Were the Higher Education Institutions Prepared for the Challenge of Online Learning? Students’ Satisfaction Survey in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak

Abstract

The main purpose of the paper is to evaluate the online teaching process at universities, and detect shortages and gaps in online learning in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The research results are the initial steps leading to the development of a guide and online open access tools supporting academic teachers in the efficient use of an online didactic process, which will be used broadly. The specific objectives are to identify differences in the assessment of online learning among students from different EU countries, to identify differences between face-to-face and online learning among students from the countries surveyed, to assess the attractiveness of online teaching to students in selected EU countries, and to determine the assessment of the preparation of university teachers for online teaching in the countries surveyed. Using a purposive selection method, five EU countries, i.e., Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, were selected for the study. The study is based on questionnaires. The survey was conducted among 809 student respondents representing the five countries. The study was carried out in 2021 and the research period was 2020–2021 (before and after pandemic restrictions). It was found that students evaluate online courses much better in countries/universities with a long tradition in online teaching and usage of interactive platforms, than in those without them. Students generally evaluated in-person learning better than online learning, and their evaluation depended on their previous experience of online learning. The degree of preparation for the online courses is strongly correlated with the overall evaluation of these courses. The attractiveness of the online courses is strongly conditioned by the content of engaging, involving and stimulating elements. There is the need for the development of interactive tools and training for teachers, which will increase the attractiveness of online classes for students.