Title: Factors affecting online and social distance learning in the post-COVID-19 pandemic

Authors: Md. Abdur Rouf; Mohammad Sharif Hossain; Abdullah Al Masum

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Daffodil International University, Bangladesh ' Department of Business Administration, Uttara University, Bangladesh ' Department of Business Administration, North South University, Bangladesh

Abstract: The research investigates the factors affecting online and social distance (OSD) learning in higher education in Bangladesh post-COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to evaluate the impact of content nature, infrastructure, competency, and follow-up on OSD learning. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 530 university students, with 500 valid responses analysed using a structural equation model (SEM) via SMART-PLS. The study reveals that the nature of the content, competency, and follow-up has a significant and positive impact on the OSD whereas infrastructure is marginally associated with it. Moreover, the F-square values demonstrate that the nature of the content (0.532) has the maximum optimistic effect on OSD learning, while infrastructure (0.055) has the minimum optimistic effect on OSD learning. The study enhances literature by thoroughly assessing factors affecting OSD learning post-pandemic, emphasising the need for better digital infrastructure, improved digital tool competency, and strong follow-up systems to ensure effective education.

Keywords: online learning; nature of content; infrastructure; competency; follow up; online and social distance; OSD; structural equation model; SEM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2025.150117

International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, 2025 Vol.7 No.2, pp.164 - 180

Received: 24 Jul 2024
Accepted: 11 Apr 2025
Published online: 01 Dec 2025 *

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