Students’ approach towards online learning during Covid-19 period: A public university perspective

Abstract

Purpose: To identify how students at the public universities used to conduct online learning during covid-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of the platforms where they took their learnings from.

Methodology: The study was conducted targeting the students at the University of Dhaka and the sample size was 147. The data were collected through Google form. Data analysis was done with SPSS and Microsoft Excel.

Findings: It had been revealed from the study that more than two thirds of the participants were used to pursue online learning and among them the significant portion, which is around 75%, preferred Coursera, Udemy and Udacity as online learning platforms. Less than half of those enrolled in different courses on these platforms had managed to successfully complete the courses and rest could not. 54% of respondents suggested that video quality and teaching systems of the online learning platforms are to be improved to attract more students towards virtual education.

Originality and Practical Implications:   This one was the first attempt to observe the tendency of public University students regarding online learning during the outbreak of covid-19. The online learning platforms mentioned in the questionnaire, along with the respective educational institutions, will get useful insight from the study to enhance their level of services to the prospective aspirants.

Limitations: The study was confined within the University of Dhaka. As the period of the study was in covid-19, it was quite difficult to reach out to the students other than those who are easily reachable by the researchers.