Student-19

Written by Nanthini Suresh

One of the most memorable years of a person's life is college. It's a very different experience than school. College life introduces us to new experiences and things with which we were previously unfamiliar. Students live and study in close proximity at universities and college campuses.

The fast spread of the corona virus (Covid-19) outbreak has recently undermined the foundations of this unique ecology, causing uncertainty about the ramifications for higher education.

In response to the rising corona virus outbreak, education officials have been compelled to cancel classes and close campuses our country due to this pandemic.  

While class cancellations, enrollment drops at the start of a new semester, and class closures may be temporary, it's difficult to predict if the novel corona virus will cause long-term damage to higher education.

Basically, not having physical lessons and activities on campus seems perfect, as it reduces the chance of Covid-19 exposure and spread by avoiding crowds and allowing students to learn from the comfort of their own homes. But how does it feel in the real world? 

In most universities, online teaching methods or e-learning are currently in place and used every semester, but a complete conversion to online learning would present certain problems, according to the report. Students may not be able to adapt to the use of online classes or assignments if the physical semester is converted to totally online.

Because of a lack of self-discipline or because they prefer face-to-face learning, some students may lack motivation and interest in following through with online sessions. Online learning is more akin to self-learning, in which students can miss an online class and blame it on a weak internet connection. Although some students may have difficulty accessing the internet, online learning will reduce learning efficiency when compared to face-to-face instruction.

However, there is a significant problem with internet availability, particularly for students in remote areas of Sabah, who complain that “the line is weak” and that reaching them by phone is difficult.

During this MCO and CMCO time, most students had adapted to the usage of e-learning and were performing great, except during the earlier stages when they were familiarizing themselves with the systems and means of communication.

Some students claimed that they struggled with e-learning owing to stress, as lecturers tend to provide more homework in this mode.

Hands-on courses have been replaced by virtual versions for students working on final-year projects because access to labs and other facilities on campus is now mainly forbidden.

This situation puts students in the unenviable position of having to choose between physically completing hands-on courses, which would extend their semester and graduation date as they would have to wait for face-to-face mode to be permitted, or completing all hands-on courses online, which would allow them to graduate on time despite losing some practical experience.

Given the availability of reasonable prepaid internet packages on the market, students should consider strategies to overcome their existing difficulties, but it is also suggested that the government collaborate with telecom to develop affordable programs to assist students.

The university can provide online counselling sessions for students who are stressed out by the e-learning mode, as well as free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) to allow students to learn new skills during this period of movement restrictions. The university can also offer coupons or vouchers for subsidies to some students for the purchase of e-learning gadgets. 

There are numerous options for public and private university administrators to explore, including a 50% return of lodging fees or a prorated refund based on the number of weeks the students used the services.

Universities should examine the total fees imposed on students, keeping tuition rates the same but lowering the fee for facilities because most students would not be on campus to use the facilities.

With the disease's spread predicted to intensify before improving, administrators should move quickly to protect their schools and students in advance of possible closures.

It's not all doom and gloom, though. The higher education sector has survived difficult economic times in the past, and it will do so again. Universities and colleges are better positioned than ever before in the digital age to give students with convenient access to complete their education online.