online education in sri lanka during covid 19 essay

Your browser is ancient! Upgrade to a different browser or install Google Chrome Frame to experience this site.

Welcome to ‘Talking Economics’, the blog of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), Sri Lanka’s apex socio-economic policy think tank.

Distance Education during and after COVID-19: Long Road Ahead for Sri Lanka

Share this post

In what has been recognised as the world’s largest educational crisis, the spread of COVID-19 has resulted in a record number of students being forced to stay away from schools and universities. According to data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics , at the peak of the pandemic’s first wave in mid-April 2020, over 190 countries had implemented nationwide closures, affecting more than 90% of the world’s student population.

Interruptions to education can have long-term implications, beyond mere losses in learning, including increased dropout rates, loss of nutrition, and reductions in future earnings – the effects of which are disproportionately experienced by the more vulnerable. Deepening inequalities is particularly concerning at a time when economies are embarking on the decade of action to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the overall aim of leaving no one behind. Providing equitable access, however, is not enough; the SDG focusing on education also stresses the importance of ensuring “quality education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.” Achieving such goals becomes all the more challenging in a distance learning environment.

Sri Lanka is no exception to these realities; the country shut down schools and universities nationwide on 12 March 2020, with alternative means of education being carried out in various capacities. Although a gradual reopening of schools was initiated in early-July, this week has seen a temporary closure again, amidst concerns of a possible second wave. This blog examines the effectiveness of distance education in Sri Lanka, from the perspectives of inclusion and quality, and explores policy measures that can deliver and sustain more equitable and effective learning outcomes, beyond COVID-19.

Inclusiveness of Distance Education

In many Sri Lankan public schools, learning during the pandemic has mostly occurred via online channels, with teachers sending large volumes of material as PDF documents to students via WhatsApp and Viber. However, recent survey data indicate that in 2018, only 52% of Sri Lankan households with school-aged children owned a smartphone or computer – essential for online learning – and only 40% had an internet connection, primarily via mobile phones (Figure 1). This means that less than half of all households in Sri Lanka can benefit from e-learning opportunities.

There has also been limited use of other distance education channels, such as television and radio, to which students in rural areas have relatively more access (Figure 2).

Quality of Distance Education

Teaching online requires specialised skills such as knowing how to conduct classes in a virtual environment, the training for which is currently lacking in Sri Lanka. Distance teaching also necessitates equipping students with tools to learn independently – as opposed to note-dictating methods – in the absence of face-to-face interaction. Apart from problems with the bulk transfer of material and difficulties associated with reading and absorbing content from a phone screen, the current practice of sending large volumes of material via WhatsApp and Viber is problematic, as it reinforces teacher-centred education, where students merely absorb what is spoon-fed to them. In such a setting, achieving effective and relevant learning outcomes is difficult.

Way Forward

Given uncertainties surrounding the complete eradication of the COVID-19 pandemic and the possible occurrence of future crises, distance education might be here to stay. Sri Lanka, therefore, needs to take rapid and decisive action in improving the delivery of equitable and quality remote learning opportunities. Below are some policy measures that Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education can consider, drawing from international examples where relevant.

Safeguarding Education Equity

The eventuality of continuing with online education in the future calls for increased accessibility to online platforms by lowering associated costs and building infrastructure. However, a more dedicated effort to expand other forms of distance learning is also crucial to reach the poorest students. Efforts taken by the Kerala State Education Department to ensure that all children are engaged in learning, provides a good example. Online classes are made available on a government-run education channel and YouTube, while a microfinance scheme has been set up to provide 120,000 laptops to those who lack them. Online lessons are also broadcasted on a dedicated television channel to cater to students without access to the internet and devices. Additionally, to reach students’ households where no televisions are available, the State plans to set up 50,000 ‘Neighbourhood Study Centres’ in selected localities resourced with a television, through which educational programmes can be aired. These efforts are also supplemented by textbooks and printed material delivered to students’ homes.

Improving Education Quality

An optimistic view argues that COVID-19 has disrupted an education system that was already losing its relevance, thereby presenting an apt opportunity to bring about critically-needed education system transformations, particularly in the context of the emerging technology-driven Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Online education can take the lead in creating more effective methods of teaching and learning, including avenues for teachers to engage in collaboration and professional development, and fostering independent student learning and a wider range of cognitive, social, and emotional skills which the 4IR demands. This is an important opportunity for change in Sri Lanka’s content-heavy examination-focused education system.

Such a transformation calls for substantial revisions to teacher training programmes to include content on best practices in online and other distance teaching methods, based on well-researched evidence. Public-private partnerships are also key in providing technical guidance. The Chilean Education Ministry, for example , collaborated with Google and Fundación Chile – a technology company focusing on technology innovation and implementation – to provide access and technical support to assist teachers in organising course content, grading assignments, and communicating with students.

Leveraging the Dividend in Innovation

Moreover, to capitalise on opportunities presented by COVID-19 to build-back-better, factors contributing to past successful innovations need to be examined, looking at how such capacity can be sustained going forward. For example, Sri Lanka’s positive experiences with virtual and blended learning in smart classrooms need to be promoted and further expanded. Doing so calls for a substantial boost in education-research budgets from existing meagre levels, while mobilising support for innovation requires strong communication – by all education stakeholders – of the need for change, via policy forums, awareness campaigns, and media outlets.

Women in Night and Shift Work in Sri Lanka: Policies to Facilitate More Participation

Can sri lanka eradicate poverty and reduce income inequality by 2030, is sri lanka’s grade five scholarship exam an accurate predictor of intellectual ability, addressing issues of social protection to enhance equity in sri lanka, about the author, ashani abayasekara.

Demystifying Hawala/Undiyal – The Not So Dismal Science:[…] believed that informal fund transfer operations in Sri Lanka have expanded considerably due to the wide gap between the…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Economic implications for Sri Lanka | SRI LANKA:[…] https://www.ips.lk/talkingeconomics/2022/02/28/russia-ukraine-conflict-economic-implications-for-sri…) […]

Youth Migration: Challenges and Opportunities for Sri Lanka – The Not So Dismal Science:[…] and remittances have been widely discussed in relation to the current foreign exchange shortage in the country. Although there is some…

Saving GSP+ Requires Genuine Progress on Human Rights | SRI LANKA:[…] Institute of Policy Studies blog analysing the potential impact was sobering. Researchers estimated that if the UK followed the EU […]

The X-Press Pearl disaster and the imperative for regional maritime cooperation – Sri Lanka News Updates:[…] Righting the Ship: The X-Press Pearl Disaster and the Imperative for Regional Maritime Cooperation […]

Twitter Feed

• Challenges remain for China–Sri Lanka FTA by Saman Kelegama http://wp.me/poZN0-aDn
• Only a few more hrs till @EarthHourLK! Did you know that IPS also works on #climatechange policy issues in #SriLanka? http://www.ips.lk/climatenet/
• Today we had an in-house seminar by Kanchana Wickramasinghe on Environ Mgmt Practices in the Hotel Sector in #LKA pic.twitter.com/oExV6TdpgV

Online Learning in Sri Lanka’s Higher Education Institutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The temporary closure of educational institutions during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has abruptly transformed the global education landscape in favor of distance learning. This radical shift saw a surge in the use of various digital platforms and applications, including digital learning management systems, collaboration platforms for live-video communication, massive open online courses (MOOCs), and tools for creating learning content. Some platforms have offered free access to basic services, especially during the pandemic, which higher education institutions used extensively, especially among academic staff and students with digital experience. For example, 90.3% of universities in Japan were providing distance learning as of 1 June 2020. In upper-middle-income countries, 88% of youth managed to continue learning, including 54% by video lectures and 40% by online testing. Read Full Article

AUTHORS Hayashi, Ryotaro, Garcia, Marito, Maddawin, Angelica, Hewagamage, K. P.

Source : https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/635911/online-learning-sri-lanka-during-covid-19.pdf

The Inauguration of the MA in Sinhala Programme - 2020/2021

Farewell of professor w n wickremasinghe, latest post.

No. 1 Among Sri Lankan Universities in SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR) 2024

Indian Delegation Explores Collaboration with Ayurveda Education and Research

Post of Mason/Carpenter

Post of programme assistant and technical assistant – faculty of graduate studies, post of lecturer (probationary)/ lecturer (unconfirmed)/ senior lecturer grade ii/ i – faculty of technology, featured courses.

“Assuring Quality in Higher Education Libraries” – A Short Training Program | NILIS

Higher Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management

Diploma in Human Rights (DHR) – Centre for the Study of Human Rights

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Degree Programme 2024

General Pathology Revision Course 2024 – Faculty of Medicine

Upcoming events.

The 19th International Research Conference on Management and Finance (IRCMF 2024)

• Vision & Mission
• Rankings & Reputation
• Privacy policy
• Visual Identity
• Vice Chancellor
• Past Chancellors
• Past Vice Chancellors
• Rector – Sri Palee Campus
• Deans of the Faculties
• Directors of the Institutes & School
• Acting Registrar
• Acting Librarian
• Academic Personnel
• Administrative & Financial Officers
• IT Committee
• MoUs and Agreements
• Action Plan
• Annual Reports
• Corporate Plans
• Strategic plans
• Emeritus Professors
• Honorary Degrees
• Graduate Studies
• Indigenous Medicine
• Management & Finance

CAMPUS & SCHOOL

• Sri Palee Campus (SPC)
• University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC)
• Agro-Technology and Rural Sciences (IARS)
• Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IBMBB)
• Human Resource Advancement (IHRA)
• National Institute of Library & Information Sciences (NILIS)
• Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM)
• Postgraduate Institute of Indigenous Medicine (PG-IIM)
• Centre for Contemporary Indian Studies (CCIS)
• Center for Environmental Initiatives (CEI)
• Centre for Environmental Law and Policy ( CELP)
• Center for Excellence in Disability Research, Education and practice (CEDREP)
• Centre for Open & Distance Learning (CODL)
• Centre for the Study of Human Rights (CSHR)
• Center for Quality Assurance (CQA)
• Center of Research and Development (CRD)
• Confucius Institute
• National Education Research & Evaluation Centre (NEREC)
• Staff Development Centre (SDC)
• Social Policy Analysis and Research Centre (SPARC)

UNITS & PROJECTS

• Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD)
• Blended Learning Project
• Career Guidance Unit (CGU)
• Higher Education for the Twenty-first Century
• Improving Relevance and Quality of Undergraduate Education (IRQUE)
• International Office – University of Colombo (IOUC)
• JICA Chair Programme
• University Business Linkage (UBL) Cell

OUR RESEARCH

• Find an Expert
• Research News
• University Research Awards
• Google Scholar
• ResearchGate
• Main Library
• Sri Palee Campus

DIGITAL LIBRARIES

• UoC Repository
• CEI Publications

PUBLICATIONS

• Annual Research Symposium (ARS)
• International Conferences
• CSHR Resource Centre
• University of Colombo Review (UCR)
• Colombo Business Journal (CBJ)
• Colombo Journal of Multi-disciplinary Research (CJMR)
• ColomboArts Journal
• Sri Lanka Journal of Education (SLJE)
• Sri Lanka Journal of Indigenous Medicine (SLJIM)
• Certificate
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Certificate Courses
• Diploma Courses
• Postgraduate Programmes
• Undergraduate Programmes

TRAINING PROGRAMMES

ONLINE & DISTANCE

• Online Courses
• Distance Learning

ADMINISTRATION

DIVISIONS & BRANCHES

• Academic Establishment
• Academic & Publications
• Non Academic Establishment
• Examinations Branch
• Student & Staff Affairs
• Financial Documents for Staff
• Program Budget
• Procurements

STAFF AFFAIRS

• Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC)
• Health Centre
• Sevaka Anyonyadhara Sangamaya (SAS)
• Medical Welfare Scheme
• Research Grants
• Vehicle Passes

DEPARTMENTS, OFFICES & CENTRES

• Center for Gender Equality (CGE)
• Colombo University Press
• Department of Physical Education
• Student Counselling Office
• Network Operations Centre (NOC)
• University Business Linkage (UBL Cell)
• Convocation
• Exam Rules and Regulations
• Student Awards & Prizes
• Achievements
• Arts & Culture
• Student Affairs
• Student Counselor Office

SCHOLARSHIPS

• International Students
• Current Students

INFORMATION

• By-Laws, Guidelines & Policies
• Educational and Leisure Trips
• Email Policy
• Emergency Contacts for Students
• Examination Results
• Marshal Office
• Physical Education
• Ragging and Violence
• Social Media Guidelines
• Student Information System(SIS)
• Transcripts
• Announcements
• COVID-19 Information
• Learning Management Systems
• Microsoft Azure for Education
• Microsoft Office 365
• Overseas Leave System
• Single Sign-on (SSO)
• SSHR – ERP
• Student Information Systems (SiS Hub)
• Training & Teaching Guides
• International

Transition to online education in Sri Lanka during COVID-19: A descriptive phenomenological study

• S.P. Kalpana Jeewanthi Subasinghe Department of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8409-2456
• A.M.S. Deepanie Pathiranage Department of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9192-1400

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that originated in China was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. To limit the spread of the disease, the Sri Lankan government announced the closure of all educational institutes. The school closure encouraged the use of home-based learning, and this transition was a critical period for both teachers and students. Because most Sri Lankan children reside in rural areas, our study examined how teachers in rural schools experienced the lockdown in relation to their teaching role during the pandemic.  We used a descriptive phenomenological study design with purposive sampling until we achieved the saturation point. In-depth interviews were conducted via the Zoom platform, using a validated guideline that was piloted before the study and analyzed based on the thematic analysis approach. We identified five major themes: (1) adjustment to the online teaching/learning process; (2) experience of challenges; (3) experience of new opportunities; (4) impact of parental involvement; and (5) impact of teachers’ and children’s physical, psycho-social well-being. The study identified lack of access to technology and lack of proper guidance from the family as challenges during home-based learning. Parental involvement during teaching sessions decreased teachers’ autonomy. Inadequate and inaccurate evaluation of the students disrupts the learning process. Teachers perceived that children’s distance from classroom learning and their peer groups will affect the children’s development.

How to Cite

• Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)

Copyright (c) 2022 S.P. Kalpana Jeewanthi Subasinghe, A.M.S. Deepanie Pathiranage

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

Similar Articles

• Damayanthi Dassanayake, Sarath Rathnayake, Sujeewa Dilhani Maithreepala, Nimanthika Sanjeewani, Engaging in a newspaper cartoon thematic analysis to understand the socioeconomic, health, political, and environmental impact of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 1 No. 2 (2021): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Sarath Rathnayake, Thilanka Jagoda, Damayanthi Dassanayake, Nishadi Dharmarathna, Chandrani M. Herath, Samath D. Dharmaratne, The impact of COVID-19 on nursing education in Sri Lanka: A reflective analysis , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2022): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Oluwadamilare Akingbade, Rafiat Tolulope Akinokun, Oluwadara Eniola, Damilola Christiana Marindoti, Bose Cecilia Ogunlowo, Peter Olorunyomi Alabi, Simeon Kayode Olubiyi, Inequalities in the reported impacts of COVID-19 on child health: A narrative review , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 3 No. 3 (2023): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Janet Kemei, Bukola Salami, A Understanding the Health and Well-being of Canadian Black Children and Youth during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Review , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2022): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Irma Molina, Sarah Sanford, Raul Oyuela, Brenda Roche, Frank Sirotich, Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on Toronto's Spanish-speaking Latin American population: Qualitative study , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 4 No. 1 (2024): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Narelle Lemon, Pedagogy of Belonging: Pausing to be human in higher education , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 3 No. 3 (2023): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Stefanie Harsch, Uwe Bittlingmayer, Advancing the health literacy of migrants in second-language courses: Realist review , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 4 No. 1 (2024): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Giovana Hamerski Trombetta, Rafaela Soares Rech, Airton Tetelbom Stein, Planetary health curriculum in higher education: Scoping review , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 3 No. 3 (2023): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Jennifer Lapum, Megan Nguyen, Sannie Lai, Julie McShane, Suzanne Fredericks, “The little lights in this dark tunnel”: Emotional support of nurses working in COVID-19 acute care hospital environments , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2021): International Health Trends and Perspectives
• Nasrin Alostaz, Margaret Walton-Roberts, Ruth Chen, Maria Pratt, Olive Wahoush, Integration trends of internationally educated nurses in Canada and Australia: A scoping review , International Health Trends and Perspectives: Vol. 4 No. 1 (2024): International Health Trends and Perspectives

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   >   >>  

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Information

• For Readers
• For Authors
• For Librarians

Current Issue

Accessibility Links

• Skip to content
• Skip to search IOPscience
• Skip to Journals list
• Accessibility help
• Accessibility Help

Click here to close this panel.

Purpose-led Publishing is a coalition of three not-for-profit publishers in the field of physical sciences: AIP Publishing, the American Physical Society and IOP Publishing.

Together, as publishers that will always put purpose above profit, we have defined a set of industry standards that underpin high-quality, ethical scholarly communications.

We are proudly declaring that science is our only shareholder.

Awareness of Online Learning of Undergraduates during COVID 19 with special reference to South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

ACM. Nafrees 1 , AMF. Roshan 2 , AS. Nuzla Baanu 3 , M.N. Fathima Nihma 4 and FHA. Shibly 5

Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd Journal of Physics: Conference Series , Volume 1712 , International Conference On Computational Physics in Emerging Technologies (ICCPET) 2020 1 August 2020, Mangalore, India Citation ACM. Nafrees et al 2020 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1712 012010 DOI 10.1088/1742-6596/1712/1/012010

Article metrics

3703 Total downloads

Share this article

Author e-mails.

[email protected]

Author affiliations

1 Instructor, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

2 Assistant Lecturer in Applied Statistics, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

3 Assistant Lecturer, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

4 Assistant Registrar, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

5 Senior Lecturer, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

Buy this article in print

During this COVID 19 pandemic situation, all sectors including education is also conducting its services via online. Most of the undergraduate in Sri Lanka are very familiar with class room traditional learning process. This paradigm shift has caused advantages and disadvantages in their education activities. A study on awareness of online learning of undergraduate is very much important to measure their present performances, finding pitfalls and draft online learning policies and guidelines for a successful learning environment. This research paper involved both Quantitative and Qualitative methods; where these two methods were used to determine the factors of awareness of students about online learning among the undergraduates of the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL). There were around 400 questionnaires were sent to the students via WhatsApp and received 310 responses that can be used for this study. Students mentioned that they were facing the internet connectivity issues (40.2%) during this COVID-19 lockdown period. Most of the students pointed out that their monthly expenditure (69.4%) and internet bill (48.5%) have increased due to this online learning system. More than 50% of the students were happy with online education during this lockdown. Only 19.6% of them preferred the offline learning. Most of the students already had the experience in Zoom (51.2%) but, they preferred to use WebEx for their online education due to the user friendliness of WebEx. It is recommended to develop any virtual reality applications to conduct practical sessions. Also, universities can conduct online training programs about online education tools. Furthermore, government should consider to provide internet connection with free of charge to the students also internet providers should analyses the coverage issues in the rural areas. Furthermore, researcher can conduct survey about students' perception and expectation about online learning in future.

Export citation and abstract BibTeX RIS

Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence . Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.

Friday May 17, 2024

Group News Sites

Dailymirror

Sunday Times

Tamil Mirror

Middleast Lankadeepa

Life Online

Home delivery

Advertise with us

Is Sri Lanka’s population truly declining amid economic crisis and COVID-19?

Friday, 17 May 2024 00:17 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

While short-term trends may indicate population decline, historical precedents suggest resilience and the potential for rebound

(The writer is Emeritus Professor of Demography at the University of Colombo. He has previously served as the Vice Chancellor and Senior Professor of Demography at the University of Colombo.)

Recent columns