ADVANTAGES OF USING MODERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN LECTURES AND PRACTICAL CLASSES IN THE SUBJECT "WAR AND CRISIS REPORTING" AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA STUDIES, FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY, UNIVERSITY OF NOVI SAD

Abstract

The subject "War and Crisis Reporting" is very important for students of journalism because they are trained to professionally, objectively and ethically report from regions affected by war activities. In an academic year at the Department of Media Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, there are two hours of lectures and two hours of practical classes per semester in this subject. In the lectures, students gain theoretical knowledge of a war reporter's work in regions affected by war and crisis all over the world. In practical classes, students attend a first aid course realized in collaboration with the Red Cross. Additionally, there are visits to Serbian military units that regularly send their soldiers to peacekeeping missions around the world. In this way, students gain invaluable experience and knowledge of the work system of soldiers in peacekeeping missions and regions affected by war activities. In this research that involved 40 students who attend the subject "War and Crisis Reporting", we have examined the possibility of using modern digital technologies in lectures and practical classes. We have analysed students' answers to the question related to the possibility of introducing internet simulations to the training process for war reporters at the faculty. Also, we have analysed students' answers to the question of whether they can use video games and online simulations in rescuing casualties in war conditions and professional i.e. psychological preparation of a reporter for war conditions. There has been investigated the extent to which students have used the digital library of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad so far for writing seminar papers or preparing for exams. We have considered the students' opinion on the use of modern digital technologies in the teaching process, the need for organising online lectures, as well as the cooperation with the teacher on the given internet platform.