Internet-based Online Higher Education in Nepal Amidst COVID-19

Ashis Acharya1, Nabaraj Poudyal2, Ganesh Lamichhane3, Babita Aryal3, Bibek Raj Bhattarai3, Bikash

Adhikari3, Madhabi Bhatta4, Narayan Gyawali3, and Niranjan Parajuli3*

1
Central Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal

2
Department of Statistics, Amrit Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

3
Central Department of Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal

4
Rise Nepal Research Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal

*Corresponding author: [email protected], Tel: +977-1-4332034

Abstract

The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected all aspects of human life, with education, not an exception.

In an attempt to stop the SARS-CoV-2 spreading like wildfire, the Government of Nepal has

implemented nationwide lockdowns since March 24, 2020, that have enforced schools and universities to

shut down. As a consequence, more than four hundred thousand students of various levels in higher

education institutions (HEIs) are in a dilemma about restoring the situation. Several HEIs, nationwide,

have leaped forward from the traditional concept of learning—limited within the boundary of the

classroom—to choosing digital platforms as an alternative means of teaching because of the pandemic.

For this research, the descriptive and inferential analysis was carried out to investigate the effects and

challenges of learning via digital platforms during this pandemic. Data were collected from students and

faculty at various levels of higher education and analyzed statistically with different factors using t-test

1
and ANOVA, and variables were found to be approximately normally distributed. The study revealed that

70% of the respondents had access to the Internet, but 36% of the Internet accessed did not continue

online classes due to unexpected disturbance in Internet and electrical connectivity. Likewise, 65% of

students did not feel comfortable with online classes, and among attendees of online classes, 78% of

students want to meet the instructor for a better understanding of course matters. According to the

analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model, three factors, such as institutional policy, internet access, and

poverty, are found to be significant factors affecting the online higher education systems in Nepal. On the

brighter side, this outbreak has brought ample opportunities to reform the conventional teaching-learning

paradigm in Nepal.

Keywords: COVID-19, Online Classes, Higher Education, Nepal

Background

In Nepal, the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has increased with the arrivals of Nepali citizens and

foreigners from neighboring countries: China, India, as well as from abroad [1]. The World Health

Organization (WHO) has declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a 'public health emergency of

international concern' on January 30, 2020, and referred to this as pandemic disease on March 11, 2020

[2]. The first case of COVID-19 in Nepal was officially identified in a 32-year Nepali on January 24,

2020, who has returned from Wuhan, China [3]. The panic spread of the COVID-19 caused depredation

to the educational system, forcing about 107 nations to shut down their schools and universities [4]. As a

consequence of the prolonged lockdowns, educational institutions in Nepal have been temporarily closed,

and UNESCO (2020) estimated that nearly nine million (8,796,624) students in Nepal are affected due to

nationwide closures in response to the pandemic. Among them, 404,718 students belong to HEIs.

Because of the closure of educational institutions for a considerably long period, it calls to change the

education system dramatically and leads to the notable rise of online learning whereby teaching and

learning are undertaken remotely and on digital platforms.

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However, there are many challenges around equitable access to online learning especially, in resource-

limited countries like Nepal [5]. Various countries have adopted different available resources to address

the problem of the pandemic in the education sector. Developed countries have adopted various Learning

Management Systems (LMS), and also Cloud Computing based resources to aid the educational process.

Similarly, countries with huge populations, such as China and India, also started online learning

protocols. China has mobilized provincial and national platforms, resources, and materials, whereas India

has provided similar sources in multiple languages [6]. The countries which are lagging on technology

and infrastructure have been using Radio, Television, and other means of teaching [7]. In the context of

Nepal, as a rapid response to the closure of the classes due to COVID-19, Kathmandu University has

started online classes using Moodle and Google Meet [8].

Additionally, Tribhuvan University has started online classes through Microsoft Teams, part of Microsoft

365 for education [9], which holds 82% of higher education in Nepal. There is a lack of adequate research

in order to identify the actual impact on the closure of formal HEIs in Nepal. So, this research attempts to

enforce the impact of conventional closure of universities in Nepal by using online surveys, article

reviews, and others. We have analyzed the challenges of online classes and offer some strategies to take

action on the impact of COVID-19 on HEIs in Nepal.

Materials and Methods

Study population

For this study, students of HEIs in Nepal were taken as a population. Random sampling was used to select

the sample. A Google online survey was conducted to get a response in which 400 respondent students

were taken as a sample. Likewise, AHP, a multi-criteria decision-making tool, was used to determine

which criteria have more impact on online higher education in the pandemic. For this, the online

interviews with ten expert faculty members were conducted.

3
Data collection tools and techniques

Due to the nationwide call for self-isolation and social distancing of all citizens, we have conducted a

highly secured online delivered survey with a pre-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was set to

know about the effect of COVID-19 in the learning of each participant. The questionnaire consisted of

demographic variables, socio-economic variables, and participants' reactions to different queries

regarding online classes. Besides, a multi-criterion decision method, AHP was used in order to calculate

the weight of each criterion. The AHP model in our next survey involved six different queries (criteria)

such as poverty, lack of clear institutional policy, student's unwillingness on online classes, lack of

internet access, lack of technology, and unfriendly with technology. In this method, a pairwise

comparison matrix was created by organizing the criteria in a square matrix. The comparison matrix was

developed based on a 9-point rating scale [10] in which ‘1’ indicates that it is equally important, while

‘9’ suggests that it is more important. An interview table was set up for the six criteria as the key

evaluation factors. After this, the interviews with academic experts (faculty) were conducted. This

method allows a decision-maker to develop the right decision by using empirical data alongside the

subjective judgments of the decision-maker. The evaluation score was calculated depending upon the

importance given to each alternate criterion by individual experts using the linguistic variables in

questionnaires. Similarly, in order to study the broad perspective of online platforms, the informal

discussion was also carried with faculty members of various disciplines who were directly involved in

online classes. Qualitative analysis was carried out to triangulate the findings from the quantitative data.

Statistical analysis

The statistical analysis of this study revolved on a cross-sectional type of research design, and the

technique carried out at one point time or over a short period [11], where participants were selected based

on a particular variable of interest. It consisted of both descriptive and inferential methods. Data were

entered using Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS software, whereas the opinion scale was constructed using

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opinion giving queries, which was an interval scale variable. This scale was described using descriptive

statistics (mean ± standard deviation) and compared with the background variables (personal information)

using suitable inferential statistical tests (e.g., t-test, ANOVA) in SPSS software. For the AHP model, the

weight value of each criterion in the pairwise comparison matrix was calculated. To examine the

consistency of the matrix, eigenvectors of the pairwise comparison matrix, its priority vector, and lambda

max (λmax) were calculated.

Literature review

The available online literature on higher education in Nepal, opinions of students and faculty members,

and reports of the WHO, UNESCO, and University Grant Commission (UGC), Nepal, were extensively

assessed. Additionally, relevant articles and journals were also reviewed.

Results and discussion

Higher Education Institutions

Nepalese higher education has historically been molded by system change and a series of political

movements [12]. The historical backdrop of Nepal's modern education has often dramatically changed in

recent decades. Tri-Chandra college is the first institute of higher education in Nepal, which was

inaugurated in 1918 by Rana Prime minister Chandra Shamsher which later constituted into Tribhuvan

University (TU) established in 1959 [13]. In contrast, Nepal brought about the multi-university concept in

1983. Nepal Sanskrit University (NSU) was established in 1986. After the reclamation of democracy in

1990, Kathmandu University (KU) in 1991; Purbanchal University (PU) in 1993; Pokhara University

(PU) in 1997; Lumbini Buddhist University (LBU) in 2004 was established, which was staggering in the

history of educational growth in Nepal. Also, Mid-Western University (MWU) (2010), Far Western

University (FWU) (2010), Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) (2010), Nepal Open University

(NOU) (2016) and autonomous health institutions (B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS)

5
(1993), National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) (2004), and Patan Academy of Health Sciences

(PAHS) (2010)) were established. Recently, Manmohan Technical (MTU) (2019), Gandaki Technical

University (GTU) (2020), and Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (RAHS) (2020) came in operation.

Earlier, higher education in Nepal has been limited to a privileged class, but in recent days it is graspable

to people of various groups and regions [12]. Tribhuvan University switched from an annual examination

system to semester system in 1970, yet it did not keep going for long. Due to the lack of research-oriented

faculties, student opposition, and a general lack of enthusiasm/understanding about the endeavored

change, the university reverted to the annual system in 1980 [14]. TU again resumed the semester system

in central campuses of Kirtipur in 2014 and the past few years and to keep expanding to some

constituents, also going down to the undergraduate level, seems to be working [15]. Besides TU, all other

HEIs have adopted the semester system in Nepal. There are three types of HEIs; constituent campuses,

community colleges, and affiliated (private) colleges in Nepal. COVID-19 has impacted all learners of

these institutions in the semester and annual academic systems. Except for KU, end semester

examinations and/or final examinations in HEIs have been postponed indefinitely. Universities have

adopted a dual evaluation system in the semester; about 40-50% evaluation is performed by faculty

members, and the remaining evaluation is carried out by the centralized examination system of HEIs. It is

the reason higher education in Nepal is severely affected by this pandemic because students are not

allowed to move into the next levels of the academic program without attending centralized examinations.

According to one of the private college faculty members, students of private colleges are better privileged

in online classes as compared to others because they are economically empowered to afford the online

classes, and colleges have set up and capacitated the faculty members too. Similarly, the self-motivated

students have utilized the online platforms, a mode of distance learning, for continuing the learning and

ensured their active engagement. Although there are 58 accredited/ QAA cycle completed HEIs in Nepal,

COVID-19 affected all types of institutions equally in Nepal due to nationwide lockdown.

6
Descriptive Analysis

Descriptive statistics is the discipline of quantitatively describing the main features of a collection of

information [16]. It helps to present data in either tables or graph forms, which always occur before

making inferential analysis [17]. As frequency distribution allows us to have a glance at the entire data

conveniently [18], the authors have adopted this foremost statistical step for the quantitative description

of the main features of the collected data.

Table 1: Frequency distribution of respondents and weighted mean based on their responses during online classes in HEIs.

Queries Responses Frequency (Percentage) Weighted mean

Strongly Disagree (1) Disagree (2) Agree (3) Strongly Agree (4)

Access to the internet 26 (6.50%) 95 (23.75%) 204 (51%) 75 (18.75%) 112.8

No interruption of electricity and 56 (14%) 199 (49.75%) 108 (27%) 37 (9.25%) 92.6
the internet

Comfortable using online classes 52 (13%) 207 (51.75%) 117 (29.25%) 24 (6%) 91.3
instead of regular classes

Require face to face contact with 6 (1.50%) 66 (16.50%) 260 (65%) 68 (17%) 119
the instructor.

Able to manage study time 16 (4%) 129 (32.25%) 227 (56.75%) 28 (7%) 106.7
effectively and submit
assignments on time

Comfortable with electronic 26 (6.50%) 137 (34.25%) 237 (59.25%) 0 (0%) 101.1
communication

Ask the instructor for any queries 4 (1%) 84 (21%) 280 (70%) 32 (8%) 114

Attend class regularly 19 (4.75%) 112 (28%) 207 (51.75%) 62 (15.50%) 111.2

Attention on the screen during the 21 (5.25%) 132 (33%) 207 (51.75%) 40 (10%) 106.6
entire class

Deliver from instructor 18 (4.50%) 96 (24%) 251 (62.75%) 35 (8.75%) 110.3

A survey was carried out by a questionnaire containing ten questions gathered following responses from

400 respondents, as shown in Table 1. From the results derived from the 4-point Likert scale, it is

explicitly observed that 70% of the surveyed students had access to the Internet while the data revealed

7
that for 30%, online classes were not practical and feasible. However, 64% of respondents faced the

problem of unexpected disturbance in the Internet and electricity connection. Faculty members who were

giving online classes also reported the problem of poor connectivity of the Internet as a major challenge.

The Microsoft Teams software reported the extent of poor network connectivity for three months in the

percentage as 45.68%, 44.5%, and 38.55% in April, May, and June, respectively, which has indicated

struggles of online classes in developing countries like Nepal. Therefore, infrastructural reformation is

fundamentally required to conduct online classes effectively to ensure quality education. In this

connection, a faculty member from Patan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, emphasized that HEIs

should have their clear policy regarding the development of required physical and technical

infrastructures for online classes.

Further, Table 1 depicted that 65% of students did not feel comfortable with online classes, which

indicated the ineffectiveness of the new platform. The lack of interest in online classes is reflected as a

result of several factors such as unfriendly nature with technology, mental preparedness, and accessibility/

affordability in the digital world, etc. which is further supported by expert's view that the motivation of

the learners plays a role in their active participation in learning through online mode. This hypothesis was

also evidenced by the preferences of the 82% respondents towards the classroom-based face to face

learning. Among attendees of online classes, 78% of students wanted to meet the instructor for a better

understanding of course matters, which means the courses delivered are not designed comprehensively,

and neither were the classes meant to be interactive as well. It indicated that the courses delivered were

neither designed comprehensively nor planned expertly per each lesson, while a faculty from another

college vehemently denied that students are not unwilling to learn.

One of the students from the Master in Philosophy (M.Phil.) shared his experience regarding the online

classes and said that it would be more effective if the classes are made student-centric rather than teacher-

centric. In addition to this, instructors also shared the necessity of training among them for the proper use

of technology to deliver the contents properly online. A student of First Semester in the M.Sc. in

8
Chemistry Program of Tribhuvan University has complained that he requires to hike for 2 hours each day

to a mobile network tower in the top of a hill because his residence in a remote location in Gandaki

Province of Nepal was not in the coverage area of any Internet service providers nor any top carriers like

Nepal Telecom and Ncell as well. To overcome this problem, the student has bought a new SIM card of

Smart Cell, which is a relatively new carrier in Nepal. Many other stories are yet to be unraveled. Another

student from a remote village said that even though major carriers have announced nationwide 4G LTE

service, his area still only has 2G service, which offers a maximum bandwidth of 40 Kbits/s and 384

Kbits/s on GPRS and EDGE respectively in theory. This is far below the optimum bandwidth of at least 1

Mbit/s required for group video calling with crisp audio in online classes. Also, 4G is recommended for

online classes based on interaction with students regarding the quality of calls over various services,

including 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE. In the Terai region of southern Nepal, which borders India, there is an

issue of connectivity as well; reportedly internet service providers buy bandwidth from India, which

increase latency; likewise, mobile carriers are prone to cross-border cellular interference, with network

towers in India as close as up to 500m from the international border. A single network tower lacking

proper infrastructures is providing a network for numbers of users; this degrades the quality of service.

Due to but not limited to these reasons, numerous students are facing trouble with online classes.

Similarly, many faculty members of Tribhuvan University agreed on the fact that the faculty who are

technologically well equipped and comfortable encourage the students to take the online classes and

guide them. Agriculture and Forestry University has started the online classes as formal classes though it

included only 50% of total students. Moreover, our survey has also found that the regularity of students in

online classes was not satisfactory, which is another significant challenge. The community colleges are

engaging their students via different online platforms. They have been organizing the webinar through

zoom, Facebook page, and YouTube. Because of limited budget and scope, they cannot afford the

expensive infrastructure development even though they want to address the continuity of students

learning.

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Reliability Analysis

Reliability is a measure of the consistency of test scores from one measurement to another [19]. In this

study, to measure the internal consistency of test items, Cronbach's alpha (α) test was used using SPSS

software. Mathematically, the alpha coefficient can be formulated as follow:

k
k 1
α=
k −1 ( S T i=1 )
1− 2 ∑ S2i ………………………………………………………... (1)

Where k is the number of items, is the variance of the item, and is the variance of the total score formed

by summing all items [20], [21]. Generally, the value of Cronbach coefficient alpha (α) ranges from 0 (if

no variance is consistent) to 1 (if all variance is consistent) [21]. The result of the reliability measure was

good (α = 0.793) in our study, which means all the items in our survey are internally consistent and

reliable to assess the attitude and perception of respondents (Figure 1)

Though ANOVA is similar to a t-test [22], both tests were done in this research as the ANOVA can also

test multiple groups to establish if they differ one or more variables. From the measurement variables

scale, a new scale was obtained, then the comparison was made with different factors using t-test and

ANOVA. Variables were found to be approximately normally distributed. For significant results, the

Tukey Post Hoc test was used (Table 2).

10
11
Figure 1: Normality diagram showing the frequency of responses on (a) the accessibility of students on the Internet; (b) the interruption of

electricity and Internet during online class (c) the comfortability using online class (d) the face-to-face communication with the instructor (e) the

time management for study and assignment submission (f) the comfortability to communicate via electronic devices (g) asking queries to the

instructor (h) the regularity of class attendance (i) the attention on-screen during class (j) the well delivery of contents by the instructor using

technology.

Table 2: Statistical test of significance and results.

S.N. Factors Tests p-value Significance level Results

(α)

1. Gender t-test 0.41 0.05 Insignificant among male and female

2. Age group ANOVA 0.248 0.05 Insignificant among age group: up to 22,
23 to 27, 28 to 32

2. University ANOVA 0.795 0.05 Insignificant among Tribhuvan

University, Kathmandu University,
Pokhara University, Purbanchal
University, and other Universities

3. Level ANOVA 0.396 0.05 Insignificant among Bachelor, Master,

and M.Phil. level

4. Faculty ANOVA 0.107 0.05 Insignificant among science,

management, Engineering, Medicine,
Arts, Education, Agriculture, and others

6. Hours spend daily on ANOVA 0 0.05 Significant among 0, less than 3, 3 to 7,

online class More than 7 hours

7. A device used for virtual ANOVA 0 0.05 Significant among Laptop, Mobile and
class Tab/Pad

8 Enjoying virtual class ANOVA 0 0.05 Significant among No, Maybe and Yes

9 Hours spend on online class Tukey Post - 0.05 Time spend 0 hour differ significantly
Hoc test
10 Device used for virtual class Laptop and Mobile differ significantly

11 Enjoying virtual class All differ significantly

Analytic Hierarchy Process

AHP is a flexible decision-making tool [23], which relies on the judgments of experts to derive priority

scales [24]. It allows group decision-making, where group members can use their expertise, experience,

and knowledge [25]. For this study, decisions from ten academic experts were collected in the form of a

comparison matrix. Table 3 reveals the pairwise comparison matrix and the weight value of each

criterion.

Table 3: Pairwise comparison matrix (PCM) with relative importance weight of evaluation criteria.

12
 online classesunwillingness on
institutional policy

Unfriendly with
Lack of internet

Percentage
Lack of clear

technology

technology
Student's
Poverty

Lack of
Criteria

Weight
access
Criteria

Poverty 1 0.25 5 0.33 4 7 0.192 19.2%

Lack of clear
4 1 7 1 3 8 0.334 33.4%
institutional policy

Student’s
unwillingness on 0.2 0.14 1 0.2 0.25 3 0.051 5.1%
online classes

Lack of internet
3 1 5 1 2 7 0.278 27.8%
access

Lack of technology 0.25 0.33 4 0.5 1 3 0.113 11.3%

Unfriendly with
0.14 0.13 0.33 0.14 0.33 1 0.031 3.1%
technology

Total 2.11 14.58 18.33 4.76 9.8 30 1 100%

λmax = 6.51, CI = 0.1021, RI11 = 1.24 and CR = 0.082 ≤ 0.1

In this study, the value of the Lambda max (λ max ) and the consistency index (CI) were 6.51 and 0.1021,

respectively. Likewise, the consistency ratio (CR) is the ratio of consistency index (CI) and the random

index (RI). To calculate the value of CR for a 6×6 pairwise comparison matrix, a value of 1.24 was used

for a random index [24]. In this study, the value of the Consistency Ratio (CR) was found to be 0.082

(8.2%), which is less than 0.1. If the value of the consistency ratio is smaller or equal to 0.1, then the

inconsistency is acceptable. Therefore, the inconsistency of the above pairwise comparison matrix is

acceptable. The weight value of criteria depicts that lack of clear institutional policy (̴ 33%) has impacted

more on HEIs during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lack of internet access among learners (28%) was

observed to be another significant problematic issue. Likewise, nearly a 19% effect on HEIs was due to

poverty. Student's unwillingness in online classes, lack of technology, and unfriendly with technology has

not had a remarkable impact on education systems during this pandemic.

Challenges and Opportunities in HEIs

13
All the HEIs are closed due to the persistence effects of COVID-19. Around four hundred thousand

students of HEs are deprived of formal education. The government has circulated the notice to continue

the learning but not explicitly directed the ways HEIs adopt for learning. Having no clear guidelines to

HEIs has been a severe concern to address this situation through HEIs that have started the different

modes of learning and mostly adopted online learning. Moreover, many students are lagging due to the

lack of Internet access. For those learners who are in easy access to broadband Internet also have

complaints about its speed and quality. It enumerates that there is a daunting challenge to implement

online learning, particularly in the case of Nepal.

This study has mainly focused on the significant challenges HEIs are facing in the implementation of

online classes. Due to the sudden emergence of the COVID-19, most of the faculties have faced the

challenges of lacking online teaching experience, early preparation, or support from HEIs [26]. Nepal has

inadequate facilities on information and communication technology (ICT) service, which is positioned

123rd rank in the world [27]. Talking about access, 82.5% of Terai, 82.1% of Hill, and 73.2% of mountain

region families are accessible to the Internet. Likewise, 84.4% of urban households and 76.1% of rural

households have internet facilities [28]. The challenges encountered in developing virtual or online

classes include affordability, technology literacy, and self-motivation among faculty members in Nepal

[29]. Moreover, a long period of discontinuity in educational activities and engagement in non-

educational fields may change the priority of learners and increase the dropout rate. Higher education

engagement provides opportunities to learn life skills from the face to face interaction with peers, which

is not possible through the online classes.

It is even more challenging to augment virtual classes among the students from rural areas of the country,

mainly due to a lack of computer literacy, electricity problem, and failure in providing reliable services

from internet services. Furthermore, for those institutions that were previously stressed in terms of

finance, the current unabated situation will likely threaten their solvency, forcing closures and merges.

Also, combining the effect of chaotic weather, establishing a standard level of telecommunication

14
network across the country has been a significant challenge. In this connection, a student of higher

education from the Parbat district every day walks around two hours to get Internet access for online

classes. There is a significant number of students who have been going through the same situation.

The pandemic crisis has provided an opportunity to ponder the existing HEIs in Nepal. The use of virtual

classes reduces costs, enhances pedagogy, experience, and career, increases time management skills, and

develops adaptability to the international digital community among educators and learners [31].

Moreover, the crisis has provided the most significant opportunity for higher education students mainly,

from the computer science background, to develop the web page and software as developers and

policymakers to enhance online learning as a distance learning mode in Nepal. Similarly, the most basic

online course requires the development of new computer skills as students learn to navigate different

learning management systems and programs. The participation skills in online classes pay their path to

many professionals, including creating and sharing documents, incorporating audio, visual and e-

materials into assignments, and more opportunity to complete online training sessions.

However, online learning is the only way to address the pandemic in the current situation. In this regard,

Nepal has planned to run virtual classes through radio and televisions as well [30], and several HEIs have

already launched online classes through available resources. It is acknowledging the fact that Nepal is a

country with an uneven geographical landscape and challenging terrain, transportation and

communication has always been a problem. Proper assessment of the credit courses is the most crucial

part of validating the learners' learning. However, there is no regulatory standardization directive for the

assignments given and submitting procedures indicating the due date. Likewise, there is no penalty and

rewards system established for the students meeting and crossing the due date through the university has

declared to accredit the online classes as a regular class. It may bring the disparities in the evaluation of

students, for example, attendance, which ultimately becomes the reason for dissatisfaction in learners.

15
There have been changes to almost every aspect of development, but ironically our teaching-learning

system had not changed much since when it began. COVID-19 has helped us take a more significant leap

in the field of education by introducing flexible online classes. Therefore, addressing such a critical

situation higher education policy should amend the system of the examination. The government has to

allocate a sufficient amount of budget for the establishment of infrastructures, which ensure the equal

participation of students regardless of their geographical and economic background. Otherwise, the online

classes will be the choices for a few students who fall under the privileged class. If the system has set up,

students can take online courses and even complete entire degrees while working in between jobs or

while taking time to look after the family members and their children, particularly in the case of females.

The government, universities, colleges, internet service providers, and technology developers should

stand at a place, acknowledge and design a roadmap to convert the challenges to opportunity for the

sustainability of online classes in Nepal in the long run.

Conclusions

The unexpected flare-up of COVID-19 in China and the ensuing spread to different nations has severely

impacted the everyday lives of ordinary people throughout the world. The pandemic has shifted the day to

day activities off course of people globally, especially in HEIs. Nepal has also encountered the same

problem with a persistent nationwide lockdown. COVID-19 has severely impacted higher education in

Nepal. The situation is alarming because of several factors like the unwillingness of HEIs to adopt the

online classes, develop the physical infrastructures, develop clear policy, and develop the motivating

factors to faculties and students. Minimal students are getting opportunities for online classes, and a

significant number of students are denied because of several factors mentioned earlier. To address this

situation, Nepal should focus on infrastructure development in higher education towards online facilities

with adequate knowledge of new technology and motivational programs. More emphasis should be given

on clear institutional policy regarding the regulation of evaluation or examination systems in online

classes. In the context of Nepal, with online classes being held on such a wide-scale for the first time, not

16
all students of HEIs are included. Thus, it will be early to conclude the effectiveness of the online classes

in the pandemic situation without having more evidence-based findings. Without ending the dual

evaluation system in the semester, the impact of COVID-19 in HEIs cannot be minimized.

Abbreviations

ANOVA Analysis of Variance

AHP Analytic Hierarchy Process

COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019

EDGE Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution

GPRS General Packet Radio Service

HEIs Higher Education Institutions

MOODLES Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment

ICT Information and Communications Technology

LTE Long Term Evolution

LMS Learning Management System

PGD Postgraduate Diploma

SARS-CoV-2 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2

SIM Subscriber Identification Module

SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

UGC University Grants Commission

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

QAA Quality Assurance and Accreditation

WHO World Health Organization

17
Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Professor Ganesh Malla, Faculty at the University of Cincinnati, USA, for providing

valuable feedback. We also thank Binod Rayamajhee, University of New South Wales, Australia, for

suggestions.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

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