Virtual Learning and Educational Environment: New Opportunities and Challenges under the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This paper analyzes the current changes in higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As coronavirus spreads around the world, there is great concern about the problems of availability, accessibility and efficiency of higher education in different countries. The WHO and national ‘stay-at-home’ orders require professors and students should follow the rules of social-distancing and self-isolation. The present day situation in the sphere of education, including higher education, poses new challenges and opens up new perspectives for further development of virtual environment for both professors (educational environment) and students (learning environment). The research into the current problems of virtual learning and educational environment at the Russian State Social University and Moscow Aviation Institute (University) included 147 students (98 - from the Russian State Social University and 49 – from the Moscow Aviation Institute (University). They were asked to answer the following research questions: if the university virtual learning environment (UVLE) was capable of providing continuous process of education under pandemic, if the UVLE met the contemporary demands of acquiring knowledge and skills, if the UVLE was easy to operate in order to get proper level of knowledge and skills, if the UVLE was efficient to provide education for students with different social, cultural and educational backgrounds. It was also important to find out if the UVLE provided a reliable access to the university e-library and Internet resources. The researchers made an inquiry into the possibilities of the UNLE to provide a sufficient level of educational interaction between students and professors (teaching staff), between students and among teaching staff as well as to provide blended learning comprising elements of online and offline learning. The teachers and professors of the above mentioned universities were also engaged in the inquiry. They were to answer such major questions as: whether the university virtual learning environment (UVLE) was capable of providing continuous process of education under pandemic isolation conditions and was easily adaptable for modern requirements in order to transfer from the physical educational environment to virtual educational environment. The inquiry has demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of both students and teachers praise the UVLE and UVEE for such basic characteristics as continuity, usability and efficiency of educational process under the conditions of self-isolation during the pandemic. Though 99% of the interviewees spoke for working in the virtual environment while the COVID-19 was spreading, they also pointed out the necessity of constant upgrading of their technical knowledge. The results may help regulators, educators as well as IT experts develop strategies and tactics for effective online education.