"Digital Divide and Institutional Strategy: An Analysis of Learning Challenges in Online Higher Education”. A study undertaken in Assam is rich and timely, particularly as digital transformation and education equality increasingly become top priorities.

The sudden digital revolution within higher education, particularly driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, threw a spotlight on the long-standing challenge of the digital divide — the disparity between those who have access to contemporary information and communication technologies and those who lack it. The digital divide is motivated by several factors including income, location, availability of infrastructure, and digital literacy. The objectives of our study are 1) To examine the challenges faced in online learning environments. 2) To examine the effect of the digital divide on students’ learning experiences in online higher education. 3) To analyse if institutional strategies address or fail to address the challenges. 4) To examine the impact of student engagement and motivation on academic performance in online learning environments.

In online learning, students from deprived or rural areas experience huge hindrances, such as no access to steady internet connectivity, no digital devices available, and poor technical knowledge. These hinder their participation, academic outcomes, and general learning.

(Kaur Sampreet, - June 19, 2020 at 03:51 PM.) ^[4]

Institutional strategies play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. Effective institutions adopt inclusive approaches, such as providing digital devices, offering internet subsidies, training faculty and students in digital literacy, and developing blended learning models. Institutions that fail to adapt strategically often exacerbate educational inequalities, leaving disadvantaged learners behind.

(Jafar K)