Mitigating the Effects of E-learning in Higher Education Sector in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study sets out to examine the efficacy of e-learning in the Sri Lankan higher education sector that was ignited by the emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing a random sample of 350 undergraduates from seven major universities of Sri Lanka through the means of a questionnaire, the study was set against the key benchmarks derived out of a review of literature that affects e-learning. The study unearthed that unsatisfactory internet access, inability to correspond to the prerequisites of relevant subjects, psychological concerns enumerating due to shift in learning strategies, increased concerns about COVID-19, and lackadaisical attitude towards learning from home front, to be the noticeable factors having a larger bearing on the efficacy of online learning process. The study thus advocates proper infrastructure facilities and customization of teaching and learning process according to the subject content to elevate the standards of the e-learning process in the Sri Lankan higher education sector.