Abstract

The present technological era has witnessed transformative changes across various aspects of human life. Particularly in the realm of education, the pandemic highlighted the absence of adequate infrastructure in online schooling, as physical classrooms became inaccessible due to health concerns. The study tried to examine the various determinants of digital platform preferences and challenges faced by secondary school students in Kerala during Online Schooling in COVID-19 Pandemic. It has been found that that WhatsApp as the most leading platform, with 61 percent of teachers and 46 percent of students preferring it for online classes. Google Meet (21% teachers, 32% students) and Zoom (12% teachers, 11% students) also gained substantial attention. The preference of students was mainly driven by ease of use (59%), lesson comprehensibility (18%), and low data consumption (14%), reflecting the centrality of accessibility and convenience in digital learning. The most vital issue faced by the students was poor network connectivity (65%), followed by health-related problems such as headaches (55%) and eye strain (33%), and even sleep disorders. Moreover, financial hardships in affording data packs and unavailability of appropriate devices (41%) further hampered the learning process.

Keywords: digital platform, online schooling, covid-19 pandemic