Distance Learning and Academic Performance: Evidence from a Qualitative Study

Executive Summary

There exists a bi-directionality between education and stability. This notion implies that education accessibility can be inhibited by instability in the system and the other way around is also true. Against this background, it is important to discuss the case of Pakistan since it has transitioned to remote learning in response to the external shocks ranging from COVID-19 to the recent Iran-US conflict.

This knowledge brief examines the challenges experienced by higher education students during remote learning through a review of extant literature and qualitative evidence from focus group discussions (FGDs). The literature says persistent challenges related to digital infrastructure, internet and electricity access, student engagement, academic performance, and the learning environment. The focus group discussions further established how these challenges affect students’ concentration, motivation, interaction with instructors and peers, and ability to study effectively from home. Participants also reported household distractions and differences in learning experiences across geographic settings.

All in all, findings suggest that while remote learning facilitates the continuation of academic activities during unusual circumstances, its effectiveness however remains questionable given the regional disparities and unequal learning environments.

Introduction

Government of Pakistan, in wake of the recent regional tensions, announced austerity measures aimed at conserving the energy. This led to the shifting of academic activities to the online mode. This measure, along with other austerity steps, has been revoked following the end of conflict. It is however important to discuss how this event has exposed the vulnerabilities of our education system.

During the recent course of time, educational institutions shifted to remote learning mode on account of the external stimuli such as political unrest, COVID-19, and regional tensions. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure a smooth flow of the academic activities despite the ongoing disruptions – something that requires meticulous planning and effort by the authorities. In case of Pakistan, the educational sector has managed to pull off academic activities in the face of external shocks. However, the challenges such as digital access, academic performance, and home environment persist (Jowsey et al., 2020).

In light of the above-mentioned background, this knowledge brief is aimed at understanding the challenges faced by higher education students while taking the classes remotely. It further reveals how these issues are compromising the students’ academic performance.

Theoretical Foundations

The theoretical perspectives of online learning have evolved from behaviourist approaches to learner-centred theories that better explain learning in digital settings. Early computer-assisted learning systems were primarily based on behaviourist theory, which views learning as a change in observable behaviour resulting from external stimuli and reinforcement (Thorndike, 1913; Palov, 1927; Skinner, 1974). Although behaviourism contributed to the development of structured online instruction, such as lectures, quizzes, and assessments, it offers limited insight into the cognitive and social processes involved in contemporary distance learning.

Cognitive learning theory shifted attention from observable behaviour to the internal mental processes related to learning. It argues that learning depends on how learners process, organize, and retain information, with factors such as memory, motivation, prior knowledge, and cognitive effort playing a key role (Craik & Lockhart, 1972; Craik & Tulving, 1975). This perspective is pertinent to distance learning, where students often adapt to unfamiliar digital settings while facing challenges such as unreliable internet connectivity, electricity outages, household distractions, and limited access to learning resources. These constraints may increase cognitive load and impact student’s concentration, engagement, and academic performance in general.

The constructivist perspective posits that learners actively construct knowledge by interpreting new information through their own experiences and interactions with others (Cooper, 1993; Wilson, 1997). Learning is therefore enhanced when students can collaborate with peers, communicate with instructors, and apply knowledge in meaningful contexts. During emergency transitions to distance learning, opportunities for interaction and collaborative learning may be reduced because of technological and environmental constraints, potentially affecting students’ engagement and learning experiences.

More recently, connectivism has emerged as a theory that explains learning in digitally connected environments (Downes, 2006; Siemens, 2004). It argues that learning occurs through networks connecting individuals, digital technologies, and multiple sources of information. Instead of completely relying on the instructor, learners acquire knowledge by accessing, evaluating, and incorporating information through online platforms and digital communication. This perspective is particularly relevant to remote learning during unusual circumstances including COVID-19, strikes, regional disputes where students’ learning experiences may be influenced by access to digital devices, reliable internet connectivity, online learning platforms, and communication with instructors and peers.

Collectively, these theories provide complementary perspectives for understanding remote learning. Behaviourism explains the structured delivery of online instruction, cognitivism emphasizes the mental processes involved in learning, constructivism highlights the importance of interaction and knowledge construction, and connectivism focuses on learning through digital networks and technologies. Together, these theoretical perspectives provide a useful framework for understanding the technological, cognitive, and social issues pertaining to the students’ experiences of emergency distance learning in Pakistan.

Literature Review

a) Global Literature

Online courses are different from the traditional courses in several ways. Conducting classes in a face-to-face mode allows the instructor to evaluate the students’ level of understanding of class content from non-verbal cues and allows them to modify the lecture to make it more comprehendible. Any queries during the class can be answered instantly which allows for a better understanding of the lecture (Berenson, Boyles, and Weaver 2008). Ideally, students who are academically successful tend to be self-motivated, self-directed, above average communication and technology skills (Dabbagh, 2007). However, not every student possesses all of these characteristics. Since the students differ in learning styles, cognitive abilities, persistence, and their attention span.  Moreover, while some of the learners maybe more comfortable with the traditional learning style, there are others preferring online learning. There exists a controversy with regards to the optimum instruction style that can lead to success in online learning. Variables like adequate course/instructional design holds significant importance in the context of online learning – something which should be taken into account by the course instructors (Cercone 2008). Literature cites that  online students underperform relative to the students attending the classes in face-to-face mode (Dendir, 2019). Stark (2019) states in his study that students attending the classes online reports lower levels of motivation, which leads to compromised academic performance for these students. Using survey data obtained from the Arizona State University, Aucejo et al. (2020) illustrates that there were negative effects of the COVID-19 on university students’ outcomes and expectations, comprising delayed graduation and poor labour-market prospects. It was also illustrated that students from underprivileged backgrounds suffered from while taking the classes online. In Maldonado and De Witte (2020), it was reported that the primary school students in Belgium experienced losses in learning as illustrated by compromised performance in the standardized tests conducted after COVID-19 in comparison to the previous cohorts. Engzell et al. (2021) reported that students in Netherlands made little to no progress when learning at home during an eight-week lockdown, with the learning loss being most significant among students from impoverished families.

It is noteworthy that while there exists evidence supporting the traditional mode of learning over online mode, available literature highlights the otherwise too. For example, Chun & Heo (2018) pointed out that the flipped learning is effective method as it helps with improving the academic performance. In addition to this, Halabi, Essop, Carmichael, & Steyn (2014) illustrated that students who spent more time online significantly improved their overall grade. Students were reportedly satisfied with their academic performance as it was tied to their usage of the online materials. Wei & Chou (2020) reported that students’ computer and internet fluency and motivation for learning had a direct influence in their online discussion score and course satisfaction. Similarly, Shaw, Maclsaac, & Singleton-Jackson (2019) indicated that students secured higher test scores using the online tool compared to multiple-choice paper-based exams marks; and Akhter, & Mahmood (2018) show that improving online technology fosters dynamic opportunities for students through remote learning.

b) Pakistan-based Literature

In technologically and digitally advanced countries (Basilaia & Kvavadze, 2020), remote learning is useful, however it is noteworthy that for countries like Pakistan it is difficult to transition to the online learning mode given the resource constraints. It is important to mention that in Pakistan, substantial teaching and learning activities of educational organisations are carried out manually (Salam, Jianqiu, Pathan & Lei, 2017). The unavailability of fast, affordable, and smooth internet connections is something that serves to impede the development of online learning, particularly it’s a challenge for the students who are taking the classes from the remote parts of the country. Furthermore, students attending the classes using mobile data are facing major constraints since the signal quality is relatively weaker which does not allow them to attend the classes smoothly. (Basilaia & Kvavadze, 2020). Nonetheless, this serves as a stark reminder of the lack of resources in academic institutions and the social marginalization of students, where limited access to the internet along with the lack of advanced technology affected organisational responsiveness and students’ capacity in digital learning. Although it is known that ICT adoption in higher education settings is unavoidable, but due to limited budget, there are challenges being faced by the universities. It is important it highlight that only a few universities which are generally highly ranked can sustain the process of online learning while the others could barely manage to switch to this remote learning given the constraints. It is worth mentioning that some Pakistani academic research carried out previously have also documented promising findings of distance learning. For example, Ali and Ahmad (2011) concluded that just like traditional learning, there is satisfactory interaction in distance learning education among instructors and learners, the content is well-designed and both instructors and students are dedicated and trained with the required skills to transition smoothly to the remote learning mode. However, the contemporary situation of distance learning is revealing an entirely different picture of distance learning process – something that is reflecting the limited resources and their unpreparedness for the distance learning programs.

To conclude, extant literature contains a comparison of student’s attendance between face-to-face and online learning mode. The results are somewhat conflicting. While there are some authors that believed traditional learning cannot be replaced by online mode of learning because normal communicative processes are interrupted during online classes since there is lack of physical presence which makes cognitive, meta-cognitive and social learning more difficult. Supporters maintain that face-to-face groups’ verbal and nonverbal communication and social exchange produce emotional connections and creates a sense of community. This is something which can barely be achieved while taking the classes remotely.  Empirical research has shown that face-to-face interactions leads to the highest social interaction among the students in comparison to the online mode (Rice, 1993). 

However, it has been argued by the opponents that the online media can serve to be more convenient and less nervous environment for learning communication (Zhan, Xu & Ye, 2011). Supporters for this argument drive inspiration from social presence theorists who maintain that through media all the social information pertaining to human connection can be transmitted (Short et al., 1976). It has also been put forward by social media theorists that it is not necessary to have physical co-presence for building psychosocial learning processes in online activities; what is actually important is communicative exchange among participants.

Given the differences of opinions and conflicting research outcomes in this context, it is imperative to understand this subject matter deeper and therefore, this study is aiming to fill on this gap. While recent studies have explored the challenges and opportunities pertaining to online learning, there remains a gap in literature regarding the students perceptions about this issue. It has been suggested by Mailizar et al., (2020) that how important it is to incorporate students’ voices in this issue since they are major stakeholders in this context. Therefore, this study attempts to fill in this gap by capturing the students’ experiences by exploring their opinions and the challenge they are facing while taking the classes remotely. This has been done by conducting a qualitative research work.

Qualitative Evidence

a) Sample Composition

This research adopted a qualitative approach which draws on primary data collected by conducting Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007).

For that purpose, the study has integrated the qualitative data insights obtained from two focus group discussions (FGDs) respectively. These FGDs were conducted with the 11 participants who are enrolled in the universities located in Islamabad. There were two focus groups conducted, one of them comprised 5 participants and the other one involved 6 participants respectively, with the respondents aged between 18-25 years. The first group contained two males and three females and the second group included three males and three females, resulting in a relatively balanced gender composition overall. The sample majorly composed of master’s students, with two bachelor’s students in the second focus group. Participants of these FGDs were enrolled in the universities located in Islamabad, but they were taking the online classes from different regions of Pakistan, such as Balochistan, Punjab, and Islamabad. Participants represented diverse geographical backgrounds, with four distinct locations represented in each group. This variation provided a range of perspectives for examining participants’ experiences and perceptions.

These discussions aimed to investigate the experiences of remote learning in more detail and reveal the challenges and constraints faced by the students that are compromising the quality of remote learning.

b) Thematic Analysis
For the purpose of analysis, a thematic analysis has been generated which is highlighted below.

Digital Infrastructure Constraints

This is the first major theme that emerged as a result of thematic analysis. It highlighted that unstable internet connection, power cuts, and inadequate telecommunications infrastructure as major hindrances to attending the classes smoothly from home. Students based in deprived areas were facing these challenges to a greater extent.

Students attending these classes from Balochistan especially mentioned how connectivity issues constantly served to be a hindrance in taking the classes remotely.

“Without internet availability, how can we take the classes from our homes?”

Another participant stated:

“We struggle with both 4G and basic Wi-Fi signals”.

Moreover, it was also highlighted that continuous electricity access along with the access to digital devices was crucial to be able to attend the classes from home.

“Fast Internet access, power, and devices—all three are needed. If one is missing, the class is gone”.

Additionally, power cuts appeared to be another prominent theme that hindered the ability of the students to take the classes online.

“Because of the constant electricity load shedding issue, we were not able to attend the classes even if we wanted to”.

On top that, students because of power outages, had to use mobile data – something that resulted in poor connectivity and further interrupted the remote learning process.

“Since there was no electricity, we had to rely on mobile data, which was too weak to take the classes which is why we ended up not following the lectures throughout or missing them altogether”.

The above accounts are reinforcing the literature findings about how the digital infrastructure limitations could lead to lower student’s class participation and how this is experienced differently depending upon the region students are based in.

Learning Disengagement and Reduced Interaction

Respondents reported that the interaction between students and teachers was significantly dropped because of the online classes. This is something which further compromised the learning process and at times also led to delayed understanding of the concepts until it wasn’t discussed with the peers or teachers.

One participant stated:

“When we interact with our classmates, we discuss the concepts discussed in the classroom which leads to a better understanding of the concepts covered in the lecture. Because of online classes, this opportunity is not available which means our ability to comprehend the lecture content is also limited”.

In the same fashion, another participant mentioned:

“Since the discussion component is missing when we take the classes online, it seems to be more of a monologue”.

“It feels like we are merely listening, not actually participating”.

There were some participants that drew a comparison between the distance learning and freely available educational content rendering the online classes a redundant exercise.

“Why do we even have to take the classes online? Why are we not just consuming the relevant educational content available on YouTube, ChatGPT, and the likes of these? Because technically aren’t these similar, if not same?”

Moreover, it was frequently mentioned by the students that conducting the classes online seemed more of an administrative task which was mostly aimed at completing the course syllabus instead of a meaningful engagement.

“Instructors are mostly focused on completing the course content without being considerate of the challenges students are dealing with while attending the classes from home”.

Moreover, students also stated that they attended the classes just for the sake of attendance.

“Taking the classes online seemed more of a formality because we were just taking it to meet our attendance requirements”.

Furthermore, student’s sense of responsibility was further compromised because of the uni-directional nature of the communication.

“Student-teacher interaction during the online classes was one-sided”.

“There was no pressure of staying consistent because we were not attending the classes in-person”.

The above findings are demonstrating that lower student-teacher interaction and lesser levels of engagement in the online classes can lead to diminished student’s motivation, participation, and overall engagement. These findings are consistent with the work done by Sahu (2020).