Impact of Online Learning on Undergraduate Performance during the COVID-19 Period: Study of Management Undergraduates of University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Abstract

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced all Sri Lankan state universities to stop face-to-face learning activities and abruptly shift to an online curriculum. Most of the undergraduates in Sri Lanka are very familiar with classroom traditional learning procedures. Hence, this study aims to identify the impact of online learning on undergraduate academic performance. The current study is quantitative and conducted as a cross-sectional field study. A standard questionnaire was distributed for the target sample as a Google form online. According to the simple random sampling technique, the final sample remains at 248 observations of final year management undergraduates at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. The collected data was conducted to ascertain the validity and reliability of every item in the research instrument. Primary data were analyses using correlation and simple linear regression analysis with the aid the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Based on the findings, the current study concludes, there is a significant correlation between online learning and undergraduate academic performance and online learning significantly impacts on undergraduate academic performance. Furthermore, students with moderate online engagement have gone for higher academic performance than those with extremely high and extreme law in online engagement. The online learning method for final year management undergraduate has been started from the third academic year. Further, there is a correlation between academic year two and academic year three, and that is significant. Moreover, there is a significant difference between academic year two and academic year three. Study on awareness of undergraduates' online learning is very important to measure their current performances, find pitfalls, and draft online learning policies and guidelines.