thesis seeks to untangle the multifaceted aspects that contribute
to students' attitudes towards online learning, exploring factors such as technological infrastructure,
socio-economic considerations, cultural influences, and the efficacy of virtual pedagogical approaches.

As we embark on this exploration, it is essential to recognize the diversity inherent in the Indian
educational landscape. From metropolitan hubs with robust digital infrastructures to remote regions
grappling with connectivity challenges, students' experiences with online education vary significantly.
This study aims to capture this diversity, offering a comprehensive analysis that goes beyond a mere
assessment of the effectiveness of virtual classrooms, delving into the socio-cultural factors that shape
students' perceptions.

By shedding light on students' experiences during the pandemic-driven surge in online education, this
thesis aims to contribute valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on the future of education in India.
The findings of this research hold the potential to inform educational policymakers, institutions, and
educators as they navigate the evolving educational landscape, ensuring that the integration of online
education aligns with the diverse needs and preferences of the student population across the country.

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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

2
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 our education sector, the curriculum 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
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 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.

Change is constant and inevitable; therefore, anything in this world tends to be obsolete with
every new advancement or development, and intelligence lies in the ability to adapt to change. E-
learning is primarily referred to as the use of technology and network communication for teaching

3
and learning. It is also referred to as a technology-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge to a
large number of recipients (Economic Times, 2020). It is one such fastest growing trend in the
educational uses of technology (Means et al., 2013). The advent of the Internet and the World
Wide Web has led educational institutions to change their learning techniques to meet the user
demands in providing an ideal learning environment (Xu and Ebojoh, 2007). An online class is a
system where students can learn subjects, discuss issues with fellow students, clarify doubts with
instructor and share material and check academic progress with help from internet-oriented
technologies. Today, online classes are becoming so popular that they are likely to be expected in
any formal education curriculum.

Moreover, increase in the COVID pandemic worldwide has also added to the importance of
online classes. In India, there are more than 370m users are on the Internet and helping online
education to grow at a fast pace. At present, more than 3bn users are using the e-learning platform
(Arora, 2017). Growing CAGR percentage of online education in India is approximately 19% by
2020 (Technavio's market research analyst prediction). According to the recent report of Coursera,
one of the world's largest online education providers, out of 18m registered learners, 1.3m users
are from India, making it the third-largest market for online learning after the US and China. Even
though we witness rapid progress in e-learning, it remains at an early stage of development. In this
scenario, the role played by teachers and students gains due importance as it is their perceptions
and attitude, which is critical to motivation and learning (Koohang and Durante, 2003). Ultimately
it is the acceptance of students and teachers that helps in reaping the benefits of online classes.
With this regard, the study tries to analyze the perceptions of teachers and students on the
effectiveness of online courses over traditional classroom learning.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Statement of the present study is“ Student’s Perception and Preference for Online

Education in Murshidabad District during COVID -19 Pandemic ”

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

The main objective of this study is to analyze the perception of teachers and students about
online classes. This research tries to explain the opinions of students on the impact, comfort ability
and support of teachers in an online course, along with teachers' views on efficacy, teaching
practice and training for an online class.

1. To know the level of students’ perception for online education.

2. To know the level of students’ preference for online education.
3. To study the difference of perception for online education among male and female
students.
4. To study the difference of perception for online education among the students of
rural and urban areas.
5. To study the difference of perception for online education among the students of
graduation and post-graduation.
6. To study the difference of preference for online education among male and female
students.
7. To study the difference of preference for online education among the students of
rural and urban areas.
8. To study the difference of preference for online education among the students of
graduation and post-graduation.
9. To study the relationship between students’ perception and preference for online
education.

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HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY:

Ha1. The level of students’ perception for online education will vary.
Ha2. The level of students’ preference for online education will vary.
H03. There will be no significant difference of perception for online education among
male and female students.
H04. There will be no significant difference of perception for online education among the
students of rural and urban areas.
H05. There will be no significant difference of perception for online education among the
students of graduation and post-graduation.
H06. There will be no significant difference of preference for online education among
male and female students.
H07. There will be no significant difference of preference for online education among the
students of rural and urban areas.
H08. There will be no significant difference of preference for online education among the
students of graduation and post-graduation.
H09. There will be no significant relationship between students’ perception and preference
for online education.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF THE KEY TERM:

COVID -19
Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Pandemic
A pandemic is a disease outbreak that spreads across countries or continents. It affects more
people and takes more lives than an epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared
COVID-19 to be a pandemic when it became clear that the illness was severe and that it was spreading
quickly over a wide area.

Internet

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 The Internet, sometimes called simply "the Net," is a worldwide system of computer
networks -- a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have
permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other
computers.
Online education
It is teaching a class totally or partially through internet and online course management tools.

DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY:

Due to the shortage of time, the present study will be delimited on the following points

i. Only 255 samples is taken.

ii. The researcher has limited the study only on some selected colleges.
iii. Sample is not taken from some students who either lived in remote area or don’t have proper
device for online learning.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of any field of study lies in its utility and practicability in the life of people.
No one imagined that Covid-19 would turn our world upside down and would bring major
changes to our lifestyle. The virus has spread everywhere like a wild forest fire due to which
numerous changes were accepted by people all over the world, and it took some time for everyone
to adapt to the new normal.

Online learning is rapidly becoming one of the most effective ways to impart education. The
impact of the virus was so strong that online education became a seemingly ubiquitous part of our
growing world, which resulted in the closure of schools and no further physical interaction of
teachers with students. Fortunately, soon enough most of the schools and educational institutions
moved to online mode to resume their studies. As a result, education has changed dramatically,
with the distinctive rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely on digital
platforms instead of physical classrooms.

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 Online classes and technology have emerged as a superhero during the lockdown days. We
have all been under house arrest but are still connected with the world of education. Due to the
lockdown, students have not been able to stay connected with the outer world and the lack of
exposure is evident. The only reprieve for the students’ mental well-being has been the transition
to online classes. Teachers made sure that the learning for students was not compromised, so they
took a great leap forward to find solutions and create new learning environments for their students
to ensure that learning never stops. With little time to prepare, curriculums were modified, new
lesson plans were created, activities were planned, all so that their students remain actively
involved through online learning.

Large number of works has done on “Online Education” but the investigator felt that it is the
demand of time to study on “Online Education in relation to students-teacher and their perception
and preference towards it”. This study will also helpful to study the following points:-

i. The present study will be helpful to know the different perception &preference towards
online education of students.
ii. The present study will be helpful to know the different perception &preference towards
online education of teachers.
iii. This study will also helpful to know the ability of teachers to conduct online teaching
procedure.
iv. This study will also be helpful to educational system for consideration to upgrade to the
new, digital and updated education system in India.

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 CHAPTER 2:- REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION
The popularity of online classes in recent years leads to an increased number of online course
offerings by schools and colleges (Beatty and Ulasewicz, 2006; Li and Akins, 2005).In addition to
this, technological advancement and student demand in online classes (Bennett and Lockyer,
2004; Britt, 2006) have influenced colleges and universities to implement online classes along with
the normal course. Here the noteworthy point is online classes are not compelled to schools to
implement it but is considered as a modern tool for handling issues during the learning process
(Agustina and Cahyono, 2017).

Most of the universities are planning to invest in internet-based class and on recruiting and
training faculty to teach online (Floyd, 2003; Koehler et al., 2004). One of the surveys suggests
that online teachings will continue to increase significantly in educational as well as the corporate
organization in future coming years (Meyen et al., 2002). Because of all these developments in
education it is believed that online-based teaching is interactive (Johnston et al., 2005) and online
teaching creates environments where students actively engage with the material and learn by
practical activity (Palloff and Pratt, 2013) and also refers to their understanding as they build new
knowledge. Moreover, in the past decades, online classes are gaining so much importance all over
the world, and it shifts the thought of colleges that “Online class is an Optional” to “Online class is
necessary” (Larreamendy-Joems and Leinhardt, 2006).

Many colleges implement online teaching in their course without proper planning, but they
first introduced for faculty development program (Abhinandan, 2018). The Internet has enabled
the delivery of instruction at a lower cost than in face-to-face classroom teaching; thus, it provides
more opportunities for learners to take courses (Murday et al., 2008). Many researches were
conducted to examine the behavior of teachers and students toward the online class. It observed
that the main reasons for taking an online class by the students were “flexibility” and “self–

9
control” within the learning environment, and they also perceived that online class would be a
convenient method of teaching compared to traditional classroom learning. Here convenience
based in terms “Price” and “self-directed learning” (Armstrong, 2011) and students from the
traditional method of schooling have feelings about the social aspects involved in online courses,
but online students have had positive experiences – though the online courses have not always met
their expectations in learning aspects and that both the learners perceive online learning as
convenient though not necessarily conducive to their learning. Schools and colleges must consider
the impact of online classes when online classes play an important role in the learning process
(Burns, 2013).

There are many researches explains that the limitations of online classes, which say that
online classes are convenient, less costly and easy to access, so these factors made differences
between online learning and face-to-face learning many students who are successful in the
traditional classroom (Kebritchi et al., 2017) are not equally as successful in an online class
(Cheung and Kan, 2002; Tucker, 2001). In fact, students with a GPA score of less than 2.9
succeeded more in an online class than students with GPA scores of more than 2.9 (Sugilar,
2017). Many students believed that degrees obtained through online classes are not valid as much
as a traditional method of classroom teaching. This may affect the desire of students to enroll in
online courses. So, there is a need for awareness programs regarding the importance of online
learning (Allen and Seaman, 2010; Bejerano, 2008).

REVIEWS

For the effective conducting of an online class, there is a need of skills that students may need
to handle online classes, such as: ability to learn revised learning practices, capacity to develop
new vocabulary and ability to discuss with teacher in patience (Eastmond, 1995; Gibbson,
1998; Kearsley, 2000). From all these reviews, it observed that there is a need for the study in the
area of perception of teachers and students in online classes. After the outbreak of COVID 19 in
the entire world, the online classes became compulsory for education institutions. Therefore, a
survey was conducted to collect opinions of both tutor and pupil about online classes.

10
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 summaries 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 students 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 favorable and unfavorable 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

11
(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).

12
The literature has highlighted different models which provides the basic framework to understand the
student’s 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 student’s
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.

CRITICAL OBSERVATION

A. Conventional method of learning or teaching

In today‟s time the conventional method of learning and the traditional type of teaching have become
widely ineffective. These methods have been in use for more than a century with the same existing
techniques, but the world has been progressing. The conventional methods of Learning do not encourage
students and sometimes it leads to loss of interest or disrespect the process of learning in life. It
showcases that there is very less attention given to it. Ali, Hukamdad, Akhter and Khan (2010) wrote
about the teaching, learning and understanding done in mathematics subject is very poor in schools.
Okereke (2006) observed that this depends on number of factors such as the students building up a
mind-set that proclaims mathematics to be a tough subject, the lack of the qualified mathematics
teachers and the insufficiency of mathematics laboratories. In 1899, Sir William Osler noticed that the
medicines are now getting very complex and are beyond the ability of teachers to teach by the
conventional methods. So he proposed the decreasing of lecture time and allowing students to study
more on their own. In 1932, the Commission on Medical Education of the Association of American
Colleges announced that medical education needs to be implemented on the independent study and
thought which would help the students to continue their self-learning through their life. For this to
proceed they need to free up the medical education of its present rigidity, by decreasing the students per
classroom and by adapting the curriculum to meet the educational needs of students. According to
Kitogo (2011) the engineering graduates have attractive curricula vitae, but in reality, they are very dull

13
or their performance doesn‟t match with their studies. Whitehead (1929) stated that students tend to
memorize the information given to them instead of using it to solve problems. This is because the
knowledge provided to them is meaningless or irrelevant to the provided lectures as this becomes inert
knowledge.

B. E-learning for the students of technical background

In recent years the concept of e learning has become more effective. The method of providing education
has changed due the advancement in the computer technology. E-learning has been introduced as a tool
for learning and gathering information via electronic means. The student and the teacher do not meet
physically and rather are separated through distance and time and this gap between them is filled by IT
technology (Baresova. A, 2003). Data is shared through video recordings and various observations and
facts. E-learning plays an effective role in the development of educational processes. „Learning
outcome‟ occurs when the readers acquire an understanding of what is being thought and are able to
apply the content when required. Student‟s performance cane be marked through their grades. the
relation between the student and the teacher have become less personal. Students undergo various online
courses but many of them fail to complete them due to lack of interest and motivation (Charlesworth. A,
2002). Teachers need to construct their learning materials to target their students. they need to encourage
interaction and collaboration among the students. The success of e-learning also depends on how
effectively and smartly the content is delivered. Motivation, interaction and practice are the key factors
for the effectiveness of e-learning (Volery,T. & Lord,D, 2000). Students are required to practice the e-
learning content through case studies or apply them in real life situation. E-learning has been considered
as a useful tool in many universities for learning purpose. It provides an active approach for learning and
converts complex contents into a simpler one. E-learning encourages the learners to learn new things by
themselves through internet. e-learning increases participation and helps the students to become self-
dependent learners. Various research and studies show that students undertaking online courses perform
much better than students who learn through traditional methods. However, some students may find it
difficult to understanding due to lack of knowledge about the technology. They need to acquire the skills
for this. Improvement in IT technology would improve the effectiveness of online learning in upcoming
years (Hemsley.C, 2002).

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 CHAPTER 3:- METHODOLOGY

By research methods we mean all those methods and techniques which are used in the
conduction of a research. In other words, research methods refer to all those methods which are used by
the researchers in conducting the research.

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.

The population of the study was students at both Undergraduate and postgraduate levels. 255 students
were selected randomly from this population, which is deemed significant to provide useful feedback on
students’ perceptions of online learning. The study used 5 point liekart scale questionnaire surveys,
which is gathered from participants in the period between August 15 and October 5 during the working
days of colleges in Murshidabad .

Method of the study: Survey method and descriptive method was employed.

VARIBLES:
Students from different colleges were taken as sample, group of them are from different stream and have
different sex. They have randomly chosen from either rural or urban area.

POPULATION & SAMPLES :

Population of the study: College Students.

Sample of the study: 255 students. (Male- 145,Female- 110), (Rural-195,Urban- 60), (Arts-
170,Science- 85)

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 Sampling technique: Simple Random Sampling.

Study Area : Murshidabad District

TOOLS:
Scale for Students’ Perception and Preference for Online Education was developed by the researcher
himself.

Statistical Technique: Mean, S.D , t-t test , correlation will be used by the researcher.

DESIGN:

PROCEDURE: Survey method and descriptive method was employed

CHAPTER 4:- RESULTS

DESCRIPTION & INTERPRETION :

Findings from the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the present study are
presented below.
There are 255 students taken as sample on random basis. The demographic variables included age, sex,
degree, stream and place of residence. The mean age of the respondents was 23 years. There were more
male respondents 145(57%) than female respondents 110 (43%). Majority of the respondents were
belonging to rural background 195 (76%) whereas 60 (24%) were from urban areas and Arts students is
170 (67%) where 85 (33%) belongs to science.

16
Demographic details of the respondents.

Sex Male 145 (57%)

Female 110 (43%)
Degree UG 215 (84%)
PG 40 (16%)
Place of Residence Rural 195 (76%)
Urban 60 (24%)

Stream Arts 170 (67%)

Science 85 (33%)

Basic information regarding online classes (Table 1)

Among the respondents, only 97 (38.04%) were having prior experience of online classes and 158
(61.96%) 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.

Table 2
Questions Response Percentage

Did you attend any online course Yes 38.04

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 earlier? No 61.96
Whether your college has begun
Yes 82
online classes in the wake of
corona? No 18
As the COVID-19 continues to Assignments and reading materials
29.97
spread, educational institutions can be provided Curriculum
around the globe have been shut, schedule can be suspended
disrupting the educational system. Managing with online classes
67.1
What will you suggest to meet the
current situation?

Learner’s preference for online classes

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 3).

Table -3 (Technical requirements for online classes)

Attribute Percentage (%)
Communication means to Any two mode 1.63
class updates Posting in university website 5.86
Text message 8.47
e-mail 21.50
WhatsApp 62.54
Preferred device for an Both smartphone and laptop .65
online course Desktop .65
Laptop 35.83
Smart phone 57.98
Tablet 4.89

18
Source of internet LAN 2.93
Mobile data pack 85.67
Wi-Fi 11.40

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 5).

Table 5:- Structure of online classes.

Attribute Percentage (%)

Online class format Live online Classes 17.92

Live classes that can be 27.04

recorded
Recorded classes that is
54.40
uploaded at university
website/YouTube/any other
application
0.65
Sending reading material

Reading material is sufficient 11.40

Nature of Course material

Video Content supplemented 84.36

with reading material

19
 Video content is sufficient 4.23

Nature of Video content As per the convenience and 2.93

requirement

Both PowerPoint and 2.28

whiteboard
Course Instructor should 34.53
teach using whiteboard

Course instructor should use 52.77

PowerPoint

Lecture only 7.49

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 6).

Table- 6 Frequency and duration of online classes

20
 Attribute Percentage (%)
How often do you expect the Alternate days 0.65
course instructor to conduct As per the schedule to 4.56
the classes? complete the syllabus
Daily 1.30
Fortnight 4.56
Weekly once 29.97
weekly twice 58.96
Suitable duration for online 30 min 29.97
classes (per class) 45 min 45.93
more than hour 0.65
1h 23.45
How much time would you 2–4 h 48.86
like to spend in a day for 4–6 h 14.33
online classes Less than 2 h 0.65
Less than 2 h 36.16
How much time you need as 10 min 22.15
break between two online 15 min 47.88
classes Less than 10 min 5.21
More than 15 min 24.46

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%).
Inter- estingly,40% of the respondents expect the instructor to clarify their doubts within a day (See
Table 3d).

Table- 7 Addressing the queries

21
 Attribute Percentage (%)
Way for clarifying queries All three can be made 0.33
available
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 Within Next class 0.33
queries by instructor Within 2–3 days 17.59
Within a day 40.39
Within a week 12.05
Within few hours 29.64

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

22
 8).
Table-8 Plans and criteria for evaluation
Attribute Percentage (%)
Do you feel quiz of 5–10 NO 24.10
min during each class is
YES 75.9
necessary to achieve
better?
Do you feel assignments NO 43.97
at end of every class YES 56.03
are necessary to achieve
effective learning?
Deadline for submitting 1 day 2.93
assignments. 1 week 46.58
2-3 days 14.98
before the next 35.5
scheduled class
Do you like to attend No 39.74
online exams Yes 60.26
Nature of online exam Both 26.06
Objective 70.03
Subjective 3.91

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 9. 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

23
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 4c and its
level of significance indicated that the differences were highly significant.

Statements 1(%) 2(%) 3(%) 4(%) 5(%) Consensus

S1– I prefer my online courses as 21.00 23.45 28.34 17.26 9.45 0.52
they are very structured with set
due dates similar to face-to face
courses
S2- Online classes help me 26.38 25.73 21.50 19.22 7.17 0.50
comprehend the course materials
compared to Classroom learning
S3- Online environment makes 31.60 31.27 14.33 14.33 8.47 0.49
it easier for me to communicate
with my instructor than classroom
environment
S4 – I am more comfortable 26.38 15.96 19.22 21.50 16.94 0.41

24
responding to questions by email
S5- My technical skills 12.38 14.66 23.45 31.60 19.30 0.51
(email/internet/apps) has increased
since attending online classes
S6– I spend more time on my 15.64 20.85 25.73 22.48 15.31 0.51
homework in comparison with
regular classroom learning
S7- Instructor understands the 14.98 20.85 30.62 21.82 11.73 0.55
online environment and makes it
easy to learn whereas continuums

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.

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).

25
Here the below figures represents the attitude to the Questionnaire -1 of

i) Male and Female Students

ii) Rural and Urban Areas Students

iii) Arts and Science Students

iv) UG & PG

26
 Number of Respondent
Male vs Female Response to Questionnaire -1
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
5
SA AG NL DA SDA
Male 45 40 30 20 10
Female 30 25 25 20 10
Total 75 65 55 40 20
Percent- 29.4117647058 25.4901960784 21.5686274509 15.6862745098 7.84313725490
age 824 314 804 039 196

Rural vs Urban Response to Questionnire -1

110
90
Number of Respondent

70
50
30
10
SA AG NL DA SDA
Rural 65 55 36 24 15
Urban 35 15 8 1 1
Total 100 70 44 25 16
Percantage 39.21568627450 27.45098039215 17.25490196078 9.803921568627 6.274509803921
98 69 43 45 57

Arts vs Science Response to Questionnaire -1

170
150
130
Number of Respondent

110
90
70
50
30
10
SA AG NL DA SDA
Arts 90 45 15 15 5
Science 70 5 6 4 0
Total 160 50 21 19 5
Percent- 62.7450980392 19.6078431372 8.23529411764 7.45098039215 1.96078431372
age 157 549 706 686 549

CHAPTER 5:- DISCUSSION

27
SUMMARRY & FINDING:
First, the study examined the effectiveness of online learning during COVID-19 .The effectiveness of
online learning ranges in delivering online learning during the crisis with an SD of 0.67 and 3.548. This
means the study participants found online learning useful due to the following reasons: first, students
showed that they were provided with efficient online platforms by their institutions to attend lectures.
The majority of the study’s respondents showed that they used Microsoft Teams in their online learning
process. This is affirmed by Spataro (2020) that Microsoft Teams, as of the end of October 2020, has
increased significantly to reach 115 million daily active users. Second, the study’s participants showed
that they were trained and had the necessary technological skills to attend online learning. Trained
students on online platforms could grasp the learning outcomes of online classes. Moreover, they also
showed that they gained new experiences while attending online classes. Third, students emphasize that
online learning platforms are easy to use. This means that students have got training to attend online
classes, while the academic institutions may share guideline usage with their students. Furthermore,
online learning allows flexible time to participate in courses whether they attend the classes
synchronously (the exact time of the lecture) and asynchronously (recording the study). Fourth, students
accentuated that they were satisfied with the student–teacher interaction during online teaching and
learning. Similarly, the participants showed their agreement on

communications and asked questions to clear their doubts during online lectures. On the other hand, the
study’s participants responded as neither agree nor disagree (NAND) to the question of whether
students’ motivation is high in participating in online lectures. In the same vein, the study’s analysis
indicated that they were not able to decide whether their home is suitable to attend online lectures. This
means may the students may have got external distractions from their family members while attending
online classes. The research sample agrees on the effectiveness of learning using online classes with a
mean of 3.548 (agree) and a standard deviation of 0.647. Most of these opportunities were: you have
sufficient equipment and facilities with a mean of 4.09 and a standard deviation of 0.926, and you have
adequate computer knowledge and IT skills to manage your online learning with a mean of 3.9321 and a
standard deviation of 0.93845, and online.

28
LIMITATION:

RECOMMENDATION & SUGGESTION:

This study highlights undergraduate students’ perceptions, which showed online learning as a flexible
and useful learning source during the crisis and some limitations. According to students,

online learning is a relaxed and productive source of knowledge Most of them agreed that online
learning helps students 24 h to have access to learning materials asynchronously at any time in a day.
This finding correlates with that online learning offers learners the ability to access online materials
around the clock. Moreover, it also encouraged self-learning, where the student plays a role in the
process of learning. Online learning reduces the cost of education, where students stay at home and do
not pay any charge for traveling and other expenses. More importantly, students learned new
experiences through learning, such as time management and self-discipline.

The analysis revealed that the students faced difficulties when attending online classes. Based on the
findings, these challenges lie in students’ struggle to adapt to online courses, lack of direct contact with
the faculty, lack of motivation to attend classes, and time management. This list of challenges should be
considered by course coordinators and program chairs by offering solutions to these challenges. Students
viewed the issue of adapting to the transference from face to face to

online instructions as a challenge. This is a great challenge since most countries were not prepared
enough to cope with abrupt crises that we did not have before. Students also highlighted that online
platforms are not easily adjustable to deaf, hard of hearing, or special needs students. The government
should help such students by offering courses provided by specialists of students with special needs.
Students also complained about the lack of interaction, reflecting on students’ achievements and their

29
personalities. Technical Internet connectivity issues also affect learning via learning modalities. This
challenge can be overcome by improving the speed of the Internet packages provided to students. In this
context, governments should offer Internet packages to students at low cost, and the telecommunication
companies should help students. Similarly, students were concerned about their data privacy since their
information was exposed to breach by external parties, they use their laptops and PCs available at their
homes. This requires that universities should educate students about data privacy. They also have to
provide students with free firewall programs to protect their data, as also suggested

by Luxatia (2020).

CONCLUSION

The study scrutinized the perception of the faculty and students on online learning. The study showed
that online education is less effective than online classes. The students of online learning face several
challenges due to the struggle to complete adaptation to online courses and the lack of interaction
between students and their tutors. E-learning platforms motivate student-centered learning, and they are
easily adjustable during abrupt crises, such as COVID-19. The universities in Jordan should take part in
training students on how to protect their data. Moreover, the government should advise
telecommunication companies to improve the students’ services at an affordable price. It is worth
mentioning that students with special needs should have synchronous classes, where the special needs
specialists should have a role to facilitate such students’ process.

30
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APPENDICES :

33