Online Learning through Mobile Phones: The Stance of Economically Marginalised Sapera Families from an Urban Village of Delhi, India

Name of Author : Shiney Vashisht & Prof. Fauzia Khan

Abstract: With the advent of COVID 19 global pandemic, it became obligatory for educational institutions across the globe, to continue teaching learning through online mode. While some countries were well equipped with this methodology, a developing country like India was far from ready courtesy lack of resources and training. After the state imposed lockdown in March 2020, teaching learning in India was continued through mobile phones. For a country like India, where poverty is prevalent throughout, this methodology somehow became a saviour, as well as a problem. As a part of Doctoral research, some economically marginal families of Sapera community, residing in an urban village of Delhi, India, were interviewed during the early days of online schooling. After school session was ended, these families were reinterviewed for understanding their stance on the efficiency and outcomes of online learning through mobile phones. This paper discusses the pros and cons of online learning, with a special focus on educational continuity, drop-out, and problems faced by both parents and students.

Keywords : Online learning, Mobile learning, Sapera Community, COVID-19 pandemic, Drop-out

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