REASEARCH PAPER

ON
EFFECIENCY OF ONLINE LEARNING

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY
DR. SHAILZA DUTT YASHIKA JAGGI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR 00914901819
TH
DEPT. OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BBA(B&I), 4 SEM, I SHIFT

MAHARAJA SURAJMAL INSTITUTE

C4, JANAKPURI, NEW DELHI-110058
Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
SESSION 2019-2022
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 ABSTRACT

With the emergence of Covid-19, the world shifted its working from offline to
online. Everything nowadays is done on laptops, computers or mobile phones, so
is the case with education. Education has taken a new turn and now has sifted
itself towards online classes, typed assignments, on-call meetings and whatnot.
Students are both happy and distressed about the online situation that has been
going on. For some, online classes are better suited while for others, they are just
a headache and they can’t wait for things to be normal again. This research paper
tries to shed some light on the efficiency of online education from the point of
view of students, the main stakeholders of the online education situation. This
paper will study the negative as well as the positive impact of online education
and what do the actual students think about it. Since education is one of the most
crucial of the sectors hit by Covid-19, studies on it are of utmost importance as
the impact of Covid-19 on education cannot be ignored. Hence, the major impact,
the shift of classes from offline to online mode, is a very interesting yet crucial
subject of study to carry out.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The following are the main objectives of this study:

 The main objective of this study is to check the efficacy of online or E-

learning.
 This research paper has been undertaken to study the negative and positive
impacts of online learning
 Another objective of this study is to view the students’ perception and take
on the online education situation

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Both primary and secondary data has been used for this study. The data was
collected with the help of Google forms and several webpages that are mentioned
in the reference section of this paper. SPSS (statistical package for the social
sciences) is the software which has been used to analyze and interpret data. Its
various tools are also used to compute the data for the analysis and
computations.

Research Design:

A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis

data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with
economy in procedure. Research design is the conceptual structure within which
research in conducted. It constitutes the blueprint for the collection
measurement and analysis of data. Research design includes and outline of what
the researcher will do from writing the hypothesis and it operational implication.
A research designs is a framework for the study and is used as guide in the
collection and analyzing the data. It is a strategy specifying which approach will be
used for gathering and analyzing the data, it also includes the time and cost
budget since most studies are done under these two constraints. The design is
such studies must be rigid and not flexible and focus attention on the following:

 What is the study about?

 Why is the study being made?
 Where will the study be carried out?
 What type of data is required?
 Where can be required data be found?
 What period of time will the study include?
 What will be sample design?
 What techniques of data collection will be used?
 How will the data be analyzed?

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Primary Data:

Primary data refers to the first hand data gathered by the research himself. It
means someone collection the data from the first original source first hand. Data
collected this way is called primary data.

Secondary Data:

Secondary data is the data that have been already collected by and readily
available from other sources. Such data are cheaper and more quickly obtainable
than the primary data. Source used are books, internet, newspaper.

*IN THIS STUDY, BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATA HAS BEEN USED.

Cause & Effects of Research:

 Due to the corona virus pandemic, the world shifted from offline to online.
 Along with the world, education also adopted the online platform. This
asked for a thorough research through students’ point of view on the
effectivity of online learning
 The world might adopt online learning as the main form of learning if
positive outcomes appear with respect to it.

Sampling Area:

The area of the sample is well-defined. The sample is based on students of

India, which includes students currently in school, or students pursuing
graduation or post-graduation degree.

Sampling Method:

The data was collected through a google form and also via google and hence,
the sampling method so used is simple random sampling. The questionnaire
was distributed and filled randomly.

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REVIEW OF LITERATURE

U.S. Department of Education. (2010). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in

Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies.

A systematic search of the research literature from 1996 through July 2008
identified more than a thousand empirical studies of online learning. Analysts
screened these studies to find those that a) contrasted an online to a face-to-face
condition, b) measured student learning outcomes, c) used a rigorous research
design, and d) provided adequate information to calculate an effect size.‖
―Earlier studies of distance learning concluded that these technologies were not
significantly different from regular classroom learning in terms of effectiveness.
Policymakers reasoned that if online instruction is no worse than traditional
instruction in terms of student outcomes, then online education initiatives could
be justified on the basis of cost efficiency or need to provide access to learners in
settings where face-to-face instruction is not feasible.

Shachar M., & Neumann, Y., (2010). Twenty Years of Research on the Academic
Performance Differences Between Traditional and Distance Learning:
Summative MetaAnalysis and Trend Examination, MERLOT Journal of Online
Learning and Teaching, Vol. 6, No. 2.

This meta-analysis research estimated and compared the differences between the
academic performance of students enrolled in distance education courses,
relative to those enrolled in traditional settings, as demonstrated by their final
course grades/scores, within the last twenty year (1990-2009) period, further
broken down to four distinct sub-periods.

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Schachar, M., & Neumann, Y., (2003). Differences Between Traditional and
Distance Education Academic Performances: A meta-analytic approach, The
International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol. 4, No.2.

This meta-analysis research estimated and compared the differences between the
academic performances of students in distance education courses relative to
those enrolled in traditional settings, as demonstrated by their final course
grades/scores within the 1990–2002 period.

Neuhauser, C. (2002). Learning Style and Effectiveness of Online and Face-to-

Face Instruction, The American Journal of Distance Education, 16(2).

In this study the investigator compared two sections of the same course—one
section was online and asynchronous; the other was face-to-face—by examining
gender, age, learning preferences and styles, media familiarity, effectiveness of
tasks, course effectiveness, tests grades, and final grades. The two sections were
taught by the same instructor and used the same instructional materials.

Patrick, S., & Powell, A. (2009). A Summary of Research on the Effectiveness of

K–12 Online Learning, “Effectiveness of Online Teaching and Learning,” iNACOL.

From 1989–2004, there were 15 studies published that met strict criteria for
internal experimental validity comparing online courses with conventional
courses. Cavanaugh, Gillan, Hess and Blomeyer (2005) published the first meta-
analysis of online education outcomes focused entirely on K–12 education, The
Effects of Distance Education on K–12 Student Outcomes: a Meta-Analysis. The
meta-analysis found that virtual instruction produced results measuring student
achievement that were ―as good or better than‖ traditional face-to-face
instruction.

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LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

 This study is based on primary as well as secondary data, the reliability of

certain data depends on the reliability of the source.
 Due to various constraints, the scope of the research has been kept very
limited.
 Data was collected through a google form and not personally.

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INTRODUCTION

“Has online learning been a boon or a bane?” is one of the biggest questions now-
a-days. For some it has been a rescue from boredom and a swift towards
education but for others it has been a burden, a sack full of stress in disguise.
According to Huang et al., a novel corona virus, known as Covid-19, was
discovered in the last month of the year 2019, in a seafood market in Wuhan.
Clinical analysis results of the virus showed person-to-person transmission The
Director General of WHO in March 2020 declared Covid-19 as a pandemic after
assessment of the rapid spread and severity of the deadly virus across the globe
with additional announcement of social distancing as a means of curbing the
spread of the pandemic. This research paper seeks to find an answer for this
question. With the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic, the world has shifted its
functions from offline, face to face, to online. With everything, education has also
been shifted to the online platform across the world. Online learning is the use of
internet and some other important technologies to develop materials for
educational purposes, instructional delivery and management of program.
Teachers and students now-a-days connect with each other through online
applications and software such as zoom, google meet, Microsoft Teams, etc. but
is this mode of learning effective? Students as well as teachers, across the world,
have been facing a lot of issues in attending and taking lectures online, be it
connection issues, environmental stress or lack of adequate technological
knowledge. Even before the pandemic, a slight shift of academics towards the
online learning could be seen. Would it have been efficient or not is surely tested
by the Covid-19. It is very clear that Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the
education system (which was already believed to be losing its relevance by some).
Online education sure has some merits and it also has some demerits, it is like the
two sides of a coin. But do the merits overweight its demerits or does the
demerits overweight its merits is the purpose of this study. The effectivity of
online learning through the students’, the main stakeholders, perception.

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ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS

Online learning is seen as an aid to education during the Covid-19 pandemic. This
pandemic disrupted the flow of education when sudden outbreak lead to
lockdown and a momentary full stop on learning. When everything seemed to
have been paused, online mode of learning came to the rescue. While some
consider online learning to be the solution of a problem, others consider online
learning to be the problem itself. Let’s take a look at the advantages and
disadvantages of online learning.

Advantages:

1. Efficiency

Online learning offers teachers an efficient way to deliver lessons to students.

Online learning has a number of tools such as videos, PDFs, podcasts, and
teachers can use all these tools as part of their lesson plans. By extending the
lesson plan beyond traditional textbooks to include online resources, teachers are
able to become more efficient educators.

2. Accessibility of Time and Place

Another advantage of online education is that it allows students to attend classes

from any location of their choice. It also allows schools to reach out to a more
extensive network of students, instead of being restricted by geographical
boundaries. Additionally, online lectures can be recorded, archived, and shared
for future reference. This allows students to access the learning material at a time
of their comfort.

3. Improved Student Attendance

Since online classes can be taken from home or location of choice, there are
fewer chances of students missing out on lessons.

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4. Suits a Variety of Learning Styles

Every student has a different learning journey and a different learning style. Some
students are visual learners, while some students prefer to learn through audio.
Similarly, some students thrive in the classroom, and other students are solo
learners who get distracted by large groups.

The online learning system, with its range of options and resources, can be
personalized in many ways. It is the best way to create a perfect learning
environment suited to the needs of each student.

Disadvantages:

1. Inability to Focus on Screens

For many students, one of the biggest challenges of online learning is the struggle
with focusing on the screen for long periods of time. With online learning, there is
also a greater chance for students to be easily distracted by social media or other
sites.

2. Technology Issues

Another key challenge of online classes is internet connectivity. While internet

penetration has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, in smaller
cities and towns, a consistent connection with decent speed is a problem.
Without a consistent internet connection for students or teachers, there can be a
lack of continuity in learning for the child. This is detrimental to the education
process.

3. Sense of Isolation

Students can learn a lot from being in the company of their peers. However, in an
online class, there are minimal physical interactions between students and
teachers. This often results in a sense of isolation for the students.

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4. Teacher Training

Online learning requires teachers to have a basic understanding of using digital

forms of learning. However, this is not the case always. Very often, teachers have
a very basic understanding of technology. Sometimes, they don’t even have the
necessary resources and tools to conducts online classes.

5. Manage Screen Time

Many parents are concerned about the health hazards of having their children
spend so many hours staring at a screen. This increase in screen time is one of the
biggest concerns and disadvantages of online learning. Sometimes students also
develop bad posture and other physical problems due to staying hunched in front
of a screen.

A google form was also circulated among the students for the purpose of this
research paper. Many of the students responded too. The sample space for this
research is 101. The google form contained questions regarding the efficiency and
effectivity of online learning during the Covid-19 times. The data so obtained was
then analyzed using the software SPSS, i.e., statistical package for the social
sciences. It is a software that is used to analyze and conclude data and also helps
in performing statistical operations on the data so provided to it.

The following was the google form circulated among the students:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1irBI8G1mtr21Rl9PAxM4pUoWbX61bQRJH7Hy
n2F56ow/edit?usp=sharing

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Following were the results of research and analysis:

According to the research, majority, i.e., 71.29% of the students prefer learning
offline or in face to face classes due to various reasons.

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The preferred device should be a Laptop or a desktop, vision and screen-wise, but
still 19.80% students use smartphones for taking classes, whereas the majority
uses a laptop.

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The data shows that the majority of students attend classes for about 4-6 hours a
day but they would much rather attend classes for 1-3 hours a day in order to
lessen their burden.

Majority of students do not enjoy learning online.

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Teachers are seen to be quite helpful during the pandemic in guiding and aiding
students.

Students tend to manage their time moderately while learning online.

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It has been difficult for students to attend online classes according to the data
collected.

The pandemic has been very stressful for everyone, including students, and
hence, the graph shows that it has been very stressful for students to attend
online classes.

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Students according to this data consider online learning only slightly effective.

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CONCLUSION

In conclusion, online classes have been quite a comfort to some students but
majority of students are not happy with the classes. According to some students
the time spent on online lectures is too much and too tiring while the others are
finding it difficult to overcome the stress of pandemic and hence, are getting
away from the focus. Although the classes have come off as burden to students, I
won’t declare it a complete fail. Some students are really happy about the classes
and are also enjoying them. Even though the classes drain out twice the energy,
they are the only solution that can be seen in the rear view mirror. According to
me, with just a little bit tweaks and with less stress and pressure, online learning
will be just the blend of perfect learning. Online learning was adopted in haste
and hence the planning that was required to pull it off didn’t quite happen. With a
little bit of planning and by taking students’ opinion into the circle, online learning
can be made to compete with offline learning but sadly, we are not quite there
yet. So, all in all, while online learning is not totally a disaster, it is also not quite
the perfect companion when it comes to learning and studying. Little changes and
tweaks would really go a long way.

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References

 https://www.elearningindustry.com
 Covid 19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges and opportunities
(research paper)
 https://www.talentlms.com/elearning/how-to-make-elearning-effective
 https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode-240-is-e-learning-effective/

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