Training, personal and environmental barriers of online education

Abstract

The sudden change that universities experienced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic raised some key issues in higher education. The objectives of the present study are to discover the barriers that students experienced regarding training in the use of synchronous online teaching tools, and to analyse the barriers they faced in terms of personal and environmental aspects. A quantitative methodology was used, with an ad hoc questionnaire consisting of Likert-type questions that was completed by 670 students of Education at the University of Cordoba and the University of Lleida. The results showed that most students did not receive any training in teaching synchronous online classes. Also, the students who did not have their own devices (i.e. a computer, mobile or tablet) or had to share one with other members of their family had the most difficulties in following online courses. The efforts made by students during the crisis is notable, and teachers are encouraged to think about possible strategies for dealing with similar situations in the future.