Online teaching and learning: challenges and opportunities experienced by teachers and students during COVID-19 Pandemic in Kathmandu

Abstract

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc in the human world and affected every part of human lives. The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 immensely affected the education sector. Government everywhere imposed lockdown restrictions as COVID-19 demanded social distancing and isolation measures. Against this backdrop, colleges, universities, and schools in Nepal have switched to online mediums from face-to-face classes so that the education sector won’t be disrupted. Online learning is in the nascent stage in countries like Nepal. This study explored the teacher-student experiences of the sudden transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in higher education. The study aimed to gain insights into problems or challenges encountered by teachers and students during their online teaching during this pandemic. I have combined the use of questionnaires and interviews to gather data on challenges teachers and students face in online teaching experience and their experiences of the use of the online approach. The survey was conducted with a pre-structured questionnaire. Then the in-depth interview was assessed with faculties and students who were engaged in online classes during the pandemic period. My research revealed teachers’ and students’ preferences for face-to-face learning over online learning. This research concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic should be taken as an opportunity brought about by a crisis in the education sector. However, its successful implementation is challenging.