PU study on accessibility, utility of online education
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 10
A Panjab University online study has revealed that 72.9% students expressed their helplessness to do academic activities in the lockdown and almost two-third students (i.e. 68.8%) stated that their academic performance is affected by the lockdown due to varied reasons, including poor internet connectivity, limitation of study material, difficulty in reading the whole syllabus in the electronic gadgets.
As many as 18% students agreed that they understand and are able to access the reading material through online mode, whereas remaining students said that they have 2GB internet facility or they are living in border areas or they have an internet connectivity issue which is affecting their access to online reading material/resources.
The study further revealed that the students are yet to cope up with the online mode of education as just 33.6% (111) students are able to read and write properly during lockdown and only 19.3% (49) students agreed that they have enough study material as per the examination perspective.
Dr. Anuradha Sharma, Associate Director, IQAC and Professor at the Department of Community Education and Disability Studies, Panjab University, conducted an online study on the ‘Effect of Online teaching on academics performance among PU students due to COVID-19 lockdown’.
The study with a sample size of 255 students (71.1% females and 28.9% males in the age group of 20 to 26 years) was conducted through a questionnaire that focused on the accessibility and utility of the academic content perceived by the students through online mode covering 66.7% students of science and mathematics followed by 24.5% students from education department undergoing B.Ed., M.Ed. courses and 8.8% from humanities at the Panjab University.
