COVID-19 aside, 46 in 100 Nigerians still want physical classes

Up to 46 in 100 Nigerians would opt for physical classes, if they had to return to school, an online poll has found.

This is despite the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, and how COVID-19 has changed the face of education since January.

Compared with the 45.7% of responses to the poll in favour of physical classes, a growing proportion would opt for virtual learning.

That’s 16.6%—around 17 in every 100 people—opting for virtual learning.

But 37.7% opted for a mix of both physical classes and virtual learning.

A total 971 respondents took part in the poll.

Classes have changed, and studying has changed with the pandemic. What is your preferred mode of studying?

— Daily Trust (@daily_trust) September 22, 2020

Virtual learning is a learning experience that is enhanced through utilizing computers or the internet or both outside and inside the facilities of the educational organization.

The outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in the country has created a paradigm shift in the access to education and learning among Nigerian population.

In the outset of outbreak of the pandemic, the government closed down schools across the country with a view to curtail the spread of the viral disease.

Within the six months closure of schools some private and public schools across the states of the federation adopted virtual learning to keep their students engaged academically through various platforms of social media including Zoom, Google meet and WhatsApp.

Others engaged their students through the means of radio and television Daily Trust reported.

The poll showing that majority of Nigerians still preferred physical classes to online learning for the acquisition of knowledge leaves room for thought.

This could be related to uneven penetration of information and communication technology across the states of the country due to factors like poverty and infrastructural deficits.