Undergraduate and postgraduate students in Pakistan were surveyed about their opinions regarding their online learning experience. Among the most frequently cited difficulties faced in terms of distance learning were lack of access to internet facilities, lack of proper interaction/contact with students and instructors, and overall ineffective technology. 71.4% of students surveyed also said that online learning is significantly less motivating than in-person learning. 76.8% of students said face-to-face interaction with the instructor is necessary for effective learning. Overall, survey results indicate that online learning cannot produce desired results in Pakistan and other countries were internet access and technology are not widely available. 

Student responses to online learning in Pakistan

Pakistan, like many other underdeveloped countries, faced significant challenges when switching to online learning for higher education. After schools were forced to close and switch to entirely online learning, many higher education institutions had to suspend classes completely for quite some time due to lack of internet access, unavailable resources, and limited funding. 

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Schools across the globe had to switch from in person to online learning platforms in response to Covid-19. However, undeveloped countries that are not digitally advanced encounter more problems trying to adapt to the pandemic because online resources are not widely available. Thus, online learning cannot be implemented as effectively across different countries, which results in different learning outcomes compared to that in the US.

Ineffectiveness of online learning in underdeveloped nations

Muhammad, A. & Kainat, A. (2020). Online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Students' perspectives. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 2(1), 45-51.

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