Challenges of distance learning in universities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tengiz Verulava  Kakha Shengelia  Giorgi Makharashvili

Journal number 1 ∘ Tengiz Verulava ∘ Kakha Shengelia ∘ Giorgi Makharashvili ∘
Challenges of distance learning in universities during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.36172/EKONOMISTI.2021.XVIII.01.Tengiz.Verulava.Kakha.Shengelia.Giorgi.Makharashvili

Expanded Summary

The transition to distance learning, which is one of the most effective means of combating the COVID-19 pandemic, has posed many challenges to society and the economy. The aim of the study is to evaluate distance learning as a result of the pandemic from the perspective of students and teachers. Quantitative research was conducted using a self-administered, online questionnaire. 417 students and 47 teachers from three major universities of Georgia participated in the study. Respondents evaluate the distance learning process positively because it saves costs, leaves more free time, focuses more on independent learning, gained new useful experiences and skills, is more mobile and has the opportunity to attend lectures from any location. It is especially accessible to students living in villages and remote areas. Most of the respondents enjoy working from home as they have comfortable conditions at home. Lecturing remotely is more mobile since both student and lecturer have the opportunity to join the lecture from any location if they have access to the internet. According to most students, distance learning method has given them new useful experiences and skills. It enables students to develop valuable skills independently. The student masters the skills of self-education, self-realization and self-expression, learning and working independently. It also gives the opportunity to practically use brand new, previously unknown possibilities of communication technologies. Most of the students and teachers were ready to switch to distance mode of learning because they had lectures online before. However, studies confirm that some teachers do not have real practice and experience in online learning. Students and teachers were forced to master new methods and technologies (Zoom; Teams; Skype), as well as video conferencing, screen sharing and various technical skills.

Using the Likert scale on a 5-point scale, the distance learning process was positively assessed by students (3.2 points) and teachers (3 points). The majority of students (n = 288, 69%) prefer the synthesis of distance and auditory learning methods because it better considers the specifics of individual courses and the students' own choice. This kind of choice allows those who prefer to get an education remotely, to choose an online course, and students who learn better only through direct communication - to choose an auditory training. In this regard, it is necessary to equip the university auditoriums with the necessary technical capabilities and to develop curricula that will allow students to decide whether to attend the lecture in the auditorium or to join online.

Despite the fact that the transition to distance learning is undoubtedly proved to be an effective tool in protecting oneself from the Covid-pandemic, there are many drawbacks. This can be caused by limited distance learning communication, technical difficulties and an uncomfortable environment. The most problematic for students is the comfortable workplace needed for distance learning. According to the teachers, the biggest obstacle in online teaching is the weak technical capabilities of the equipment used by the students or its absence at all.

According to the survey results, access to the Internet was problematic for some of the surveyed students (15.6%, n = 63). It is primarily related to the low quality and malfunction of the internet in a number of regions (villages) of Georgia, because of that, students are not able to participate in both lecture and practical classes. All these reasons discussed above leads to a low level of students’ knowledge. It is also noteworthy that some of the students from the districts have an opportunity to save costs associated with renting an apartment, however, hence online tuition became a serious challenge for them as they faced the problem of accessing the internet.

One of the serious problems for teachers is the form of students’ involvement (they have the right to "cover" his face). The student has the right not to turn on the video eye, or "cover" his face, which excludes visual contact and disrupts the process of exchanging knowledge. Consequently, it is difficult for the teacher to understand how well the students perceived the explained lecture. However, while turning off the video eye, students can easily be distracted by various activities and they may not concentrate on the lecture material. Students find the process of learning with a computer screen boring and they are less motivated to participate in lectures.

Research has shown that the majority of students and teachers think that the online distance learning regime has a negative impact on the quality of learning. In this regard, the test methodology for assessing student knowledge is particularly problematic. Closed-ended testing is sometimes used to test students’ knowledge, accompanied by a few possible answers. This kind of exam tests students’ memory more than their knowledge and excludes students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills.

Other researches also show that students do not find online lessons as effective as traditional teaching methods. Students who are in favor of online learning, however, believe that it reduces the use of vehicles and the cost of attending auditorium lessons. In addition, while online lectures can be recorded, independent learning is much more significant.

The study also included non-Georgian students and the vast majority of them prefer the synthesis of distance and auditory learning methods. Apart from the academic point of view, this may also be related to their socialization, as in most cases non-Georgian students are not permanent residents of Georgia and the only source of their socialization is the university. Consequently, during the distance learning mode, they lose their only place of making new friends. Usually, the time spent at the university for students is memorable and impressive. At the same time, students had direct contact with lecturers during conventional studies, not only in the auditoriums, but also in the university library, cafes, various university events, where useful information can be shared.

Most students and teachers have access to all the necessary technical equipment needed for distance learning (computer, personal computer, tablet, mobile phone, etc.). They have the freedom to choose the most convenient learning platform. Students and teachers mainly use Moodle's platform for online learning mode. However, some students are involved in the learning process through mobile phones and apply to platforms such as: WhatsApp, Skype, etc. Mobile devices are simple and comfortable to use and they are becoming more and more popular. However, in some cases, the use of mobile phones is associated with the lack of computers, because of that, students are not able to complete tasks on time, so they have to write homework by hand, then take a picture of it and send it by e-mail. It should be also highlighted that some students are not skilled in computer technology properly.

It is advisable to equip university auditoriums with the necessary technical capabilities and to develop curricula that allow the student to decide for themselves whether to attend the lecture in the classroom or to participate online.

Keywords: distance education, distance learning, online education, educational technologies, quality.

EKONOMISTI The international scientific and analytical, reviewed, printing and electronic journal of Paata Gugushvili Institute of Economics of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

DOI: 10.36172/EKONOMISTI E ISSN 2346-8432 Print ISSN 1987-6890	Journal number 1 ∘ Tengiz Verulava ∘ Kakha Shengelia ∘ Giorgi Makharashvili ∘ Challenges of distance learning in universities during the COVID-19 pandemic 10.36172/EKONOMISTI.2021.XVIII.01.Tengiz.Verulava.Kakha.Shengelia.Giorgi.Makharashvili Expanded Summary The transition to distance learning, which is one of the most effective means of combating the COVID-19 pandemic, has posed many challenges to society and the economy. The aim of the study is to evaluate distance learning as a result of the pandemic from the perspective of students and teachers. Quantitative research was conducted using a self-administered, online questionnaire. 417 students and 47 teachers from three major universities of Georgia participated in the study. Respondents evaluate the distance learning process positively because it saves costs, leaves more free time, focuses more on independent learning, gained new useful experiences and skills, is more mobile and has the opportunity to attend lectures from any location. It is especially accessible to students living in villages and remote areas. Most of the respondents enjoy working from home as they have comfortable conditions at home. Lecturing remotely is more mobile since both student and lecturer have the opportunity to join the lecture from any location if they have access to the internet. According to most students, distance learning method has given them new useful experiences and skills. It enables students to develop valuable skills independently. The student masters the skills of self-education, self-realization and self-expression, learning and working independently. It also gives the opportunity to practically use brand new, previously unknown possibilities of communication technologies. Most of the students and teachers were ready to switch to distance mode of learning because they had lectures online before. However, studies confirm that some teachers do not have real practice and experience in online learning. Students and teachers were forced to master new methods and technologies (Zoom; Teams; Skype), as well as video conferencing, screen sharing and various technical skills. Using the Likert scale on a 5-point scale, the distance learning process was positively assessed by students (3.2 points) and teachers (3 points). The majority of students (n = 288, 69%) prefer the synthesis of distance and auditory learning methods because it better considers the specifics of individual courses and the students' own choice. This kind of choice allows those who prefer to get an education remotely, to choose an online course, and students who learn better only through direct communication - to choose an auditory training. In this regard, it is necessary to equip the university auditoriums with the necessary technical capabilities and to develop curricula that will allow students to decide whether to attend the lecture in the auditorium or to join online. Despite the fact that the transition to distance learning is undoubtedly proved to be an effective tool in protecting oneself from the Covid-pandemic, there are many drawbacks. This can be caused by limited distance learning communication, technical difficulties and an uncomfortable environment. The most problematic for students is the comfortable workplace needed for distance learning. According to the teachers, the biggest obstacle in online teaching is the weak technical capabilities of the equipment used by the students or its absence at all. According to the survey results, access to the Internet was problematic for some of the surveyed students (15.6%, n = 63). It is primarily related to the low quality and malfunction of the internet in a number of regions (villages) of Georgia, because of that, students are not able to participate in both lecture and practical classes. All these reasons discussed above leads to a low level of students’ knowledge. It is also noteworthy that some of the students from the districts have an opportunity to save costs associated with renting an apartment, however, hence online tuition became a serious challenge for them as they faced the problem of accessing the internet. One of the serious problems for teachers is the form of students’ involvement (they have the right to "cover" his face). The student has the right not to turn on the video eye, or "cover" his face, which excludes visual contact and disrupts the process of exchanging knowledge. Consequently, it is difficult for the teacher to understand how well the students perceived the explained lecture. However, while turning off the video eye, students can easily be distracted by various activities and they may not concentrate on the lecture material. Students find the process of learning with a computer screen boring and they are less motivated to participate in lectures. Research has shown that the majority of students and teachers think that the online distance learning regime has a negative impact on the quality of learning. In this regard, the test methodology for assessing student knowledge is particularly problematic. Closed-ended testing is sometimes used to test students’ knowledge, accompanied by a few possible answers. This kind of exam tests students’ memory more than their knowledge and excludes students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills. Other researches also show that students do not find online lessons as effective as traditional teaching methods. Students who are in favor of online learning, however, believe that it reduces the use of vehicles and the cost of attending auditorium lessons. In addition, while online lectures can be recorded, independent learning is much more significant. The study also included non-Georgian students and the vast majority of them prefer the synthesis of distance and auditory learning methods. Apart from the academic point of view, this may also be related to their socialization, as in most cases non-Georgian students are not permanent residents of Georgia and the only source of their socialization is the university. Consequently, during the distance learning mode, they lose their only place of making new friends. Usually, the time spent at the university for students is memorable and impressive. At the same time, students had direct contact with lecturers during conventional studies, not only in the auditoriums, but also in the university library, cafes, various university events, where useful information can be shared. Most students and teachers have access to all the necessary technical equipment needed for distance learning (computer, personal computer, tablet, mobile phone, etc.). They have the freedom to choose the most convenient learning platform. Students and teachers mainly use Moodle's platform for online learning mode. However, some students are involved in the learning process through mobile phones and apply to platforms such as: WhatsApp, Skype, etc. Mobile devices are simple and comfortable to use and they are becoming more and more popular. However, in some cases, the use of mobile phones is associated with the lack of computers, because of that, students are not able to complete tasks on time, so they have to write homework by hand, then take a picture of it and send it by e-mail. It should be also highlighted that some students are not skilled in computer technology properly. It is advisable to equip university auditoriums with the necessary technical capabilities and to develop curricula that allow the student to decide for themselves whether to attend the lecture in the classroom or to participate online. Keywords: distance education, distance learning, online education, educational technologies, quality.