AN online learning system has been proposed by the universities to fulfill the peculiar needs arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.

Different apps are being used to deliver lectures online. The teaching staff is particularly struggling under these changed circumstances.

The advantages of this system cannot be denied as far as the benefit acquired by the students is concerned. However, there are many drawbacks too.

An overwhelming majority of teachers are not fully acquainted with software and the same holds true for most students. Besides, students residing in remote and far-flung areas do not have an easy access to Internet. Third, every student does not possess nor can afford smartphones, laptops or other necessary gadgets. Thus, education online is available and affordable to a select few.

Furthermore, there is a problem that online teaching cannot do proper justice to the teaching of technical and conceptual subjects. The reason for this is that students find it difficult to grasp what the teacher is saying. The matter is further exacerbated if the Internet connection is marred by audio or video issues.

Fifth, the component of face-to-face communication between students and teachers is absent. Sixth, the mechanism of proper evaluation and examination is unavailable.

The most important of all is that with the unpredictable growth of this fatal virus, no one knows how long it will persist, thus leading to a loss of students’ interests in learning. The online learning system is not a permanent solution but a stop-gap arrangement to deal with the situation.

Sabir Shah

Kohat

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2020