The status and challenges of the E-Learning in the plantation sector: A Study based on the Covid-19 epidemic in Sri Lanka

Abstract

ICT are highly dominating all aspects of Education sector in the world during the Covid-19 pandemic which is not an exception for Sri Lanka. Plantations are one of the most backward communities in Sri Lanka. In this backdrop, this study is “Identify the status and challenges of the E-learning system in the Plantation Sector during the Covid-19 epidemic”. This study adopts mixed approaches and collected primary data using online questionnaire (google form) survey and zoom interviews with students. Secondary data was collected from several resources. The convenience sampling method used to select the 250 Students in plantation and the data were analyzed through SPSS version-25. E-learning System, 90.2% of them are using smartphones, 13% of them are using laptops, and 5.2% of them do not have any device to participate in e-learning and 91.1% utilize the Zoom app, 16.2% use Google Meet use for it. The average computer literacy rate is 11.12% and digital literacy is 19.64% for the last five years in the plantation. Grade 5 students are learning 10.48 hours, and undergraduates are learning 14.67 hours per week. Educational levels have a substantial impact on the cost of online learning. Grade 5 students are very lowly satisfied (mean value=2.65 and SD=0.885) with e-learning, whereas postgraduate students are highly satisfied (mean=3.86, SD=0.378) with the online system. Educational levels are significantly correlated (0.205(P>0.05)) with knowledge improvements through online learning. Primarily, students like e-learning due to Covid-19 (66.4%), while they dislike its lack of network coverage (53.2%). 64.1% of those affected by eyes that begin to burn and itch and 54.7% of those with headaches. The setbacks in social and economic factors and the lack of ICT infrastructure are affecting the e-learning system in the plantations. Therefore, effective policy and institutional measures are vitally important to address these shortcomings and move towards the sustainable development of the e-learning system in plantations as well as Sri Lanka.