Article: Optimising synchronous online learning in higher education: perspectives from India Journal: International Journal of Management in Education (IJMIE) 2023 Vol.17 No.3 pp.231 - 255 Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic drove an online teaching and learning 'revolution' of sorts in developing countries. The world has stepped into the year 2023; however, the pandemic is far from over as the threat of another wave is already upon us in India. With China's COVID-19 cases spike, India and multiple countries have stepped up their entry restrictions and measures (Hindustan Times, 2023). Students in Indian higher education institutes faced some unique challenges during online learning since the onset of the pandemic. It is thus important to find ways to optimise the online learning experience in this new normal. The objective of this study is to explore the factors/dimensions that are important in online synchronous learning among students in Indian universities. Past studies have mostly focussed on individual variables such as stress, anxiety, and depression among students in developed countries. While very few researches have been carried out in the context of Indian universities, no study was found to have identified the dimensions/components of online learning, thus making this study unique. This paper is based on a mixed-method cross-sectional research design and proposes an evidence-based model for the optimisation of online learning. It aims to fill in the research gap and identify important areas for innovation and research. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Optimising synchronous online learning in higher education: perspectives from India

Authors: Yasmeen Shamsi Rizvi

Addresses: Department of Management Studies, FMS, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic drove an online teaching and learning 'revolution' of sorts in developing countries. The world has stepped into the year 2023; however, the pandemic is far from over as the threat of another wave is already upon us in India. With China's COVID-19 cases spike, India and multiple countries have stepped up their entry restrictions and measures (Hindustan Times, 2023). Students in Indian higher education institutes faced some unique challenges during online learning since the onset of the pandemic. It is thus important to find ways to optimise the online learning experience in this new normal. The objective of this study is to explore the factors/dimensions that are important in online synchronous learning among students in Indian universities. Past studies have mostly focussed on individual variables such as stress, anxiety, and depression among students in developed countries. While very few researches have been carried out in the context of Indian universities, no study was found to have identified the dimensions/components of online learning, thus making this study unique. This paper is based on a mixed-method cross-sectional research design and proposes an evidence-based model for the optimisation of online learning. It aims to fill in the research gap and identify important areas for innovation and research.

Keywords: online synchronous learning; dimensions; components; exploratory factor analysis; COVID-19 pandemic; Indian universities; higher education; management degree programme; optimisation; new normal.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2023.130672

International Journal of Management in Education, 2023 Vol.17 No.3, pp.231 - 255

Received: 26 Feb 2022
Accepted: 10 Jun 2022
Published online: 02 May 2023 *

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Title: Optimising synchronous online learning in higher education: perspectives from India

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