DIFFICULTIES TO CONDUCT ONLINE CLASSES IN NEPAL (RAJ KUMAR TAMANG)

DIFFICULTIES TO CONDUCT ONLINE CLASSES IN NEPAL

 

Raj Kumar Tamang

Abstract

Pandemic COVID-19 becomes great problem in the world in 2020. It’s affected the education system of world which offers online mode of education. Nepal has many barriers and difficulties to conduct online classes. This study aimed to explore the different difficulties underlying in online mode of education inNepal.19 respondents including teachers and students from different schools of kavre district were selected and their opinions were surveyed along with opinions of different personalities on the related topic as secondary data. Thematic analysis of data entitled the issues and difficulties into challenges for government, problems for students and teachers and problems in teaching and learning activities. Internet, rural area, government policy and strategies, low economy, technical skills were presented as major issues and difficulties in the study.

KEYWORDS: Pandemic, ICT, COVID-19, Digital Contents

Introduction

This study is concerned for problem emerged in education system in Nepal during pandemic COVID-19. There are different potential problems adhered to online classes that create obstacles to conduct effectively and smoothly. Meanwhile, online class would be best mode of education during such pandemic if problems raised to conduct online classes are fixed.

Aryal, R. & Aryal, A. (2007) stated that the enhancement of education system was due to the emerging of E-learning system these days. E-learning is providing more flexibility and ability to get information for the student at any place accessing the internet. This is come to know the significance of online class and internet is fundamental component.

Online class is considered one of the several approaches to electronic learning (e-learning). E-learning is a broader concept of learning that includes the use of all electronic means for learning. However, online class is specific to the Internet or Intranet mediated learning opportunities. Bejjar, M.A. and Boujelbene, Y. (2014) defined e-learning as the “use of ICT, online media and web technologies for learning” One of the best definitions of e-learning could be: a term covering a wide set of applications and processes, such as web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. It includes the delivery of content via Internet, intranet/extranet, audio- and videotape; satellite broadcast, interactive TV, CD-ROM, and more.

According to Shakya, S., Sharma, G. & Thapa, K.B. (2017), Comparing to urban areas of Nepal, rural areas of Nepal were still failing to get more facilities of learning and acquiring knowledge being the certain barriers of learning. So, all these barriers should be eliminated to get improvement of E-learning. They argued the barrier in online class in rural area of Nepal.

Khadka L.B. (2020) said that about 83% of population lives in rural areas in Nepal and their children attended schools in rural areas. He further stated that Nepal ranks 144th in the list of countries using the internet and only 13% schools have access to internet which means number of internet users is very low. 

Thus, identification of difficulties found to conduct online classes in Nepal is essential work to be done. So, this study is all about exploring the barriers anchoring with online class to conduct in Nepal. The study aims to examine the reasons and difficulties associated with online classes in Nepal in terms of perception of students and teachers as well as in terms of secondary data such as magazine, news articles, published interviews etc. The study uncovers the underlying problems that decline effectiveness of online class in education system and will help government to build strategies in order to systemize online classes in Nepal.

Methodology

 The study was accomplished systematically which were setting out into Design, Participants, Apparatus and Procedure as follows.

Design: -

This study employed opinion survey from different teachers and students about difficulties and problem existing in online classes in Nepal. The study used qualitative research design in which perception of teachers and students considered as factor that explores issues and challenges of online classes exists in present scenario. Then, difficulties existed in online classes were outlined using collected perceptions as well as secondary data. Respondents were allowed to submit their opinions through the Google survey form.

Participants: -

The study used 19 respondents including 10 teachers and 9 students from different schools of Kavrepalanchok district. Respondent teachers has been teaching in different schools of Kavrepalanchok district for long years and respondent students were chosen from +2 level of different schools of same district.

Apparatus: -

         This study needed computer and internet to create Google from for collecting opinions of participants and different Published news articles, interviews of different personalities etc. on the related topic as the data.

Procedure: -

Respondents were selected using purposive sampling. This is because these were people who were believed to be relevant and knowledgeable to ensure relevant information concerning the perception of teachers and students towards issues and challenges of online education. The opinions of respondents were collected with the help of questionnaire having open ended questions. Similarly, opinions of different personalities were collected from published interview, news articles, magazine etc then thematic analysis was done to draw findings and conclusions of the study.

Results

In the current study, the answers of each participant were examined in group of words and labeled by writing codes. The codes were grouped into the categories. The obtained categories were grouped in such a way to form a meaningful whole and sub themes were formed. Thus, sub-themes and categories to be included under the main theme were prepared and shown on the table, for the transmissibility of the study; the findings obtained as a result of the study were supported with direct quotations from the participants’ statements. 

As a result of the analysis made in this research aiming to determine the opinions of teachers and students about the difficulties to conduct online classes in Nepal, the main topics of difficulties to conduct online classes are Challenges for government, Problems for teachers, Problems for students, problem in teaching and learning activities in Nepal. Table 1 presents themes, sub-themes, and categories.

Table 1

Sub-themes and categories under the main theme of difficulties in online class
Difficulties to Conduct Online Classes	Challenges for Government	-Low economy -To provide cheap and quality internet -poor governance -Less priority -Lack of clear strategies -Low skilled manpower - lack of appropriate policy -Special policy for rural area -Awareness program
	Problems for Teachers	-Lack of technical knowledge -Effect of blue ray  -Irresponsible students -Deny to cope change -Access of internet -Digital contents
	Problems for Students	-poverty and Low economy -Lack of devices -Unfamiliar and non interested -Expensive and Consumes more time -Access of internet
	Problems in Teaching and Learning Activities	-Management of ICT skilled team -Quality of internet and communication -Electrical consistency -Rural area/lack of basic infrastructures

 

Thus, opinions collected from participants and secondary sources illustrated that difficulties existed in online classes in terms of proper governance, problems in stakeholders and problems in class activities.

Conclusions and Discussion

The current study illustrated that difficulties to conduct online classes were entitled into components of teaching-learning class such as challenges for government, problem for teachers and students and problems in teaching learning activities. Maske, S. (2020) stated that general issues adhered to online classes were electricity, internet, training for teachers and students and digital components. So problems in teaching either face to face or virtual, both concerned with components of teaching class such teachers, students, management, interacting field, teaching learning material and activities etc.

The study pointed that low economy, distribution and management of free internet, poverty, lack of policy and rural areas were main challenges and difficulties for government to conduct online classes in Nepal. Similarly, it was found that access to internet, lack of devices and technical knowledge were common problem for teachers and students. Besides these, some teachers are not interested to cope with changing education system, unable to engage irresponsible students in learning activities,  have problem with blue light and digital contents preparation while some students are poor enough that they unable to afford device and internet expenses and do not  have interest in unfamiliar mode of education.

In the light of the study, Electricity consistency, Management of ICT skilled team and Availability of quality internet and communication were emphasized as problem in teaching learning activities as well as rural area and state of their basic infrastructures was another issue. These results as drawn by this study were supported by Dahal, M. and Dhamala, K. (2020). They stated that providing formal training to build competence for the use of online learning platforms and tools and bridging the infrastructure accessibility gap are pre-requisites for effective teaching and learning online, which has now become an essential mode of education.

Hence, in the future research, quantitative researches can be designed and the situation of the online classes across the country can be revealed and necessary measures should be taken in the light of the results obtained.

 

Reference

Bejjar, M.A. & Boujelbene, Y. (2014). E-Learning and Web 2.0: A couple of the 21st century advancements in Higher Education. Information Science Reference, 14(3), 1-21.

 

Aryal, R. & Aryal, A. (2007). E-learning in Nepal: Prospects and Challenges. ResearchGhate, 7(4), 21-32.

Shakya, S., Sharma, G. & Thapa, K.B. (2017). State Education System with e-learning in Nepal: Impact and Challenges. Journal of the Institute of Engineering, 13(1): 10-19.DOI:10.3126/jie.v13i1.20344

Khadka, L.B. (2020, May 25). Online classes for rural students. Edupatra, P. 3.

Maske. S. (2020, may 25). Online teaching in Nepal. Saptahik Neapal, P. 4.