Quality of e-Learning in Nepalese Universities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Covid 19 pandemic triggered changes in various socio-economic sectors that were already in pace. Among them, the digitalization of higher education faced one of the profound shifts due to the pandemic. The application of digital education is gaining momentum and is likely to continue until the long future after Covid 19. However, there are limited assessments of its quality, especially in the countries in the global south. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of online learning in Nepalese universities during the pandemic using a customized SERVQUAL model with six dimensions, namely, tangibility, assurance, responsiveness, empathy, and online-class. The online-class dimension is added in this study, which includes conditions of e-learning such as electricity supply, internet service, electronic devices, time schedule, thus characterizing the conditions in a developing country. Specifically, this study focused students' perceived quality of e-learning in universities in Nepal. A survey was conducted between April to July 2021 among 451 graduates and undergraduates who participated in online classes during the pandemic from six universities to explore their satisfaction with the quality of digital education. The survey included 27 questions related to six dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangibility, and online-class.  The data was analyzed quantitatively using the open-source platform Jamovi (version 2.3.28).  The results showed that students expressed satisfaction with the quality of online education of e-learning during the pandemic. However, the study found variations in student perceptions based on demographic factors, highlighting differences in satisfaction levels across diverse student groups. This result implies that despite its increasing application, e-learning needs to accommodate a more inclusive approach to improve its quality and satisfy learners from all socio-economic backgrounds. A blended mode of teaching could be more effective in the changing context. This should be paralleled with instructors as well as support staff training. At the same time, the limitations of online-class can be addressed in collaboration with government agencies and universities which further enhances the quality of e-learning.