Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education during the Coronavirus Pandemic: Students’ Perspective

Abstract

The research focuses on identifying the way in which Romanian universities managed to provide knowledge during the Coronavirus pandemic, when, in a very short time, universities had to adapt the educational process for exclusively online teaching and learning. In this regard, we analyzed students’ perception regarding online learning, their capacity to assimilate information, and the use of E-learning platforms. An online survey based on a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted. Data was collected from 762 students from two of the largest Romanian universities. The results of the research revealed that higher education institutions in Romania were not prepared for exclusively online learning. Thus, the advantages of online learning identified in other studies seem to diminish in value, while disadvantages become more prominent. The hierarchy of problems that arise in online learning changes in the context of the crisis caused by the pandemic. Technical issues are the most important, followed by teachers’ lack of technical skills and their teaching style improperly adapted to the online environment. However, the last place was assigned by students to the lack of interaction with teachers or poor communication with them. Based on these findings, research implications for universities and researchers are discussed.

ICT Skills of University Students from the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…As a positive example, medical students are cited, given that they enjoyed the online teaching of anatomy, and the lectures were well received [49][50][51]. The results of this research show that the classes conducted were not adapted to the digital environment, and were thus are obsolete, which is confirmed by the results of research into higher education institutions in Romania [10]. On the other hand, the Italian education system shows reasonable maturity, and can be a good indicator to all other educational institutions facing problems and teaching [26].…”

“…Some studies have shown the positive sides of online learning, such as the shorter length of courses, which is achieved by simplifying the curriculum and making tasks easier to complete [9]. Even though some universities used E-learning as an additional method before the Coronavirus pandemic, most of them were not ready for a full online experience [10]. Online education has been implemented in almost every educational institution in Serbia since the start of the 2020/21 school year.…”

E-Learning vs. Face-To-Face Learning: Analyzing Students’ Preferences and Behaviors

“…Although e-learning has become a topic of discussion in the late 1990s, only now, during the 2020 pandemic, it seems that the world has focused almost entirely on e-learning for a longer or shorter period of time, adapting and re-adapting to the new reality. More and more studies [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] have begun to emerge in this field of research, as it has become increasingly exploratory and fertile for worldwide researchers.…”

“…With the mass transition to online education, many studies [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] have looked at the concept of e-learning. A large-scale study [2], involving no less than 424 universities around the world affected by the pandemic, shows that for areas and sub-domains, such as research, exchanges of experience between universities, scientific conferences, and, of course, the education process, there is a single solution, namely the adaptation of the whole process to the online environment.…”

Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on University Students’ Learning

“…Unexpectedly, a whole generation of young people has had to continue its education in a different way in an unusual situation. New factors and rules have appeared and have exerted influence over the successful completion of the current level of their education [1][2][3]. The transmission of coronavirus reflected not only on the training but also on the safety and the professional realization of the students, especially for vulnerable young people.…”