Teachers’ and Students’ Perception of SLE: A Pre-Test for a Digitalized University

Abstract

Digitalization is an European Union Plan, which turns into reality in June 2022 for Romanian universities via the funds transmitted through NRRPs according to the degree of trust achieved by each university. For universities, digitalization is now a one-way street, which will be covered faster or slower depending on the financial possibilities obtained by each institution. The paper examines the perception of a smart learning environment of ten managers and professors from the University of Pitesti. Their opinions were extracted from ten semi-structured interviews. The perceptions of the faculty members were collected using questionnaires distributed directly or online. The final observations are that after this intense period of technology use (starting March 2020) teachers, managers and students admit the advantages of Smart Learning Environments (SLE) and are excited to be able to carry out activities that are more effective for final assessments. The Moodle platform used so far does not have built-in spyware and objective assessment has been one of the major challenges for the online exam session. Even though the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, opinions inhibiting the use of Smart Learning Environments, which can also be observed, are not statistically significant. The findings of the study led to further observations on the need for technological development, customization of the digital environment for learners and teachers and adaptation of pedagogical methods for the new smart environment. All of these lead to a direct effect on the quality of the teaching-learning process, economic growth and development of a country.