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PROBLEMS FACED BY STUDENTS RELATED TO LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF ABDUL WALI KHAN
UNIVERSITY, MARDAN
SHAWANA IMTIAZ1, AMSHAID ALI2, FAIZA BEGUM3, DR. MARYAM4 & SADAF5
1PhD Scholar Department of Education, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan 2M. Phil Scholar, Department of Education, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan 3PST, Elementary & Secondary Education, KP, Pakistan 4Lecturer, Department of Education, University of Swat 5PhD Scholar Department of Education, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
ABSTRACT
There are a lot of abrupt changes in the daily life of each and every individual throughout the world due to the eruption of Pandemic Covid- 19. Each walk of life completely changed, and millions of people suffered badly and went into a traumatic situation. In this scenario, education sector was also badly affected. Although, most of the countries managed it effectively, having abundance of financial and technical resources. However, in this regard developing countries were badly affected including, Pakistan. Financial and technological resources are meagre and masses at large especially students are deprived of the basic facilities. When Govt. decided to shift the educational facilities drastically to online system, a lot of problems arised in the sense of technical resources as well as ignorance of use of those technological resources. in majority of institutions whether they are imparting education at basic, secondary, higher secondary or at university level imparting instruction in conventional manner that is, face to face. At university level teachers and students have faced same problems. Mostly universities shifted their teaching learning activities on LMS, and Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan also shifted all academic activities on LMS (learning management system).
Key words: Learning Management System, Technological resources, instruction, secondary school, COVID
INTRODUCTION
ICT (INSTRUCTIONAL AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY) IN EDUCATION:
What we mean by "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education" is a strategy for teaching that makes use of data and interchanges technology to facilitate and improve the delivery of knowledge. Overall, research has demonstrated that ICT may help students learn more and enhance teaching methods. Expanding the use of ICT in education via the incorporation of innovation into the educational program has a large and favorable effect on the accomplishments of understudies, according to a research established by the National Institute of Multimedia Education in Japan.
The findings specifically indicated that the understudies provided by schooling to innovation have better 'knowledge', introduction skills, higher reasoning skills, and are prepared to support more learning efforts in comparison with their partners. In circumstances where there are barriers to the ultimate objective, it is difficult to gather individuals and properties together for learning. E-learning provides an important and easy way of instructing people. In such a scenario, a teacher provides online learning materials and activities that can be accessed in their simplicity by his/her understudies. The materials may be sound recordings of documented homeroom lessons, general media helps for exercises that involve visual details such as common sense or even hypertext and content reports.
E-LEARNING AND LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The use of computers in classrooms dates back decades to the "information revolution." The "teaching machine," a 19th-century electromechanical device designed specifically for educational purposes, was widely utilised to educate the populace. Students were able to see the course materials on the
screen, improving their information processing speed and efficiency. There was a precursor to the modern LMS called the computer-based integrated learning system that emerged in the 1990s. Learning management systems (LMSs) are a type of e-learning online system in the form of a portal through which students and instructors can perform or share many of the classroom activities using the Internet; instructors and students can interact more easily outside of the classroom through online forums and discussions. As the globe has shrunk to a global village thanks to IT, Saudi Arabia has not lagged behind in providing citizens with access to the Internet. Since both students and teachers can now easily have access to the Internet, this has stoked interest in the usage of LMSs. Learning management systems (LMSs) are not meant to be used in lieu of a regular classroom, but rather to enhance it with online course materials. Bradford et al. claim that the different pieces of instructional software have significantly increased student motivation and encouraged feedback. The LMS is now used by the majority of educational institutions as a means via which conventional classroom teaching is delivered. The software programmes contain a wide variety of learning tools that would not be found in more conventional course materials, thus they also end up providing students with more data. The use of LMSs has also altered the educational landscape by boosting students' access to relevant information while they are in class. It is easy to see why the LMS is a great addition to conventional classes. Attitudes of various stakeholders toward the use of LMSs are hypothesized to be context-specific and to depend on socio-cultural factors of the nation, the type of LMS used, the personal experiences of the members of the faculty, and the institution itself, as well as the reactions of students and instructors who are using the LMS, all of which are positive. TRANSFORMATION TO ONLINE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:
In this 21st century, the term "innovation or transformation is of great importance in a variety of field also including education. Nowadays it has been proved that innovation has become as a source medium of information move throughway in many nations including Pakistan. Innovation is experiencing advancement, development and exchanging the order of society which is completely changing the way by which individual are thinking, working and living. In this feature educational institutions and organisation that should make ready under studies to live in develop and informative societies needs to know the importance of instructional and communication technology ICT also. With the development of the new age, technology has been incorporated into the core of the education system; however, since the Covid-19 pandemic, things have changed in comparison to how they were with regard to the country's educational system. Technology has played a greater role in the world today when it comes to the Education system, the process of learning or acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Prior until today, we had a face-to-face educational system, however now that educational institutions are inaccessible. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE USE OF LEARNING MANAGMENENT SYSTEM:
Therefore, relying on modern conveniences is unavoidable. The emergence of the pandemic has accelerated the transition to a digitalized system. Classes are increasingly being held online and multiple platforms are being utilised to track students' academic progress, catalysing a shift that was already occurring in higher education. It's worth noting that educational institutions have discovered means of communicating with their pupils outside of the classroom.
The goal of this study is to determine the challenges associated with distance learning during the CoVD-19 epidemic and to provide solutions. Students of all ages deal with these issues. Some challenges can be solved with technical knowledge, but others, such as those involving money or resources, cannot. Focusing on these issues, our research article collects primary data in the form of a Google Form survey completed by 161 students and uses an analytical technique to deduce the root causes of the issue.
If teachers are properly prepared and shown how to integrate ICT into their lessons, we may expect to see a significant effect on students' learning outcomes. The "flipped homeroom" model, in which students watch lectures on their own time at home on the computer and use study hall time for more productive activities, and the use of students' own mobile phones or various devices during class time are all examples of methods that can be used when the need arises but are not generally employed by Via.
To be clear, the present situation necessitated the shift from a face-to-face educational paradigm to an online or virtual teaching one. The kids may appear to pick up on this effortlessly, but it makes a huge difference in a more in-depth examination. Students' academic performance sometimes suffers when their preferred mode of study is altered due to variables such as disinterest and inability to adjust. Due to his status as the repository of information, the teacher is accorded centrality in the classroom under the conventional educational paradigm. When this dynamic shifts and the learner takes centre stage, that's when issues arise. An optimal learning environment, where students have access to all the tools they need to succeed, is key to overcoming these challenges. Systems that continually monitor their performance [10] are also required, as are systems that are responsible for providing tasks that are tailored to each individual student's strengths and weaknesses. All things considered, it limits the endeavors to understand the profound situated components that may guarantee its effective mix and contribute by this approach to improve fruitful language learning encounters. In a similar vein, however specialists entirely concur on the inborn possibilities of ICT as a switch for change and an open door for expanded quality schooling, and adequacy, they stress that, insufficient consideration is being dedicated to inquiries of how it deliberately advances language learning. As instructors and specialists, we consider that for viable ICT combination to exist, it is important to pass judgment on impartially our practices, and indicate clear academic destinations to plan a satisfactory structure that helps teachers to meet both their instructive objectives. For that an underlying deliberate exploration approach should be respected. When teachers are given the tools they need to effectively incorporate ICT into their classrooms, their students benefit from increased critical thinking skills, more flexible ways to share what they've learned, and a generation more prepared to deal with the constant technological change that characterises the modern world and the workplace. ICT is an umbrella word for a variety of technological developments in communication and media that let people communicate and share information across geographic and other barriers.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• To investigate technology related awareness of the students.
• To investigate student problems in using education technology during covid-19. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• What is the level of technology related awareness of the students?
• What is the level of student skills in using education technology during covid-19? USE OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BY STUDENTS
Learning management system has a significant impact for every understudy in their schooling, the intention of LMS for understudies are to empower them to obtain the skills for the long run higher investigations or the computerized world that at that time assist them with effectively finding a brand new line of labour in future. Also, the critical reasoning and logical experience are needed for understudies in their further. Consequently, understudy can't depend upon the teacher from now on because it would amend and alter the study hall climate from professional person driven to understudy driven learning. Moreover, the rationale for ICT is to supply an undefeated learning climate for understudies that at that time extend their exhibition in scholarly. Definition: Learning is the acquisition of information and competence that enhances individual and collective performance. The success of a learning process may mostly be determined by the results achieved by the learner (Kamba, 2009). Many spheres, including education, have been impacted by the widespread introduction of new technologies. Because of this shift, the conventional classroom environment gave way to E-learning, an approach that emphasises the use of technology in the educational process (Rosenberg & Foshay, 2002). According to Rosenberg and Foshay (2002), "E-learning" is "a network phenomenon that uses the Internet as the medium for dissemination of resources and information to achieve increased performance." It's pointed out that E-learning saves money and provides convenient access to education whenever and wherever it's needed. Additional benefits of E-learning include increased adaptability to change, more service accessibility, and a focus on providing services that are valued by their recipients (Rosenberg & Foshay, 2002). Online courses, web-based instruction, and mobile-based learning have emerged as the most popular
methods of delivering instruction in recent years. To bring schooling out of the industrial period and into the information society, educators have turned to a wide range of electronic learning activities. Learning management systems (LMSs) are a kind of e-learning platform that allows teachers and students to collaborate in real time using a computer or mobile device connected to the internet. Instructors using an LMS have more control over course content and pedagogical aspects. Teachers may post course materials for students to utilise, and students can take part in various activities including quizzes, homework, assignments, online discussions, and more.
After introducing the customized learning strategy, most of the teachers will face some problems. And often, this isn't surprising. Once they switch from traditional learning systems to the latest modern, open and personalized learning environment, their students will experience similar problems. Academics should create new pedagogical methods in order to adapt themselves to the new teaching paradigm and to smooth the transition of their students to the existing model. They change their position from teaching to mentoring, advising and consulting. Through the successful use of data technologies, mentoring, mediating principles and encouraging self-motivation, they can learn some new skills. They must additionally value their students' activities and academics. This is the key to implementation of personalized learning, to grasp and apply the new learning methodology.
This suggests that the skilled development of academics ought to be viewed by policy-makers as a prime priority throughout this domain learning is seen as a result of the event of importance instead of the acquisition of realities. (Lebow, 1993; Jonassen and Reeves, 1996).
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ENHANCING TEACHING ANDLEARNING PROCESS
Also the most experienced scholars had to use the universal teaching methods to provide students in the old school room with course material. Info technologies create personalized instruction for each individual student by adapting learning methods and content toevery individual student. This approach has become extremely standard in e-Learning, however it may also be enforced within the schoolroom, once selective delivery of digital content becomes a locality of customized instruction, Blended Learning is the combination of multiple approaches to learning. Its sometimes accustomed outline a scenario wherever totally different delivery strategies are combined along to deliver a specific course. These strategies could embrace a mix of face-to-face learning, self-paced learning and on-line school rooms. Modified pool of instructors will move towards changed obligations and ranges of skills for future still as elevated levels of ICT and thus the demand for loads of useful than scholarly showing jobs. (Littlejohn et al., 2002) LMS UPGRADING THE QUALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF EDUCATION
The constant and exponential development within the field of knowledge and Communication Technology has allowed multitudinous folks, where they'll be, to coach themselves. Think about the folks' language up for MOOCs and on-line evening courses, however additionally people who deepening their information of specific subjects by browsing the net, while not the worry associated pressure of doubtless failing and test subsequently. Some folks simply don't perform well within the ancient instructional system because of ICT, they not solely have access to a world (quite literally) of knowledge, however additionally communication that permit them to succeed in consultants in numerous fields.
ICT has eliminated the physical gap between education and people seeking it, and created it virtual. No one would like to travel to distant colleges and universities, as several may be accessed through a laptop. Anyone will take courses at associate yank establishment of upper learning by taking the web categories they provide. MOOCs, for instance, square measure usually free, unless participants want to earn credits, and even then the value is way cheaper than physically attending school or university.
METHODOLOGY (Design of the study)
The researcher employed a qualitative case study approach for this investigation. To gain insight into ideas, perspectives, or experiences, qualitative researchers gather and analyse information that is not mathematical in nature. It might help you have a better grasp of the situation at hand or come
up with novel research questions. Among the many research strategies used in the field of education, case studies are particularly well-liked. Case study research, as defined by (L.R.Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2012), is a qualitative research technique in which researchers zero down on a study unit known as a bounded system (for example, a classroom or a school, individual teachers).
The M. Phil students and teachers of social science department, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, were the population of this research study. A total of 10 students were selected as a research sample by using purposive sampling techniques. INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION
Data-collection instruments are the forms which are used to collect information on substantially identical items from 10 or more respondents. To collect data for this study, a semi-structured interview was used. For students the interview questionnaire comprised of 10 open-ended questions regarding the problems they have faced related to LMS, whereas another questionnaire was developed for teachers regarding their problems related to LMS. All the questions were developed after discussion and approval of the supervisor. The interview was taken from those M. Phil students and teachers who actually took online classes on LMS. Analysis of Interview Data
The researcher used thematic analysis technique to analyze the collected data from which the below given themes emerged in the case of students:
1. Internet issue
2. Unnecessary Distractions
3. Lack of physical interaction
4. Technical problems
5. Dearth of resources
6. Lack of motivation
7. Mismanagement of time
Internet Issue
While giving the interview majority of the respondents highlighted the issue of internet while taking online classes during covid-19 era. For example respondent 1 said that:
"I live in upper dir, and due to lack of internet signals there, I was not able to hear the teacher
properly during the class"
Similarly another student stated that:
"As the rural areas are not very strong with the 3G or 4G, most of us missed majority of the lectures" Both the above statements declare that internet issue was the basic of all the problems faced by many of the students during the online system of education.
Distractions
Due to the reasons of internet issue and taking the classes at home i-e in a very informal way the students faced lack of understanding during online classes. For example respondent 3 mentioned that:
"Most of the times the mike of students was turned on and unnecessary distracting sounds from behind had an adverse affect on us as we could not hear the voice of teachers" Likewise another respondent said that,
"Along with the facility of taking online classes at home also made us face distractions and disturbances during the class as we were at home" Physical Interaction
In the formal classrooms students can easily approach the teachers, physically communicate and sort out problems but in online classes it was not feasible for the students to ask questions. For example respondent 6 said that:
"Many times I asked questions from the teacher regarding the lecture but due to shortage of direct communication the teacher was not able to reach out our questions. Even if later on I would text the teacher I never got satisfactory answers" About the physical interaction so many respondents stated that,
"During the class the teacher did not allowed us to talk or ask questions due to shortage of time asking questions was likely to make disturbance, but owing to this we would forget to ask questions and comprehending the lecture was never satisfactory" Technical Issues
During online examination the students had to upload the paper within the specific time given, and due to technical issues they were unable to do so, which badly affected their academic performance. Regarding this issue respondent 4 said that:
"We had to upload the English paper till 2pm on our LMS accounts and due to some technical problem my paper was not uploading, after several attempts it was uploaded but was already out of time. Later on I got to know that marks of my English paper were not added to my result. This adversely affected my GPA" Lack of Resources
Several students also highlighted how their financial problems became a hurdle in their education. For the sake of taking online classes on lms and it was necessary for the students to have personal computers, laptops or smart phones which obviously were not feasible for everyone to buy such resources. Respondent 8 mentioned that:
"To be honest I belong to a middle class family and it's very difficult for me to even submit my semester fee. Due to this I could not take online classes as I was unable to buy smart phone or laptop for myself"
Another respondent said that,
"As we all know the price hike of smart phones and laptops in this inflation period of Pakistan. I personally could not afford to buy myself the resources for taking online classes. I used to visit a friend nearby who had the resources but reaching there every day was not possible and hence i missed most of the classes" Lack of Motivation
The issues of internet signals, shortage of resources, and disruptions would most of the times lead to lack of motivation in students. For example respondent 5 and 9 said that:
"The internet signals disrupted our level of understanding and we were hardly interested in taking online classes" Mismanagement of Time
As the online classes were at home and it was not easy for us to take classes at home by the time the teacher told us. And most of the times the time teacher mentioned for taking the class were not suitable for us. Respondent 12 said that:
"One day the teacher said he will take class at 6pm instead of 2pm and being at home I had some other urgent work at 6pm evening, hence I missed that class" Regarding the time issue majority of the respondents said that,
"The time for taking class was never agreed between the teacher and the students during the online
class period"
FINDINGS OF STUDENTS:
Since the success of online education relies on the availability of a reliable internet connection, teachers and students who are unable to get one may be unable to participate. For institutions, teachers, and students, the supply of the necessary technology to support online education was a significant barrier to entry.
• This study found out that one of the major problem faced by students was the non-availability of internet. Due to the shortage of internet signals, to the people living in rural areas majorly faced this problem and hence it affected their learning capability. As mentioned in the table above B.1 code was given to this issue and majority of the students opined that internet was one of the crucial problems they have faced.
• This is an example of human intrusion, which refers to the presence of outsiders (such as family members, friends, or children) that interrupt or divert online learning participants' attention away from the lesson at hand. Hence the other problem that was highlighted in this study by the students was unnecessary distractions during online classes. Only the teacher was supposed to
turn their mikes on in order to deliver the lecture but most of the times the students would also leave their mikes on and lots of unpleasant sounds would be heard from behind. This created a problem for the students as they were unable to hear the teacher.
• Every day, teachers make countless real-time decisions and facilitate dozens of interactions between themselves and their students. In the teaching and learning process physical interaction lies at a vital peak. After the analysis of this study it has been concluded that lack of physical interactions between student and teacher affects the academic performance of students. Many of the ideal student's result were badly affected.
• During remote learning, technological issues have been a consistent concern in the lives of many students. The analysis finalized that scores of students said that the time which was given to upload the paper on online accounts was most of the times missed, which in return affected the academic performance of students.
• Some kids' reliance on computers and free internet at school is a consequence of inequity in their socioeconomic standing; as a result, when schools were closed, the relocation process for these pupils was predicted to be delayed. Since they were not able to go to school because of the epidemic, it's clear that pupils from lower-income families were not able to make the anticipated early migration. Lack of resources, therefore, has an indirect impact on pupils' intellectual and emotional development.
• One of the most aggravating obstacles to teaching and learning today is a lack of motivation among distant learners. 76% of undergraduates and 56% of graduate and professional students in a recent poll cited a lack of motivation as the most significant barrier to their success with online learning. This research confirms that students' low levels of motivation in online education originate from factors such as a lack of social engagement with teachers and classmates, a scarcity of materials, and the presence of distractions at home.
• It was also noted in the study that students lacking resources or access may have trouble understanding and following instructions provided in the course announcement section of programmes. One such student persisted in sending an email to the instructor after the instructor had already announced that there would be no class on a specified date. Online learning directly or indirectly have a significant influence on the time management of online classes disrupting the teaching learning process and waste of time for both, teachers and students.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• If stakeholders view the different educational programs as meeting their needs and desires, the quality performance of programs is measured by fitness for intent should continue to increase.
• In addition, a fair budget must be used to introduce, create, facilitate and enforce LMS policies in the education sector to advance LMS operations through computer courses taught in advanced institutions.
• The cost of LMS equipment will continue to be astronomical in this time of economic downturn. For all educational authorities, it becomes extremely acute to enable industrial organizations, leaders, entrepreneurs, and NGOs to investigate the institutions through the use of LMS and computer laboratories.
• The IT department must promote the standard of web-based resources in the weekly, monthly, or at least once-in-year educational institution. Through such an evaluation, they will mitigate a lot of problems.
• For the pupil having financial problems should be given decent funds in order to fulfil their education needs.
• The teachers should be given proper training regarding the use of LMS. Along with this online paper should be made in such a way that the students instead of using unfair means should attempt it conceptually.
• Online examination could be taken online in the labs or classes of the respective educational institutions with proper monitoring.
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