Global transtion to online learning with the covid-19 pandemic and academic stress among undergraduate students in Sri Lanka

Abstract

COVID-19 made a significant impact on the entire world, including Sri Lanka as well. This affected the world's economy, and the need for a public health sector was crucial to control the pandemic. Strict measures were taken to control the spread of infection, such as social distancing, wearing masks, frequent hand washing, etc. Sri Lanka was severely hit by the pandemic. Besides strict infection control measures, the government decided to shut schools and higher education institutes and implement travel restrictions, facing a challenge to teachers and students to continue teaching-learning activities. That opened a new path towards online education in the Sri Lankan education system. Various online tools emerged, such as Moodle, Zoom, Google Classroom, YouTube, etc, to facilitate online learning. A number of benefits were seen, but despite the benefits, a few challenges were also there. Connectivity issues, initial technological difficulties and dissatisfaction among some students and teachers were the common negative points encountered. However, as time passed, both schools and universities adapted to online learning during the pandemic, and it continued after that. Academic stress is a frequent issue among university students, and there has been a rise in it due to the rapid shift from physical to online learning. So coping strategies should be practised, such as taking breaks, practising self-care, connecting with friends and family through social media, and joining online communities. Although COVID-19 affected global education massively, online learning is a near-perfect alternative to the continuing education system. Academic stress is one challenge faced during online education, and appropriate coping strategies will be necessary to overcome them.