CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF VIRTUAL LEARNING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND BEYOND: - IN THE CASE OF St. MARY’S UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic is a global disaster which affected humanity immensely in all perspectives. This life-threatening virus took millions of lives already and enforced global closure in most activities of the world. The educational sector was severely harmed by the pandemic by forcing the closure of conventional teaching and learning practice. Virtual learning was the only option to continue education globally. Many of the world educational institutions started using virtual learning without any proper preparation and readiness in many aspects. This paper presents the challenges faced by students and instructors during the covid-19 pandemic and the opportunities of virtual learning for the future use. the research uses Survey research design approach. Primary data source was collected by means of Survey questionnaire from both instructors and students at ST. Mary’s university school of graduate studies. Simple random sampling technique was used for the student’s participants and seventeen instructors was involved on the research. The data were analyzed in descriptive statistics by using percentage. The result show that most of the challenges of virtual learning was shared by instructors and student’s respondents mainly focused on infrastructure and lack of proper readiness Specifically includes Poor internet connection, High cost of internet, Unstable power supply, lack of proper preparation and readiness. Opportunities of virtual learning from instructors and student’s respondents consist of convenience and suitability of virtual learning regarding the possibility of taking and giving virtual class from anywhere at any time, educational reachability, and the technological aspect of virtual learning. Virtual learning brings a major opportunity for the future of higher learning institution in Ethiopia if the challenges solved properly. The government and educational institutions must be taken seriously to utilize the potential benefits of VL. Furthermore, virtual learning implementation in Ethiopia higher learning institutions needs further studies from other researchers.