EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS IN ONLINE TEACHING DURING PANDEMICS

Abstract: The time of the pandemic forced educational institutions to take full advantage of IT technologies, using all their advantages in order to ensure the educational process. A completely diff erent approach to the educational process, online instead of the current traditional one, posed signifi cant challenges to both students and professors. The aim of this research is to show that with the many advantages that “online education” has brought, it has given students and professors more obligations, and thus greater stress during the teaching process. The subject of the research is qualitative proof that online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic enabled the unhindered maintenance of the educational process, but that neither students nor professors consider this way of teaching the best solution. From the data collection method, it was used the survey method with the survey technique. Of the general scientifi c methods, it was used the method of statistical data processing, that is processing of collected numerical data using the statistical package SPSS and their tabular and graphical presentation. Data gathering was conducted in combination: one part online, due to the rules of physical distances and other restrictions imposed during COVID- 19. In the other part of data collecting students were given opportunity to fi ll out the questionary during their time spent on the faculty. Self-created questionnaires were posted on platforms generally used for teaching, MS Teams and Moodle, during spring semester 2021, when combined teaching was conducted. Research has shown that students and professors have adapted well to online teaching, which they claim is of better quality than traditional, but they do not consider it the best way of teaching. It also showed that online teaching increased the level of engagement and stress among professors, in contrast to students who stated that they spent less time on online teaching and obligations than during work in the traditional way. This relevant research focuses on the advantages and disadvantages that the online way of working has brought in the educational process. The results and recommendations can be used to eliminate all shortcomings in time, so that in the following periods, if another lock down happens due to unfavorable epidemiological situation, the educational process can be performed better.

 

Key words: higher education, COVID- 19 pandemic, online teaching, traditional teaching, combined teaching.