Online Higher Education in Bangladesh: Challenges

and Prospects
[This Thesis is submitted for the Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Business
Administration with a Major in Marketing]

Submitted By
Yasmin Akter
ID: 2016015
Reg: 201016015
Program: MBA
Major: Marketing

Date of submission: 31st July, 2021

Faculty of Business Administration

BGC Trust University Bangladesh

1
Online Higher Education in Bangladesh: Challenges
and Prospects
[This Thesis is submitted for the Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Business
Administration with a Major in Marketing]

Supervised By
Dr. Md. Sarwar Uddin
Associate Professor and Coordinator (FBA)
Faculty of Business Administration
BGC Trust University Bangladesh

Submitted By
Yasmin Akter
ID: 2016015
Reg: 201016015
Program: MBA
Major: Marketing

Date of submission: 31st June, 2021

Faculty of Business Administration

BGC Trust University Bangladesh
2
Letter of Submission

31st July, 2021

To
Dr. Md. Sarwar Uddin

Associate Professor and Coordinator (FBA)

Faculty of Business Administration

BGC Trust University Bangladesh

Subject: Submission of Thesis.

Dear Sir,

With immense pleasure, I am presenting my thesis paper of “Online higher education in

Bangladesh: Challenges and Prospects” that has been set up as a necessary piece of my degree

prerequisite. I am appreciative to you for allowing me the chance to set up this report. I have

attempted my dimension best to finish this report with the important data and recommended

suggestion that you were give me as your best also.

Thanking you and looking forward to receiving your gracious approval of my submission. I hope

this report will meet your expectation.

Sincerely yours,

---------------------------------
Yasmin Akter

ID: 2016015

Department of Business Administration.

BGC Trust University Bangladesh.

3
Declaration

I, hereby, declare that this paper titled “Online higher education in Bangladesh: Challenges and

Prospects” is an original work of mine and it has been prepared under the guidance of Dr. Md.

Sarwar Uddin (Associate Professor and coordinator), the supervisor of my thesis paper as a

requirement for the completion of my MBA degree from Department of Marketing, Faculty of

Business Administration (FBA), BGC Trust University Bangladesh.

This report is prepared solely for Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business Administration

(FBA), BGC Trust University. This report neither fully nor partially has ever been submitted for

any other Certificate / Degree/ Diploma or Qualification to any other University/ College/

Institution or Organization.

Yasmin Akter

ID: 2016015

Reg: 201016015

Program: MBA

Major: Marketing

Faculty of Business Administration (FBA).

BGC Trust University Bangladesh.

4
Acknowledgement

At the very beginning, I would like to express my thanks to the Almighty Allah for giving me the

strength to complete the thesis. Then I would like to express my gratitude to my honorable

faculty and academic supervisor Dr. Md. Sarwar Uddin; Associate Professor and coordinator,

Faculty of Business Administration, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, who has provided me

suggestions for making this thesis, and also provided me with format for making and preparing

the whole thesis, and support me to create that from where we can learn many things about the

Tourism Industry. Finally, I want to express my deep gratitude to my parents and all well-

wishers whose enormous helps assists me to complete this thesis.

5
Executive Summary

In Bangladesh like the other nations around the world educational sector is highly affected by
COVID-19. During this lockdown teachers may help their students to minimize the educational
gap. This study will helpful for government and the educational authority to find the overall
scenario of online education during lockdown from teachers’ point view.

Online education changes all components of teaching and learning in higher education. Many
empirical studies have been conducted to examine issues in delivering online courses; however,
few have synthesized prior studies and provided an overview on issues in online courses.

A review of literature using Cooper’s framework was conducted to identify such issues. Three
major categories of findings were identified: issues related to online learners, instructors, and
content development. Learners’ issues included learners’ expectations, readiness, identity, and
participation in online courses. Instructors’ issues included changing faculty roles, transitioning
from face-to-face to online, time management, and teaching styles. Content issues included the
role of instructors in content development, integration of multimedia in content, role of
instructional strategies in content development, and considerations for content development.

To address these challenges in online education, higher education institutions need to provide
professional development for instructors, trainings for learners, and technical support for content
development.

6
Table of Contents

7
Contents Page

Letter of Submission …………………………………………………………. iii

Author Declaration …………………………………………………………… iv
Acknowledgement …………………………………………………..……...... v
Executive Summary …………………………………………………………. vi
Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………………..

1.1 Prelude…………………………………………………………..……... 10
1.2 Objectives of the Study …………….………………………………….. 14
1.3 Need of online higher education in Bangladesh 15
1.4 The Current Scenario of Education in Bangladesh during COVID- 18
19…………………………….
1.5 Importance of the Study………………………………………………... 20
1.6 Limitations of the Study………………………………………………... 21
Chapter 2: Literature Review………………………………………………. 22-30
Chapter 3: Research Methodology ………………........................................ 31-35
Chapter 4: Findings of the Study …………………………………………...

4.1 Ownership of mobile phone handset by type in Bangladesh in 2019 (in 37

percentage)…………….
4.2 Participation in Online learning by different categories (percentage)…. 39
4.3 Households without single mobile, Computer or Tablet, Internet Access 40
…..
4.4 Price of Internet Package……………………………………………… 41
4.5 Challenges of online Higher education in Bangladesh 43
4.6 Prospects of online Higher education in Bangladesh 46
Chapter 5: Recommendations & Conclusion ……………………………..

5.1 Recommendations …………................................................................... 49 8

6.2 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………... 52
References ……………………………………………………………………. 54-60
9
Chapter -1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Prelude

Online higher education is widely used in most of the developed countries to promote distance

education (DE) and lifelong learning. It can be defined as an innovative approach for delivering

electronically mediated, well-designed, learner-centered, and interactive learning environments

10
to anyone, anyplace, anytime by utilizing the internet and digital technologies in concern with

instructional design principles (Anonymous 2003, Hedge and Hayward, 2004. Applications and

processes of e-learning include web based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms,

and digital collaboration, where contents is delivered via the internet, intranet/extranet, audio

and/or video tape, satellite TV and CD-ROM (Islam 1997) Online Higher Education is now a

multi-billion dollar activity worldwide. The rapid and intensive use of ICTs in education in the

developed countries facilitated to the establishment of 100% ICT-based universities called

‘virtual universities'. In addition, many world-leading conventional universities are now also

offering some of their academic courses through various ICTs for their distant learners and

established themselves as the ‘dual mode universities'.

Corona viruses are a large family of viruses which may cause disease in animals or humans.

Seven corona viruses can produce infection in people around the world but commonly people get

infected with these four human corona viruses: 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1. They usually

cause a respiratory infection ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

and the most recently discovered corona virus (COVID-19) causes infectious disease. This

zoonotic disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On

11th Feb 2020, the (WHO) officially renamed the clinical condition COVID-19 (a shortening of

Corona Virus Disease-19), which was announced in a tweet. An outbreak of COVID-19 caused

by the 2019 novel corona virus (SARS-COV-2) began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in

December 2019, the current outbreak is officially a pandemic. Since knowledge about this virus

is rapidly evolving, readers are urged to update themselves regularly. The virus is typically

rapidly spread from one person to another via respiratory droplets produced during coughing and

11
sneezing. It is considered most contagious when people are symptomatic, although transmission

may be possible before symptoms show in patients. Time from exposure and symptom onset is

generally between two and 14 days, with an average of five days. Common symptoms include

fever, cough, sneezing and shortness of breath. Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment

or vaccine; efforts consist of symptom abolition supportive therapy. Recommended preventive

measures include washing your hands with soap, covering the mouth when coughing,

maintaining 1-meter distance from other people and monitoring and self-isolation for fourteen

days for people who suspect they are infected. The speedy spread of novel corona virus

(COVID-19) has led to a substantial reduction in all forms of economic activities in all over the

world. The first case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan China and spread

in all over the world within March. World Health Organization (WHO) declared this COVID-19

as a pandemic. This pandemic has caused in massive shutdowns in all types of business activities

as well as all kind of educational institutions. In Bangladesh like the other nations around the

world educational sector is highly affected by COVID-19. During this lockdown teachers may

help their students to minimize the educational gap. Government has taken some initiatives to

help the educational institutions to conduct classes in this lockdown.

But most of the rural and some underprivileged urban areas are at a disadvantage for continuing

this process (Fami, 2020). Both teachers and students from such territories are facing distance

issues, limited technical assistance, lack of internet access and financial insufficiency.

Online Higher Education is not that easy for a country like ours. It is a big challenge not only for

-7the learners but also for the teachers. Distance learning has many benefits (Al-Husban, 2020;

Seage & Türegün, 2020) and limitations (Weinhandl et al., 2020). Many factors are considered

as obstacles to e-learning (Gokdas & Kayri, 2005). In a recent study in India found many

12
positive and negative opinions about online education (Arora & Srinivasan, 2020). There are

many studies that show the conditions of students experiencing online education but

comparatively fewer studies are conducted describing the circumstances of the teachers in this

regard.

The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted education systems around the world, pushing the

majority of children temporarily out of school. With close to 40 million children enrolled in

school, Bangladesh is among the countries most affected by a complete shutdown. Given the

poorly governed and under-provided institutional facilities, school attendance in the country is

poorly rewarded in terms of what is learnt in the classroom. The Coronavirus related disruption

is likely to deepen the country’s ongoing learning crisis. With all schools closed for a period of at

least two months, the immediate challenge for the policymakers, therefore, is safeguarding

learning time and well-being while children remain out of school.

Regardless of its impact on household poverty, the Coronavirus pandemic will directly impact

learning outcomes by reducing time spent in learning activities, in and out of school. While in-

school disruption is universal, out-of-school learning deprivation will vary depending on the

socio-economic status of the household, access to technology, and parental capabilities. There is

likely to be gendered response in terms of children’s learning needs at home as well. If

unaddressed, the sudden nationwide shutdown also risks reversing some of the earlier

achievements with improved access to education such as close to universal primary school

enrolment and attainment of gender parity in secondary education. Children from poor

households and female adolescents remain particularly vulnerable.

13
1.2 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are as follows:

i. To analyze the effect of COVID-19 in educational sector.

ii. To analyze the impact of higher education in Bangladesh on students.

iii. To examine the Challenges of higher education in Bangladesh.

iv. To examine the Prospects of higher education in Bangladesh.

v. To recommend the best practice of online education in the COVID-19 crisis.

1.3 Need of online higher education in Bangladesh

The case for open and online education in Bangladesh is an important issue for several pressing

reasons.

Firstly, the vast majority of the people live below poverty line. They are unable to attend the

urban based institutions and thus remain deprived of higher education despite their superior

merit.

14
Secondly, those who join work force without completing their studies due to family

commitments are unable to work for studies and also to find a place in the traditional institutions

of higher learning, even if some of them have strong desire to higher studies.

Thirdly, the opportunity for higher education i.e., the places are extremely limited in Bangladesh.

Therefore, even those who can afford to finance their studies find it difficult to get admitted to

any universities (Sadeq 2003).

Fourthly, the tradition of and early marriage in the country deprives the female population from

higher education. Besides, there are some other usual factors like physical disabilities,

remoteness of localities, higher tuition fees in most private universities, and so on. These are the

reasons for why millions of people are deprived from higher education in Bangladesh despite

their keen interest and eligibilities. Open and distance education can open up the opportunities

for higher education for such a vast under-privileged population. Bangladesh is generously

endowed with human resources that need to be well equipped with literacy and skills to

contribute to economic development, which is badly needed for this country.

The open and distance education is expected to do a lot in this field if provided with adequate

facilities and quality. The roots in the history of open and distance learning in Bangladesh (the

then East Pakistan) date back to 1956 when the then Education directorate distributed 200 radio

receivers to the educational institutions, which in run, led to establishment of an Audio-visual

cell and later Audio-visual Education Center (AVEC) in 1962 (Sadeq 2003). Upon creation of an

independent Bangladesh in 1972, a pilot project ‘School Broadcasting Program (SBP)' was

undertaken during 1978-1980, which was later merged with AVEC to establish National Institute

of Educational Media and Technology (NIEMT). The NIEMT was later transformed into

Bangladesh Institute of Distance Education (BIDE) in 1985. Thereafter, Bangladesh Open

15
University (BOU) was established in 1992 with major financing of Asian Development Bank

(ADB). BOU started its operations in 1995 and the BIDE was merged with it.

The online higher education has several advantages in promoting distance and open learning.

Some of the important points are listed below:

 Internet connections are very few, this model has high potential to attract large crowd,

Which helps to entrepreneur to be a part of online higher education.

 People can learn what they need to learn and go at their own pace.

 High quality Internet infrastructure and networking will help to deliver high quality

courses. CD-ROM training now offers movie-quality lectures by famous Professors that

include a variety of quizzes and exercises.

 Computers with high internet infrastructure will help to reduce the overheads as there

won't be any recruitment, training, and up gradation of faculties.

 Due to socio-economic conditions, large number of students still avoids schools; online

higher education may involve them in studies.

 Online higher education provides the courses round the clock i.e. 7 days a week and 24

hours a day, which further attracts working peoples, students and even individuals.

16
  The courses provided in this model are having wide variety of courses based on

IT and non- IT topics, which is an additional benefit to attract the large crowd

from all the background.

 The learners need not pay any additional amount for any up gradation on the

courses once being a member. This saves learners times and cost.

1.4 The Current Scenario of Education in Bangladesh during COVID-19

The whole world is fighting the coronavirus, which has spread to nearly every point of the

globe over the first three months of 2020. At the end of May, the death toll crossed 369,124,

while the total quantity of infected was over 6 million across the world.

17
To control this quick spread, many countries were prosecuted for lockdown that caused a

significant impact on all aspects of our daily lives ( Abdulamir & Hafidh, 2020). In Bangladesh,

the first Covid-19 patients were tracked on March 8 in the capital, and as a result, the country

went into general lockdowns from March 26. Since then, people are keeping themselves at home

except for emergencies while educational institutions and most industries and business centers

remain shut.

According to the DGHS Press Release, the current situation of Covid-19 in Bangladesh records

about four hundred sixty-four thousand nine hundred thirty-two (464,932) COVID-19 confirmed

by rRT-PCR, including six thousand six hundred forty-four (6644) related deaths (CFR 1.43%)

from 8th of March to 30th of November 2020. Bangladesh is the top 26th country in the world

and accounts for 0.75% of the COVID-19 disease burden in the world (WHO).

https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/104/1/article-p66.xml

The Covid-19 trend in Bangladesh.

18
The reaction Bangladesh showed to COVID-19, in general, were too disorganized,

uncoordinated, and chaotic. Responses pointed towards the educational department amid the

epidemic conveniently kept their speed on with that disorder. The State declared on 26 March

2020 a countrywide lockdown in the name of “general holiday” shutting down all educational

institutions including schools, colleges, and universities, among others. After that, this lockdown

was lifted on 31 May 2020 conditionally after more than two months. The bewildered

calculations which are being made by the country are difficult to be perceived or understood. The

elevation of lockdown is being excoriated in circumstances while social distancing couldn’t be

ensured in an overpopulated country like Bangladesh. However, for the education institutions,

the lockdown remains the same until September, creating the realization that unlike other major

sectors that need to open gradually, the educational institutions can wait. Amidst these

calculations, the country selected for remote knowledge, which is a reality perusing the education

system across the country at the time of writing. Figure 2 shows the percentage of participation

in distant learning (Brac.net, 2020).

In the center of the country’s administration, teachers have just started using a combination of

real-time interactive courses and classes, with a combination of pre-recorded materials and

homework wise digital sessions on a small measurement. However, this isn’t the scenario for the

whole country. As an opening response, pre-recorded lists for primary school students were

transmitted by a state-run to channel for the children across the entire country. Putting aside the

usefulness of this non-interactive education method, the fact that 50% of the nation’s households

do not have a to set means that a massive number of people have been kept outside its ambit.

Subsequently, the Government was expected to make the lists for every primary and secondary

19
student accessible online (via YouTube). This policy precondition that there is access to

broadband services across the whole country.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) allowed the universities to take online classes. They

also provided loans for buying digital devices for the financially weak students so the students

can attend the online classes. They permitted the last semester students of private universities

to participate in practical classes. But not more than one class or exam may be taken each day

and no more than 10 students may attend each class and maintain virtual viva-vouch (The

Independent, 2020b; Dhaka Tribune, 2020a). Public universities are taking online classes by

using various platforms, but the most used platforms are Zoom and Google meet. Many

Universities are also conducting their practical and lab classes online. Though it has been tough

to attend online classes for those students who live in remote areas, still it also has brought

benefits for them. In the last few months, UGC stated that 63 universities in Bangladesh,

including 7 public universities and 56 private universities have offered online classes where

the attendance of students was 60-70% (Sujan, 2020). During exams, the students also sat in

front of the zoom so that the teacher could monitor them while giving exams. While ignoring

all the barriers coming into online classes, these online classes helped the students to fill their

study gap (Abdullah, 2020). Ultimately by giving exams in due time the students of private

universities have finished their semester faster than the public universities students (The

Independent BD, 2020).

20
1.5 Importance of the study

The study highlights aspects related to online learning covering its definitions, and its main factors.

These cover the learner’s motivation, the learner’s attitudes, technology, readiness of materials, and

the learning context, followed by the key challenges and opportunities of using E-learning within

higher education. The study also highlights some studies from different parts of the world,

highlighting students’ perceptions towards E-learning. A good mix of both traditional and E-learning

needs to be worked harder towards before being pushed into to an E-learning situation only, the

context of Coronavirus being an example. Even with the Coronavirus, noticing that governments are

intending to be limiting schools, E-learning is still not in the position to replace the traditional

classroom teaching/learning. Nothing to date can replace the most important social cognitive task, the

face to face learning; not every student would see online higher education suiting their learning

21
style. Working towards having a right mix of both models can help to develop a good

learning/teaching mix, and starting this in a normal context would make students and instructors

ready for it without waiting for contexts where traditional teaching cannot take place, as in the

context of Coronavirus.

1.5 Limitations of the Study

In this study I collect the data and analysis it but I am not able to observe the real situation of the

education institutions. This Research Project work was arranged carefully with full attentiveness

to keep away from any kind of propaganda or mistakes. But still like all other research work this

report may also have some limitations.

 The main constraint of the study was insufficiency of information, which was

required for the study.

 Lack of in-depth knowledge and analytical ability for writing such report.

 Data and information used in this study are mostly from secondary sources.

22
The report has encountered these limitations that may hinder the progress of the study but with

constant effort, I try to minimize the negative effects of these limitations.

Chapter -2

Literature review
23
 Sanz, I (2020), analyze the current situation of education in the context of the pandemic

caused by COVID-19. Many empirical studies have been conducted to examine the

quality of online courses from various aspects. Studies have identified and examined

critical issues affecting quality of online higher education such as communication,

technology, time management, pedagogy, and assessment.

 Aljawarneh, S. A. (2019), reviewing and exploring innovative learning tools in higher

education. ICTs are rapidly expanding in some of the developing countries, and hence, it

offers an opportunity to consider the use of ICTs in the promotion of DE. It offers

students considerable benefits including increase access to learning, life-long learning

opportunities, and convenience of time and place.

24
 UNICEF. (2020), analyze Bangladeshi children share experiences of remote learning and

the challenges they face. Students call for safe reopening of schools to prevent further

disruption to their education.

 According to Li & Irby, (2008), identifies accessibility of the internet and flexibility of

online courses have made online education an integral part of higher education.

 Limperos (2015), revealed financial issues facing many higher education institutions and

students’ demands shift the focus of these institutions more toward using online

education.

 Bassoppo -Moyo, (2006), identified and examined critical issues affecting quality of

online higher education such as communication, technology, time management,

pedagogy, and assessment.

 Mayes (2011), revealed online educators must go through the daunting task of sifting

through the increasingly expanding literature to identify these issues for themselves.

 Pierre (1998), revealed ICTs are rapidly expanding in some of the developing countries,

and hence, it offers an opportunity to consider the use of ICTs in the promotion of DE. It

offers students considerable benefits including increase access to learning, life-long

learning opportunities, and convenience of time and place.

25
 The Daily Star, December, 24, identifies how to enhance Education and Training

through online higher education in Bangladesh.

 Judith B. Strother, (2002), studied online higher education has been used extensively

not just for academic purposes for students but also for businesses and corporate

employees to impart training on various upcoming industrial revisions. Online higher

education has contributed to so many different fields such as medicine, health,

businesses, industries and pharmacy.

 Sandra M. Salter (2014), researched on pharmacy education by M. Sandra highlights

that there is little to no evidence for the fact that online higher education in pharmacy has

significantly enhanced the knowledge of the practitioners for the long term. The

assessment finds that the online higher education is beneficial but at an individual level

and has limitations for value addition with quality and sustainability.

 Aljawarneh, S. A. (2019), reviewing and exploring innovative learning tools in higher

education. ICTs are rapidly expanding in some of the developing countries, and hence, it

offers an opportunity to consider the use of ICTs in the promotion of DE. It offers

students considerable benefits including increase access to learning, life-long learning

opportunities, and convenience of time and place.

 UNESCO. (2020), analyze the existing and potential crisis risks in education, analyze

capacities and existing resources for risk reduction, identify and overcome patterns of

26
 inequity and exclusion, and aim at bringing all education actors together, from both a

humanitarian and a development perspective.

 According to Li & Irby, (2008), identifies accessibility of the internet and flexibility of

online courses have made online education an integral part of higher education.

 Kai Ruggeri et al., (2013), researched on digital literacy rate upliftment and need for

infrastructure for online higher education has been cited as effective measures to fulfil the

objectives of online higher education comprehensively. However, the study does not use

any quantitative assessment or analytical tools for proving the findings of the report.

 Hirumi, A. (2002), designed and sequencing of online higher education interactions ICTs

are rapidly expanding in some of the developing countries, and hence, it offers an

opportunity to consider the use of ICTs in the promotion of DE. It offers students

considerable benefits including increase access to learning, life-long learning

opportunities, and convenience of time and place.

27
 IESALC UNHCR (2019), Identifies mobility in higher education in Latin America and

the Caribbean: challenges and opportunities of a renewed Agreement for the recognition

of studies.

 Li & Irby, (2008), examines the accessibility of the internet and flexibility of online

courses have made online education an integral part of higher education.

 Zhang, W C, sees that suspending Classes Without Stopping Learning: China’s

Education Emergency Management Policy in the COVID-19 Outbreak.

 Mila Harding (2020), identifies the challenges of remote online learning in higher

education and the missing middle. Students in the missing middle have to deal with

problems of connectivity, lack of devices and data, and their problems are being pushed

aside by the minister of higher education and training.

 Shu-Sheng Liaw, studied on effectiveness of e-learning investigates the reason for

dissatisfaction of some of the e-learning students. The research surveys 424 university

students for their feedback on effectiveness of e-learning for them. The findings of the

report suggest that the intention and study focus are the main factors that influence the

objectives and usefulness of e-learning. Personal efficiency for the coursework is also a

determining factor for the outcomes.

28
 CommLab, (2015), examines effectiveness of e-learning is useful for not just the

students but also for the trainers as it helps them in refining their methods of teaching.

Regular testing of the outcomes of e-learning and efficiency of knowledge transfer guide

the teachers to employ techniques that can be more effective in transferring the education.

The technocrats are also interested in transforming the e-learning experiencing through

effect ICT applications.

 Judith B. Strother, (2002), studied E-learning has been used extensively not just for

academic purposes for students but also for businesses and corporate employees to impart

training on various upcoming industrial revisions. E-learning has contributed to so many

different fields such as medicine, health, businesses, industries and pharmacy.

 Sandra M. Salter, (2014), researched on pharmacy education by M. Sandra highlights

that there is little to no evidence for the fact that e-learning in pharmacy has significantly

enhanced the knowledge of the practitioners for the long term. The assessment finds that

the e-learning is beneficial but at an individual level and has limitations for value addition

with quality and sustainability.

 Kai Ruggeri et al., (2013),researched on digital literacy rate upliftment and need for

infrastructure for e-learning has been cited as effective measures to fulfil the objectives of

29
 e-learning comprehensively. However, the study does not use any quantitative assessment

or analytical tools for proving the findings of the report.

 Safiyeh R. Harandi, (2015), the study has many limitations as it is based on a single

university and uses no interviews; hence, the findings are not supported by corroborative

evidence of face to face interviews or a global audience.

 Sekiwu Denis & Naluwemba Frances, (2014), the researches stress that e-learning

opportunities are a gateway of growth and prosperity for the developing world. The study

lacks the point of view of the students and misses the key point of including the quality of

the education provided in a compromise for low cost.

 Intakhab A. Khan, (2016), resource generation, usefulness and effectiveness for

students were some of the factors that were highlighted by the study as a mark of success

of e-learning in English language for students in Saudi Arabia. The study has limitations

of using only a specific country for the research base.

 Hirumi, A. (2002) designing and sequencing of e-learning interactions: and enhancing

Education and Training through e-Learning in Bangladesh.

30
 Kai Ruggeri et al., (2013), examines digital literacy rate upliftment and need for

infrastructure for e-learning has been cited as effective measures to fulfil the objectives of

e-learning comprehensively. However, the study does not use any quantitative assessment

or analytical tools for proving the findings of the report.

 UNESCO IESALC, (2019), identifies the mobility in higher education in Latin America

and the Caribbean: challenges and opportunities of a renewed Agreement for the

recognition of studies.

 Dongsong Zhang et al., (2006), revealed the 3D technology, various software and multi-

dimensional approach have convincingly made e-learning equivalent to the classroom

studies, if not better.

 Yair Levy, (2007), identifies the factors are involved for students to drop out from the e-

learning courses.

 Mila Harding (2020), identifies the challenges of remote online learning in higher

education and the missing middle. Students in the missing middle have to deal with

problems of connectivity, lack of devices and data, and their problems are being pushed

aside by the minister of higher education and training.

31
 Miklian, (2018), researched on data mining for trends in e-learning establishes the fact

that the researches on e-learning are moving their focus from effectiveness of the e-

learning to the methods of teaching. Medical education and training has been identifies as

the aggressive users of e-learning and present a wide scope for induction of such practice

in future. The study remarks that the scope, expectations and applicability for developing

and developed courtesies differ significantly.

32
Chapter -3

Research Methodology

33
This is the specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select process & analyze

information about a topic. In a research paper the methodology section allows the reader

to critically evaluate a studies overall validity & reliability. Research methodology

simply refers to the practical “how” of any given piece of research. More specifically, it’s

about how a researcher systematically designs a study to ensure valid and reliable results

that address the research aims and objectives he methodology chapter should justify the

design choices, by showing that the chosen methods and techniques are the best fit for the

research aims and objectives, and will provide valid and reliable results. A good research

methodology provides scientifically sound findings, whereas a poor methodology

doesn’t.

To achieve the purpose of the study, a literature review was conducted using Cooper’s

procedure for synthesizing literature to –

 Formulate the problem.

 Collect data.

 Evaluate the appropriateness of the data.

 Analyze and interpret relevant data, and

 Organize and present the results.

The results were then depicted in a model which shows the issues affecting the teaching

of online courses and the relationship among these issues. For the purpose of this study,

34
online education is defined as postsecondary and credit bearing coursework completely

delivered through online courses via a learning management system (LMS) such as

Blackboard or Moodle. The focus of this study is on online courses offered via a LMS by

academic higher education institutions including public, private, and for-profit

universities in the United States. Students enroll in online courses as part of their degree

requirements.

Problem Formulation

The problem is that the rapid integration of online education into higher education has

diverted educators’ attention from closely identifying major challenges in teaching online

courses and forming a combined overview based on previous studies. Studies have

suggested various issues, but the issues were not categorized and combined under any

topical classification to provide online higher education with an organized overview of

the issues.

35
Data Collection

The purpose of data collection was to find empirical studies including quantitative,

qualitative, mixed methods, and literature reviews conducted on identifying challenges in

online education published in peer-reviewed journals within the range of 2017 to 2021.

Data Evaluation and Analysis Based on the described procedure, many articles were

found. Content analysis approach was used to analyze the collected articles based onthe

main topic of the studies. Online course disciplines, demographics of students, and level

of courses (i.e., undergraduate vs. graduate) were not considered as factors for exclusion

or inclusion of the studies. The focus was on including studies not on an institutional

level in higher education but on the level of individual online courses within the

institution.

Limitation

The literature search for the studies was extensive and systematic using a framework

to find as many related studies as possible; however, the review was not exhaustive.

The findings were limited to the results that emerged in the searched databases using

the aforementioned keywords. It is reasonable to assume there were other related studies

in the literature that did not emerge and were not included in this review.

36
Chapter -4

Findings and Analysis

37
4.1 Ownership of mobile phone handset by type in Bangladesh in 2020

(in percentage)

Phone Handset type Percentage

Basic Phone 40%

Feature Phone 36%

Smart phone 24%

(Brac.net, 2020)

24%

40%
Basic Phone
Feature Phone
Smart phone

36%

38
Digital education is a sort of education where students use their home computers or

laptops or smartphones through the internet, staying away from their academic

institutions.

According to Government guesstimate, the whole number of internet users has reached

103.253 million at the end of March, where the whole number of mobile phone users has

reached 165.337 million. (Brac.net, 2020).

To take part in online education, students need at least a smartphone and a stable internet

connection. The latest 2020 data of HIES (Household Income and Expenditure Survey) showed

that around 12.70 percent of the poor families do not have a single mobile phone.

In the below table, we can see that, only 24% people of Bangladesh use smartphone.

Which is the great problem in online education.

39
 4.2 Participation in Online learning by different categories (percentage)

Participate in internet using Non participant in internet

using
Overall 44.1 55.9
Madrasa 32.4 67.6
Bangla medium 45.9 54.1
Children with disability 39.0 61.0
Ethnic Minorities 25.3 74.7
Bangalee 45.6 54.4
Urban 55.8 44.2
Rural 39.8 60.2
Female 45.5 54.5
Male 42.7 57.3
(Brac.net, 2020)

40
 Chart Title
Participate in internet using Non participant in internet Using

Mal e 42.7 57.3

Fem al e 45.5 54.5

Ru r al 39.8 60.2

Ur b an 55.8 44.2

B an gal ee 45.6 54.4

E t h n i c M i n o r i ti e s 25.3 74.7

C h i l d r en w i t h d i sab i l i t y 39 61

B an gl a m ed i u m 45.9 54.1

Mad r asa 32.4 67.6

Ov er al l 44.1 55.9

The reaction Bangladesh showed to COVID-19, in general, were too disorganized,

uncoordinated, and chaotic. Responses pointed towards the educational department amid

the epidemic conveniently kept their speed on with that disorder. The State declared on

26 March 2020 a countrywide lockdown in the name of “general holiday” shutting down

all educational institutions including schools, colleges, and universities, among others.

After that, this lockdown was lifted on 31 May 2020 conditionally after more than two

months. The bewildered calculations which are being made by the country are difficult to

be perceived or understood. The elevation of lockdown is being excoriated in

circumstances while social distancing couldn’t be ensured in an overpopulated country

like Bangladesh. However, for the education institutions, the lockdown remains the same

until September, creating the realization that unlike other major sectors that need to open

gradually, the educational institutions can wait.

41
Amidst these calculations, the country selected for remote knowledge, which is a reality

perusing the education system across the country at the time of writing.

According to Government guesstimate, the whole number of internet users has reached

103.253 million at the end of March, where the whole number of mobile phone users has

reached 165.337 million. (Brac.net, 2020). Although the number of mobile phone user

increased, but participating in internet using is not increased. Which we can see from below table.

42
4.3 Households without single mobile, Computer or Tablet, Internet Acces.

Percentage

Urban 40%

Rural 60%

TOTAL 100%

(Brac.net, 2020)

HH without proper technology

Rural 60%

Urban 40%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

HH without proper technology

For the first time in Bangladesh, the online education trend has been widely introduced. Still, in

the field of evaluation and teaching, this online trend has already encountered some unintended

situations. Bangladesh is a poor country, so it is not possible for all to afford android phone, PC

or internet access.

From urban area almost 40% people, and from rural area almost 60% cannot afford a single

mobile, Computer or Tablet, Internet Access.

43
 4.4 Price of Internet Package.

Country name Price PR GB

Pakistan 1.85

Afghanistan 1.6

Bangladesh .99

Sri Lanka .78

India .26

44
 (Brac.net,

2020)

Price pr GB

1.85

1.6

0.99
0.78

0.26

Pakistan Afghanistan Bangladesh Sri Lanka India

Price pr GB

45
 Bangladesh ranks well below its neighbors in the South Asia region in terms of infrastructure and

affordability of mobile internet. The country has many obstacles to overcome in achieving digital

inclusion for the greater population. Despite 3G networks covering over 90% of the country, high

costs of mobile data packages are preventing those at the bottom of the wealth distribution from

gaining access to the internet. According to a GSMA report, it would cost 11% of the monthly

earnings of an individual at the bottom 20% of the income distribution to purchase a 1GB

package. This is due to high levels of taxation and fees which are preventing operators from

providing lower prices.

Here we can see it cost .99 taka for 1 GB unit in Bangladesh, which is high for Poor Country like

us.

46
4.5 Challenges of online Higher education in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a large education system with 38.6 million students where elementary students

are 3.6 million, 18 million in primary, 13 million in secondary, and 4 million in tertiary

education. This also includes public and private universities, professional institutes, and

approved colleges (Mopme, 2020). The University Grants Commission & Bangladesh Medical

& Dental Council states that there are 153 public or private universities in Bangladesh and that

under these universities there are 117 medical and dental colleges. These institutes have more

than one million students (UGC, 2020; BMDC, 2020). To reach all of this students , some

challenges has to be faced-

Unavailability of device & Lack of proper system knowledge- as Bangladesh is a poor

country, many student, especially rural student cannot afford proper device for attending online

classes. As well as , many of them don’t know how to attend online classes through device

Costly Data- 87% students in Bangladesh have Smartphone, but they cannot afford to buy

mobile data, as mobile data is costliest among three south Asian nation.

Poor Mobile internet – poor mobile internet is very common in country like Bangladesh,

especially in Hill and Char areas and in Island.

Semester fee problem-During the lockdown, university students lost their jobs with the closing

of shops and restaurants and suffered a lot. Many parents of students were unemployed due to

coronavirus or their businesses. Some private universities are also forcing students to pay the

47
semester fees as they are conducting classes in online. Students are anxious about how they will

overcome financial loss during Covid-19 (Emon et al, 2020).

Lack of practical Learning- Engineering and medical students are also facing major

difficulties. They cannot do any workshop and practice lessons, which will negatively

impact their professions subsequently (Islam et al, 2020).The Bangladesh Economic Association

estimates that about 36 million jobs were lost during the 66 days of public holiday announced by

the government of Bangladesh to reduce the spread of Covid-19 (Mahmud, 2020).

Lack of teacher-student interaction in online classes- Interacting with teachers online is the

most difficult part about virtual learning. In classroom, teachers are always there for help, but

when have a doubt at home, have to wait for their response. In online mode, screen time is more,

which causes backache and also strains eyes .We are not 100 per cent gaining from what we are

taught online as we have the habit of studying in a classroom.

Session Jam-An academic session jam has occurred due to the uncertain shutdown of

educational institutions (Hossain, 2020). Especially the final year students who thought to

become graduates at the end of 2020 have missed their opportunity to catch many job circulars.

Lack of evaluation- some private universities compelled their students to finish their final year

semester exam and made them graduate. This kind of short time exam was not well evaluated.

Ultimately, they became graduates but quality education was not ensured during this process. In

the absence of education and skills training to support access to traditional job markets,

48
Economic impacts, especially among post secondary students, may increase the risk of youth

unemployment (ILO, 2020).

Massive job losses in recent times and increasing working pressure are having a

particularly painful effect on young people worldwide. Youth people are already at risk in the

workforce before the crises.

Increase of Anti-social Activity-Recent situations only pinpointed that losses or disruptions in

the academic year will affect disadvantaged youth from poor socio-economic families,

especially due to the increased cost of education opportunities. It can increase anti-social activity

and social unrest among the youth. This is a special risk in Bangladesh due to the growing

popularity of youth and social media (Mop me, 2020).

Heavy uses of Mobile Phone-Recently a number of health concerns have arisen due to heavy

usage of social media, which has created a stigma against internet usage among the older

generation.

After school supplementary -Teachers involved in after school supplementary education also

have a direct economic incentive against this as it would mean greater competition for them and

potentially lead to lower earnings overall. Finally, to ensure access to the greater population,

policies must be developed by the government so that online education is formally recognized as

a legitimate medium of instruction.

49
4.6 Prospects of online Higher education in Bangladesh

The challenges facing developing countries like Bangladesh is how to expand the higher

education system throughout the country. The expansion of higher education through public

institutions has its limitations, given the fiscal capacity of the country. The option then is to

expand higher education relying on non-state resources such as the promotion of online

education. Technological advances and their availability may provide the opportunities for

people to study at their own pace. Bangladesh as a country has opportunities to improve in the

areas of online education.

Recently, many traditional education systems have shifted towards new methods of teaching and

learning through ICTs specially in the private education sectors of Bangladesh. Today, the recent

developments of ICT has enabled us to carry out various educational functions efficiently and

easily.

Easy way to get information-By using internet we can get information of any course or

program of study, know the college/University and its faculty and facilities, and select a

program.

Easy way to deliver lectures-The faculties can deliver course materials, organize course

discussions with students online through various means such as Learning Feedback System

(LFS). In Bangladesh, the educational functions such as course information(prospectus),

admission, registration, teaching and learning, formative and achievement evaluation have been

started with the help of ICT. So, it can be said that there is a good opportunity to implement

online education system in Bangladesh.

50
Currently, it is possible to develop course curriculum by taking into consideration the recent

global changes and ICT revolution.

Globalization in education-Today, students are well-informed of global education systems.

They expect a global education environment at home in Bangladesh. They expect a world class

education system in Bangladesh without going abroad. Online education system has the potential

to meet the Bangladeshi students’ needs and expectations by addressing their educational

problems. It may provide alternative ways of communicating with teachers and fellow students,

provide a greater variety of learning resources and modalities, extended the flexibility and

quality of group-work, and improved the opportunities for providing students with feedback on

assessment tasks. Well trained teachers with positive outlook on ICT are likely to play a vital

role in this task.

Learn anytime, anywhere-Online education provides the courses round the clock i.e. 7 days a

week and 24 hours a day, which can attract working peoples, students and even individuals.

Learners can access the materials in their own time and study at their own pace and place.

The courses provided in this system may be of diversified topics, that can attract the large crowd

from all the backgrounds. Once the content of the course has been uploaded on the server, it is

relatively inexpensive to distribute domestically and worldwide. Also, the contents can be easily

and regularly updated and instantly available to all learners. Online education helps students save

on the time required for traveling to and from the institutes. In this regard, those people, who are

on the jobs, or cannot go to regular college or university for certain issues, can easily opt for

some online courses of their choice.

51
 A student can manage his day time activities, jobs and responsibilities with his online

assignments and educational tasks easily. The students have the flexibility of carrying out their

course studies from the comfort of their homes. It can be beneficial for professionals as it allows

them to learn without having to attend classes which may interfere with their work schedules.

These courses can also help gain advanced knowledge on new procedures and developments

which in turn improve performance. The curriculum can give practical solutions based on day-to-

day situations encountered by others in the work environment.

Result oriented education-Since courses offered are often customized to specific industry and

sometimes to specific companies they tend to be highly result-oriented. Career professionals are

already operating in full time schedules and online courses allow them to balance their learning

with their work and increase their skills.

Improved Virtual Communication and Collaboration-Learning to work with others in a

virtual environment can make more effective leader. You’ll develop critical leadership skills by

utilizing specialized knowledge, creating efficient processes, and making decisions about best

communication practices, such as what should be discussed in-person or electronically.

Review lectures instantly-It’s easy for minds to wander during a lecture. University of

California psychologist Jonathan Schooled found that students lose focus about 5 times in a 45-

minute class session. In many online programs, however, students can review words from

professors instantly, either by rewinding the audio or video or by reading the transcript that

accompanies the lecture.

52
Diversity- Traditional students are often limited to courses and teachers close to home. The

online student can take a French course from a teacher in France and a travel-writing course from

a writer whose actually out travelling, without having to leave home.

No transportation cost, no transportation time- in online class , students have not go to

educational institution.by this they can save transportation time and cost.

Chapter -5

53
Recommendations & Conclusion

5.1 Recommendation

Although e-learning in the universities and educational institutes of the developed countries are

getting popularity day by day, it is still a dream for the less developed countries because of poor

ICT infrastructure and other socioeconomic reasons. Due to very high primary cost for

infrastructural development and to increase public access to internet and other ICTs, the

developing countries are still far behind from getting benefit from the e-learning. The main

points that should be considered before introducing e-learning in the developing countries are

briefly discussed below:

Mass Education

The major issues towards making the way forward and reducing the education gap between

geography, industry and academia involve addressing the concerns of major stakeholders in

bringing online education to the masses, namely teachers, guardians, and the government.

Reliability of technology

Until technology becomes more reliable, the democratization of e-learning will be difficult.

54
Stability of technology

The rapid evolution of the technology is another source of concern for both e-learning providers

and learners.

The interface and its ease of use

Today's best technology is not up to the level of new users' expectations. If keyboard literacy

remains fundamental criterion for accessing e-learning, only a small part of humanity will be

able to profit from it.

Cost of equipment and access

The marketplace has in the past five years been very sensitive to the cost of equipment and

access to networks.

Maintenance costs & infrastructure

E-learning depends on hardware and software infrastructures or platforms that require constant

attention.

Direct cost

One of the major issues in a period of technological and cultural metamorphosis is estimating

and managing the direct costs to determine whether the investment required is worthwhile.

Conversion costs (equipment, skills)

55
Because of the general state of technological and economic flux, planning the implementation of

new systems and skills is a precarious exercise.

5.2 Conclusion-

In order to survive, the Higher Education Institutions of the 21st Century will increasingly rely

on various forms of electronic delivery and communication inside a market place that requires

education to be flexible. E-learning is now widely used in most of the developed countries to

promote distance education (DE) and life-long learning in an effective way (Hirumi 2002). In

Bangladesh, the recent developments and awareness of the Government on ICT have opened an

opportunity to adopt online higher education to deliver distance education for educating mass of

its uneducated or less educated peoples.

Considering the recent expansion of ICTs in the country, BOU could introduce some modern

ICTs like email, web-based learning (e.g., open coursewares), CD-ROM for delivering its

course-materials through online learning for its advanced learners. However, before going to

introduce an advanced ICT in BOU, it is suggested to perform enough research on student

access, cost and other related parameters essential for it.

56
McLuhan (2005) once observed that the medium is the message. Communication is indelibly

influenced by the medium through which it happens. Online learning is a unique experience, no

doubt shaped by the medium through which the teaching and interactions are shared. To

understand “community” in an online learning environment, one must heed McLuhan’s words

and understand the nature of this different medium through which communication happens. It is

neither practical nor logical to replicate strategies for fostering community in face-to-face

classrooms, in an online learning environment. The unique medium necessitates unique

strategies. Identifying the specific ways in which the uniqueness of online communication

provides certain advantages, is a step toward identifying the strategies that could be used to

cultivate community in online ‘classrooms’. There may be opportunities for redefining the term

“face-to-face” to encompass online learning contexts (with the assistance of video conferencing

facilities in which teachers and students can see each other) and for this term not to be solely

applied to physical learning contexts. Online course environments do not simply offer an

opportunity for face-to-face learning activities to be transferred, converted or replicated in an

online context, as has been documented by many researchers (Ball & Leppington, 2013; Davis,

2001; Ko & Rossen, 2004). Rather we espouse that the online learning context is unique and not

necessarily the ‘poor cousin’ of on-campus learning that continually requires defence and

justification. In fact, in some cases it may be a viable alternative to, and improvement on or

replacement for face-to-face learning.

Even with the Coronavirus, noticing that governments are intending to be limiting schools, E-

learning is still not in the position to replace the traditional classroom teaching/learning. Nothing to

date can replace the most important social cognitive task, the face to face learning; not every student

would see E-learning suiting their learning style. Working towards having a right mix of both models

can help to develop a good learning/teaching mix, and starting this in a normal context would make

57
students and instructors ready for it without waiting for contexts where traditional teaching cannot

take place, as in the context of Coronavirus.

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