How well are students coping with online classes?

Since coronavirus has been detected in Bangladesh, we have taken a series of precautionary actions. And, one of those is to close off the educational institutes across the country.

This sudden pause in classroom learning has put the students' lives in disarray. Some institutes are able to conduct online classes. But, are those actually fruitful for the students?

Let us hear more about their experiences.

Moienul Hossain Toha, student of class 7, Willes Little Flower School & College

Though online classes are happening on Sangsad Bangladesh Television, I do not understand those properly. My school is also taking online classes but those are for a few specific classes. I am not even getting full help from there. 

So, I am taking help from online classes and solving remaining problems with the help of my private tutor over phone. Yet, a few things are not resolved.

Zannat, student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, North South University

My monthly cost for internet and phone bill was never more than Tk500 but now it is around Tk3,000. 

When the general holiday started, I came home with very limited things as I thought I would stay here for a few days, not a few months.

I did not even bring books and notes. But now exams, assignment, presentations are going to take place. Therefore, I have to ask for pictures of class notes from friends which I will write down, practice and then will sit for exams. 

However, I am more worried about my internship. How will I do that? Online? I do not know.

Golam Mostafa, student of Journalism & Media Studies, Stamford University

A few days ago, I got a message from my university where they reminded us of paying for the next summer session. I did not even sit for this semester's exams yet. 

I belong to a lower middle-class family. I live in Dhaka city alone and mostly bear my own cost by offering private tuitions. I barely ask for financial support from my family. Nonetheless, my tuition service is suspended now and so is my income. I cannot even ask from my family as our only earning source is also gone due to this pandemic. 

My future is uncertain. This is the only certainty for me.

Pranto Saha, student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, East West University

I came home for seven days, literally with a shirt and a pair of trousers only. I did not even bring my laptop but luckily my smartphone was with me. I am doing online classes now and will sit for exams too. Our faculties have warned us we will have to submit our online exam paper 40 minutes after the exam begins or it will not be accepted. 

But what if power cut happens or network is disrupted or my phone hangs? What am I going to do then? 

Moreover, I had plan to retake a few courses for better CGPA. However, I am not going to take those anymore. Who is going to pay an extra Tk5,500 per course conducted by a video module instead of lab facilities?

Susmita, student of English Language and Literature, Notre Dame University Bangladesh

We do online classes on Zoom app but after an hour, it gets automatically disconnected. Students are not used to this method, which is why they are not even that much interested in attending. The participation of students is about one fourth of the total number. Though we get all the documents in the group, those are not sufficient.

This is my last semester and I am supposed to submit a term paper. But I am not receiving any support from my faculty member. He is an aged person and does not understand technology well. And, I cannot meet him in person. 

Actually, I am stuck somewhere which I cannot precisely describe.

Abdul Ela, Modern Chinese Language, Dhaka University

As we are learning a language, we put extra emphasis on pronunciation while learning. It is not possible for us to do that through online classes due to constant network disruptions. Moreover, we have sessions where students participate together but such participations will not be possible either.

I think this is actually appreciable that our university is not taking any online classes. Recently, I enrolled in a video editing course at Pathshala South Asian Media Institute. They are offering such online classes but I am not attending those as such courses are supposed to be taught practically. In the end, this little learning might turn out to be a boomerang for us.