COVID-19: Future Preference of University Students to Promote Online Education in Pakistan

Abstract

COVID-19 is a deadly virus that has been transmitted globally in no time. Due to the continuous spread of COVID-19, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has decided to shift towards online classes. In this study, a survey has been conducted to assess the online learning experience of the students. This paper aims to find the preferences of students regarding e-learning in the upcoming semester(s) for the promotion of digital learning in Pakistan. A well-structured questionnaire is circulated and a total of 519 responses are collected from the prestigious universities of Pakistan after the conclusion of the online semester. It has been observed that only 26% of the students are willing to take online classes in the future. To dig down the reasons behind this low percentage, comparative as well as sentiment analyses of the results have been conducted. The comparative analysis has indicated that the students are not satisfied with their learning outcomes, online examination, and grading in this regard. Similarly, the sentiment analysis of the comments has revealed that 60% of the students have provided negative feedback regarding online classes. Whereas, it has also been observed that many students are in the favor of attending short courses, seminars, and conferences online. Based on the analyses, suitable recommendations have also been provided to promote e-learning in Pakistan.