Remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in the opinion of academic teachers. Survey research

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic community had to drop out of the full-time on-site education and switch to distance learning. After two years of this state of affairs and the current return to the traditional form, we would like to explore the opinions of academic teachers on this form of teaching. The study was a questionnaire-based survey, including 86 teaching staff members of the Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, working at four faculties. The teachers assessed the level of distance learning as average, no different from the traditional approach. However, they pointed out that the involvement, activity of students, regularity of work, quality of the assignments completed, and the adequacy of the grades received is greater in the traditional approach. In the case of remote learning, in the group's assessment, the timeliness of performing the assignments had not deteriorated. The most frequently indicated advantage of remote learning was time saving, while the most common disadvantage was reduced contact with students.
 In the teachers' opinion, the traditional mode of learning still has an advantage over distance learning. Studies assessing effectiveness in achieving educational goals are needed in order to objectify the results.

The Influence of Emerging Technologies on Distance Education

“…As significant disadvantages, parents also indicated the stress associated with learning online and the additional financial outlays associated with it [210]. It should also be pointed out that the sudden necessity to temporarily switch to the remote learning formula, i.e., emergency remote teaching (ERT), is not the same as modern distance learning [211].…”

“…Moreover, teachers pointed out that the involvement, activity regularity, and quality of students' work are higher in the case of the traditional teaching formula. However, the remote teaching formula allowed them to save a lot of time [211].…”

Students of the Medical College against the background of three other faculties of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce

“…We also conducted research among academic teachers who compared elements of remote teaching on a Likert scale, which we published in a separate work. (17) The majority of these elements were evaluated in favor of traditional teaching. The exception was the assessment of the timeliness of performed tasks, which was evaluated as not different from that in traditional learning in distance learning.…”

“…In question 13 we used 5-point preference scale (between traditional (1) and distance learning(2)). The fourth part concerned a subjective assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning and based on open-ended questions (questions [14][15][16][17]. All students completed the questionnaire in a paper form.…”