Title
The challenges of elearning due to limited connectivity.
1.Dignosting
1.1 Introduction
While it may seem like almost everyone has internet access, a shocking number of
families lack fast or reliable internet connections.
There are many ways that a lack of internet access can affect a student’s academic
performance. Students without internet can’t connect with teachers or classmates, do
independent research, or get online homework help. For families, not having internet
access can mean missing out on information or losing out on a direct line of
communication with schools and teachers.
Since the 1990s, the world has seen significant changes in the landscape of education
as a result of the ever-expanding influence of technology. One such development is the
adoption of online learning across different learning contexts, whether formal or
informal, academic and non-academic, and residential or remotely. We began to
witness schools, teachers, and students increasingly adopt e-learning technologies that
allow teachers to deliver instruction interactively, share resources seamlessly, and
facilitate student collaboration and interaction (Elaish et al., 2019; Garcia et al., 2018).
Although the efficacy of online learning has long been acknowledged by the education
community (Barrot, 2020, 2021; Cavanaugh et al., 2009; Kebritchi et al., 2017; Tallent-
Runnels et al., 2006; Wallace, 2003), evidence on the challenges in its implementation
continues to build up (e.g., Boelens et al., 2017; Rasheed et al., 2020).
Recently, the education system has faced an unprecedented health crisis (i.e., COVID-
19 pandemic) that has shaken up its foundation. Thus, various governments across the
globe have launched a crisis response to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic
on education. This response includes, but is not limited to, curriculum revisions,
provision for technological resources and infrastructure, shifts in the academic calendar,
and policies on instructional delivery and assessment. Inevitably, these developments
compelled educational institutions to migrate to full online learning until face-to-face
instruction is allowed. The current circumstance is unique as it could aggravate the
challenges experienced during online learning due to restrictions in movement and
health protocols (Gonzales et al., 2020; Kapasia et al., 2020). Given today’s
uncertainties, it is vital to gain a nuanced understanding of students’ online learning
experience in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, many studies have
investigated this area with a focus on students’ mental health (Copeland et al., 2021;
Fawaz et al., 2021), home learning (Suryaman et al., 2020), self-regulation (Carter et
al., 2020), virtual learning environment (Almaiah et al., 2020; Hew et al., 2020; Tang et
al., 2020), and students’ overall learning experience (e.g., Adarkwah, 2021; Day et
al., 2021; Khalil et al., 2020; Singh et al., 2020). There are two key differences that set
the current study apart from the previous studies. First, it sheds light on the direct
impact of the pandemic on the challenges that students experience in an online learning
space. Second, the current study explores students’ coping strategies in this new
learning setup. Addressing these areas would shed light on the extent of challenges that
students experience in a full online learning space, particularly within the context of the
pandemic. Meanwhile, our nuanced understanding of the strategies that students use to
overcome their challenges would provide relevant information to school administrators
and teachers to better support the online learning needs of students. This information
would also be critical in revisiting the typology of strategies in an online learning
environment.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x
