Identifying students’ perceptions, preferences and challenges of online learning during COVID-19 pandemic in Aligarh Muslim University, India

Abstract

Due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19, educational institutes around the world, including India, were forced to close their doors and transition to an online mode of education. The purpose of this study was to analyse the perception and preference towards online learning among students of Aligarh Muslim University in India during this pandemic. Additionally, this study examines the level of awareness regarding various online learning platforms introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC). A quantitative survey method was applied to achieve the goal of this study. An online questionnaire (Google form) was circulated among students via WhatsApp groups. A total of 234 students responded from different departments, analysis of the data was done with the help of SPSS. The findings of the study revealed that more than 90 percent of respondents preferred online learning to manage their course curriculum during the pandemic, as there were no other alternatives available. The study found that most of the respondents were familiar with various online learning platforms introduced by the UGC. However, a significant number of respondents reported issues with online learning, such as technological constraints, an inappropriate learning environment, various health issues, one-way communication, etc. These findings may be useful in constructing education policies and plans for online learning to make it more effective for students.