Effectiveness of Online Learning during the COVID -19 Pandemic in Mizoram

Abstract

Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, most schools in Mizoram shifted to online learning platforms to continue with their academic activities. A survey was carried out using a questionnaire to identify the effectiveness of online learning. 356 students and 60 teachers from different secondary and higher secondary schools in Mizoram responded to this survey. To find the effectiveness of online learning, percentages were calculated to analyze the data and the mathematical consensus (Cns) were calculated. Students’ preferences and perceptions on various attributes of online classes were analyzed. The results indicated that most of the students and teachers were not quite ready to shift to online learning platforms. Bad internet connectivity, low data limits, slow data speed, demand for costly devices such as smart phones and related software and connectivity were problems faced in conducting online classes. It was found that the students preferred using smart phones to follow online classes, and mathematics was the most difficult subject to learn or teach in online classes.