Daily Times

In the words of Nelson Mandela “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. During the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the dispensation of formal education is something that should not be halted. Higher education, in particular, can instill in our youth the responsibility to play their decisive role in bringing Pakistan out of this hard-hitting situation. Still, the needs of students were not addressed as it was announced by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training that all the educational institutes of the country would remain closed till May 31, 2020.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC), the regulatory body of universities, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately issued guidelines encouraging universities to move on to online education while taking into account their respective capacities and available infrastructure. The six pre-requisites for launching online classes by any university were: availability of the Learning Management System (LMS), trained faculty for online teaching, course readiness concerning the online mode of learning, availability of course material on the web, technology readiness i.e. the platform through which the classes can be arranged and last but not the least, students’ readiness to learn online. To resolve the technical issues in far-flung areas of the country, options like arranging unified online teaching platform for universities, negotiating taleem bundles, development of lectures in blended modes and establishing student facilitation committees, were considered.

Students criticized the moves in the wake of the issues stemming from quality and connectivity issues but just like any other transformation, developing the capacity of the institutions was going to take time. As the end of the pandemic is still not in sight, the motive is to save the education cycle from any disruption and this transition is worth struggling. Necessary steps are also being taken by the HEC to address the quality-related concerns during the online classes. Recently, a tele-education channel was launched by Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to keep the students associated with their education through dedicated lectures for class I to XII. This initiative took a lot of effort from the quarters and must be appreciated at all times as it will have far-reaching implications in the times to come for the education of our young students.

To analyze the challenges for online learning in Pakistan, particularly during this pandemic, the first step is to factor in all the stakeholders, which include students, faculty, education institutions, regulatory bodies and the government. The challenges being faced by all of them collectively are multi-faceted and can be broadly classified as societal, technical and regulatory.

Most of the challenges are related to our behaviors and societal limitations. To begin with, the lack of acceptance for online education by students and the general suspicion of elders about using gadgets for education and learning purposes are uncalled for. Similarly, lack of individual space at homes in joint family systems i.e. for families where parents and children both need to work and study from home respectively and the unfriendly atmosphere is a serious challenge. Moreover, our non-disciplined lifestyle, and lack of focus during e-learning further the students from taking online classes. While the less attention span for online learning is a reality, people’s shyness from e-learning and being camera consciousness are also practical issues being faced by both the students and teachers. Another important challenge is the lack of tolerance towards technical issues and expressing rage on frequent connectivity disruption, interruptions etc. The lack of awareness about digital learning ethics has worsened the situation.

The list of technical challenges is not long enough like its predecessor yet the first issue is the unavailability of the internet in remote areas which makes the students living in those areas unable to get benefit from online education. The bandwidth limitations across the country, with only a few exceptions, when combined with the increased usage burden on feeble internet infrastructure, add to the misery of most of the students. Another challenge is the expensive high-speed internet.

The lack of awareness about digital learning ethics has worsened the situation

Another set of challenges pertains to the government and the regulatory side. As the primary responsibility of ensuring quality education lies on the shoulders of the government, the absence of a pre-defined policy for online learning is the government’s fault. To exacerbate the situation, the government and regulatory bodies do not seem to be on the same page. For instance, the government ministry has issued the notification for the closure of universities while the regulatory body is encouraging initiating online classes. This dilemma is causing immense trouble for the students at large. Holistically, political and bureaucratic structures based on traditional public management principles are hindering the acceptance of e-learning. The dearth of clarity and paucity of reliable data for effective and timely policy decisions are a few more challenges that should be looked into for the future.

As there is always a silver lining in the clouds, it is high time to see opportunities in these challenging times. For a paradigm shift from traditional teaching towards inclusively effective and equitable e-learning, some of the recommendations include the development of a standard and comprehensive policy for e-learning with the consensus of all the stakeholders alike. The equitable provision of technical resources, including computers, high-speed internet facility and online teaching platforms to students and faculty of all the universities is imperative to ensure online learning. Moreover, asynchronous learning modes based on smaller duration lectures with offline viewing facilities, discussion forums and a redefined assessment method based on cognitive learning are the need of the hour. Last but not the least, the training and skills enhancement of the faculty is pivotal as they are the ones to steer this online education. Otherwise, a simple compromise, delay or disruption in education can put the careers of the future generations at risk.

The writer is a freelance contributor and can be reached at engr.mmrehman@gmail.com
Assistant Director, Higher Education Commission