A cross-sectional study on Bangladeshi students regarding physiological challenges of online education

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic halted educational institutions all over the world which forced a shift to online classes, a new experience for Bangladeshi students which increased their screen time. Objective: This study aimed at discerning the physiological challenges accompanied by the online education system and the compatibility of Bangladeshi students considering health and socio-demographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was performed based upon an online survey on students (n = 590) during September 1st to 14th of 2020. Results: Interestingly, an inevitable consequence of online education was several physiological problems. It was found that 93.9% of the participants faced some kind of physiological challenges, e.g., headaches, fatigue, eye and ear problems, from online classes. The majority of the participants (57.5%) could not concentrate for one hour or more in online classes. Conclusion: Along with transitioning towards online education, innovative teaching methods would be helpful for the students to adapt to the ‘new normal’.