Students’ Perspective on Remote On-Line Teaching and Learning at the University of Latvia in the First and Second COVID-19 Period

Alise Oļesika,Sanita Baranova,Daiga Kalniņa,Dita Nīmante

doi:10.3390/su132111890

Abstract

In Spring 2020, due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, all educational institutions in Latvia, including the University of Latvia (UL), transitioned from face-to-face on-site learning to remote learning. After a short period of face-to-face on-site learning in autumn, UL returned to remote learning in November for the second time. This paper investigates the UL students’ perspectives on remote teaching and learning at the UL during the first and second COVID-19 periods. The research assesses several remote study organization aspects, including the lecturer’s and student’s digital skills, their access to information and support during the study process, planning and implementation of the study process, and students’ acquisition of the content. The study used an original questionnaire designed in the Spring 2020 semester. Seven questions from the first questionnaire were included in another follow-up questionnaire distributed in the Spring 2021 semester. A total of 2248 UL students from the Spring 2020 semester and 742 students from the Spring 2021 semester participated in the study, representing 13 faculties across all study levels. The survey responses were collected via a QuestionPro survey platform and then downloaded into an IBM SPSS 28 file for a reliability check. Next, descriptive statistical analyses were conducted for each reported survey item using Microsoft Excel 2016. The research presented here implies that, in general, students perceive positive improvements in almost all the investigated aspects of the organization of the remote study process when comparing the first and second COVID-19 periods, which could indicate a certain level of resilience in students and university lecturers when subject to COVID circumstances. However, the results reveal that students have, in one year, developed a more realistic approach in assessing their digital skills. The results lead us to believe that remote on-line learning is not just a short-term solution but could become a valuable element for providing qualitative education in the long term. It could indicate that the students and lecturers at university are ready for new and sustainable higher education study organization solutions in the future.

Highlights

Introduction and BackgroundCOVID-19 interrupted the customary business procedures in higher education around the globe
It provides a good foundation for further analysis and for applying better targeted and appropriate support mechanisms for academic staff and students at the University of Latvia
The research indicates that students perceive positive improvements within one year in almost all the studied aspects of the organization of the remote study process

Summary

Introduction

COVID-19 interrupted the customary business procedures in higher education around the globe. To protect students and university staff from COVID-19, higher education institutions were temporarily closed, and all students and lecturers were required to stay at home. It is estimated that 200 million students worldwide were affected by COVID19 [1]. The European University Association’s (EUA) thematic peer group, Approaches in learning and teaching to promoting equity and inclusion (2021), emphasizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all student populations [2]. After the government of Latvia declared a state of emergency as a result of COVID-19 on 13 March 2020, all students and lecturers at the University of Latvia (UL) were required 4.0/).

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion