Education in time of pandemic crisis – case study

Abstract

Purpose: The crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the way we work, learn and behave in everyday life. We were forced to work from home, i.e. work remotely, and learn using methods that were rarely or even not used until the pandemic. Switching from classes at the university with direct contact with the teacher to online classes had advantages, but also some disadvantages. Some universities already had some experience in conducting online classes and knew how to use them for various types of studies. Other universities took advantage of the platforms offered by international organizations, prepared new forms of education and adapted the program to their technical capabilities. New forms of education turned out to be a big challenge for both students and professors. The aim of the study was to compare the methods of distance education used both in universities with extensive experience and in universities where distance learning, at least due to applicable legal regulations, was less popular. Design/methodology/approach: The article analyzes the distance learning methods used by universities. The results of interviews conducted with students, teachers and the authors' personal experiences are described. Findings: We have discovered that students have no problems using online education techniques and highly value the opportunity to use materials prepared by lecturers and made available on remote education platforms. Moreover, they derive satisfaction from the opportunity to learn independently and search for materials on the Internet. One of the main conclusions was that the future seems to belong to a blended learning system, combining physical and online learning. Originality/value: The value is the originality based on the interviews and post COVID point of view. Keywords: pandemic crisis, online education, case study. Category of the paper: Case study, Viewpoint.