e-Learning Challenges from the Students’ Point of View

Abstract

E-learning has become mandatory at all levels of educational institutions due to the coronavirus pandemic. This paper analyses the learning difficulties that university students have encountered as a result of this changed situation. Empirical research includes a survey of students at three Baltic universities: Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LLU), Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) and Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMÜ). The aim of our article is to compare opinions on the challenges faced by students of Baltic States during mandatory remote learning. The results of this study revealed that there were no statistically significant differences between respondents in the countries participating in the survey in terms of the opinions expressed on the availability of appropriate hardware, communication with teacher and interaction with classmates and difficulty focusing on remote studies. Students who prefer face to face learning style mentioned difficulties in paying attention to studies, In addition, the majority of respondents indicated that they often had problems communicating with teachers. It was found that not only achieving learning outcomes, implementing practical works, and the volume of study works caused challenges but also lack of digital skills and interaction with classmates.

Implementation of a Multilingual Blended Learning Course for Non-formal and Informal Adult Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This leads to a conclusion that the course in a Moodle environment must be well structured and the tasks should be more engaging. This finding is in line with the results of a study by Rimkuviené et al (2021).…”

“…These results were opposite to results of other studies conducted in Latvia. Rimkuviené et al (2021) found that 62.0% of Latvian students reported problems with the LMS. They even recommended improvements to the interface of the Moodle system used.…”

“…One of its main advantages is the possibility of organizing teaching/learning material in modules, which is very convenient and easy to understand even for inexperienced learners (Rawat et al, 2020). Therefore, it was also one of the main LMSs used in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic (Tomczyk, 2021;Rimkuviené et al, 2021;Zajdel et al, 2021). Additionally, MS Teams, Zoom, Cisco WebEx, Google Meet were often used for a synchronous communication with students.…”

Implementation of a blended learning course for adult learners during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…These results coincide with other research, e.g. Rimkuviené et al (2021) found that 62.0% of Latvian students reported problems with the LMS used, and Trinkūniené and Juškaite (2021) discovered that 36.84% of learners had insufficient digital skills. Also, studies conducted in Romania (Ştefenel and Neagoş, 2020; Edu et al , 2021) showed a low evaluation of learners’ digital skills, which consequently prevented them from attaining the learning outcomes.…”

“…This “new normal” brought uncertainty and lots of challenges for learners. A recent research conducted in the Baltics (Rimkuviené et al , 2021) shows that students found this type of learning unusual, and it was difficult for them to adapt to “the new normal”. Lack of interaction and human contact as well as time management skills were some of the challenges they faced.…”