E-classes leading to learning gaps in higher education: Survey

Introduction:

The gap in learning outcomes has been acknowledged across the world. World Bank data indicate nearly 220 million students have faced the brunt of the pandemic’s impact on education.

Education technology solution provider TeamLease Edtech surveyed over 700 students and officials from 75 Indian universities to assess the learning gap in higher education during the pandemic.

Key findings of the survey on learning gap:

• Nearly 85% of Indian students in higher education institutions feel they have learnt only half of what they are supposed to since teaching went online with the onset of the pandemic.
• Similarly, about 88% of university officials believe it could take up to three years to bridge the gap in learning, says a recent survey.
  • They believe that grades didn’t reflect learning loss since exams were being conducted online.
  • Further, Sixty percent of the students who would not have been promoted are currently getting promoted with good marks
• The perceived learning gap among students in advanced nations and India is stark.
• There has also been a decline in the participation of women students due to their inability to access digital platforms
• The survey blamed five factors for the gap in learning:
  1. A digital divide,
  2. Slow governance in government institutions,
  3. Pre-existing capacity deficits,
  4. Longer lockdowns in India than in other countries
  5. Weak online learning content and educational ecosystem was not digitised in time