Examination of Support Requests of University Students in Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic required changes to be made, especially in formal education processes. In order for the students to stay safe and healthy, many educational institutions switched to the distance learning method for the rest of the semester and continued their education without any intermission. Due to this switch, there has been a rise in the usage of learning management systems, and as a result, students started to encounter technical problems, especially during the exam periods, or they simply wanted to obtain more information about academic or administrative issues. This study used frequency and percentage analysis methods and examined the support request tickets opened up by students during distance education. Resolving the encountered problems quickly and effectively is very important in order to protect the motivation of the learners and ensure their successes. It was seen in the study that the majority of the problems reported by the students were related to internet connection or to the problems occurred during exams. This study aimed to share experiences with the researchers and technical and administrative staff working in this field and to contribute to the current distance learning literature.