Abstract

This research looks into how undergraduate students used social media and video apps for online learning during the Covid-19 lockdown. In Manipur, online learning or teaching online is a relatively new phenomenon. Theoretical concepts of Communities of Inquiry (COI), such as teaching, cognitive, and social presences, were applied to online learning during the pandemic. Survey questionnaires, focus interviews, and various research methodologies were used to assess online learning and its impact. A total of 188 undergraduate students were administered the Google forms, and 10 undergraduate students provided focus interviews. Using SPSS, cross-tabulation and Chi-Square tests were done to look for significance. Students' attitudes toward critical thinking and provoking debates were found to be significant findings, indicating that there is a teaching presence. Students were encouraged to think critically and ask questions. Students trust teachers as knowledge givers, as evidenced by their 82 percent approval that the lecturer possesses the knowledge. For sharing class notes, lecturers used WhatsApp, and for conducting formal classes, they used the Zoom app. Even though one-third of the students had poor Internet access, they could still communicate with their professors, though this is a flaw that needs to be addressed appropriately. The lecturers were forced to learn a new paradigm to deal with a changing context, and as a result, they became capable of completing the task at hand.