Online Higher Education in Bangladesh during Covid-19: Its Challenges and Prospects

  • Md Khaled Chowdhury Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia.
  • Fariza Binti Puteh Behak Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia.
Keywords: Online education, Higher education, Bangladeshi universities, Challenges of online education, Prospects of online education

Abstract

Online higher education in Bangladesh has not gained expected popularity and a switch to it has always been seen as a challenge despite its potentials here. So, our research investigates the challenges in implementing online higher education and prospects for this for Bangladeshi universities. To do this we have explored the background and evolution of e-learning and online learning in Bangladeshi higher education and the potentials that it might offer in this area. This is a study which may also be called a systematic review. This study reviews research publications on the topic that were published during the last ten years. The research publications include fourteen newspaper articles, twenty two journal articles, four doctoral theses, four reports, three conference proceedings and nine websites. The study finds out that there are a number of problems in implementing online higher education such as, negative perception of teachers, parents and students about the online education, digital divide in the country. On the other hand, online or at least the blended education can be a good alternative to face-to-face higher education of Bangladesh that faces a number of constraints such as, crisis of seats and reputed higher education institutes, session backlog, cost of higher education in universities as well as the conducive factors such as, digitalization, digital literacy, widespread use of mobile phone and the internet. This  study recommends that blended  courses  and programs may be offered in higher  education   of Bangladesh  considering  the  prospects it  offers  to our higher education providers   . 

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Author Biographies

Md Khaled Chowdhury, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia.

Md Khaled Bin Chowdhury  is a PhD student in English Studies, Faculty of Major Languages, Universiti  Sains Islam Malaysia. He did his Honors and Masters in English Literature from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. He had his second Masters in ELT from the  University of Hertfordshire, UK. He is currently working in the Department of English, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, a private university in Bangladesh.

Fariza Binti Puteh Behak, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia.

Dr. Fariza Binti Puteh Behak is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Major Languages, Universiti  Sains Islam Malaysia. She is currently working as the Deputy Dean, Centre for Graduate Studies, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

Published
2022-03-15
How to Cite
Chowdhury, M. K., & Behak, F. B. P. (2022). Online Higher Education in Bangladesh during Covid-19: Its Challenges and Prospects . Utamax : Journal of Ultimate Research and Trends in Education, 4(1), 15-28. https://doi.org/10.31849/utamax.v4i1.7818
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