This study investigates Pakistani universities' responses during COVID-19. Permanent faculty members from eight different universities were interviewed for data collection. The participants reported six different strategies that were employed to continue the teaching-learning process during COVID-19: from well-developed LMS to virtually no classes. They also pointed out five main issues and challenges during COVID-19 (i.e., infrastructure and internet-related issues, students' participation and engagement issues, teachers' training and attitudinal issues, quality assurance issues, and lack of uniform policy by HEC). They also feared increased educational disparities due to the digital divide. Although this pandemic has adversely affected the higher education sector in Pakistan, if the policymakers and institutions are willing to learn and innovate, this crisis can be turned into an opportunity.
TopIntroduction
Covid-19 affected the world in an unimaginable way (Haleem, Javaid, & Vaishya, 2020; Caggiano, Castelnuovo, & Kima, 2020). Although almost all the sectors, fields, and professions have been affected by it; some such as education, tourism, and travelling have been hit especially hard because of their nature and requirements (Sharma & Nicolau, 2020; Škare, Soriano, & Porada-Rochoń, 2021). Education systems across the world had to be either completely closed or shited to online or distance education mode (Akkaya, 2018; König, Jäger-Biela, & Glutsch, 2020; Geven & Hasan, 2020). Many countries, especially the developing and underdeveloped ones, were caught unprepared or at least ill-prepared for this sudden shift; leading to confusion, compromises on quality, and interruptions in the education process (Tadesse & Muluye, 2020; Oyedotun, 2020). Pakistan, being one of the developing countries, faced similar challenges.
Despite the obvious advantages and benefits of ICT and online education (Malik & Akkaya, 2021; Warner, Malik, & Mohammed, 2021); during the pre-Covid-19 era, the education system in Pakistan was very much rooted in conventional and traditional mode (Salam et al., 2017). It primarily focused on face-to-face, lecture-based methods with very little role of modern technologies. Although universities in Pakistan had been trying to incorporate ICT in education, it was marred by various challenges such as a lack of essential infrastructure, expertise, and mindset for infusing and providing education through ICT (Mbodila, Jones, & Muhandji, 2013; Siddiquah & Salim, 2017; Noreen & Malik, 2020). Even technology-based courses such as ICT in education were mostly taught by using whiteboard, and face-to-face models. Not only did many of the universities lack basic infrastructure for ICT in education, but also lacked essential expertise and mindset for online or blended learning. The sudden and abrupt shift to online education left many conventional universities in Pakistan in a spot of bother, and some even paralyzed.
Pakistan is a heterogeneous country with lots of social, economical, cultural, and educational diversities (Amin & Ahmad, 2018). The same is the case with Pakistani universities. Not only does this heterogeneity exist from region to region (urban and rural, from province to province, city to city); but even within the same city, different universities have different types and levels of infrastructure and expertise. The students also come from different areas and socio-economic and educational backgrounds. As a result, their responses to Covid-19 varied a great deal. Although Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) developed a detailed policy and protocol for the universities to follow for the provision of online education during Covid-19 (HEC, n.d.); depending on their resources, infrastructure, expertise, and geographical location, its implementation and effectiveness varied a great deal. HEC itself understood this; and based on online preparedness, divided the universities into three different categories: Basic, Effective and Exemplary (HEC, n.d., p. 1).
This study looks at and analyzes different approaches and strategies used by conventional universities in Pakistan to provide education during Covid-19. It also explores the strengths and weaknesses of those approaches. Furthermore, it investigates some of the common problems and issues faced by different Pakistani universities in providing effective online education during Covid-19. It is worth noting that this study only focuses on the first year of Covid-19 in Pakistan (March 2020- March 2021). Moreover, it only focuses on the teaching-learning process (delivering of knowledge). It does not explore assessment and evaluation techniques and strategies used during Covid-19.