EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON UNIVERSITY PEDAGOGY: STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES AND CONSIDERATIONS

Authors

  • Katerina Kedraka Laboratory of Teaching and Professional Development of Bioscientists, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
  • Christos Kaltsidis Laboratory of Teaching and Professional Development of Bioscientists, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v7i8.3176

Keywords:

university pedagogy, COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning, students’ considerations

Abstract

Due to the coronavirus crisis, universities worldwide have faced sudden pressure to change from face-to-face delivery of courses to digitally enhanced teaching for distance learning. We present a small case study of 75 students from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece on their experiences of the transition from face-to-face to distance learning during this crisis. We used a questionnaire with closed-ended and open-ended questions to record the students’ “fresh” experience of their new educational reality. Students consider distance learning to be interesting, modern, adequate, and convenient, but not able to replace their experience of social interaction with fellow students and teachers. They continue to express worries about lessons, examinations, and laboratory work, which may be due to the specific and high demands of the biosciences. This crisis is an opportunity for universities to improve the use of digital tools for an enhanced learning and teaching experience. This should be supported by investment in digital infrastructure for improving distance learning in higher education.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

Author Biographies

  • Katerina Kedraka, Laboratory of Teaching and Professional Development of Bioscientists, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece

    Katerina Kedraka (BA, MSc, PhD) is an Associate Professor of Teaching and Job Skills of Bioscientists in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics in Democritus University of Thrace. Her research and publications in international and Greek conferences, as well as in scientific journals, focus on Adult Education, Career Management, Pedagogy and Didactics. She is the Head of a master’s degree “Didactics of Biosciences” and she leads the Lab “Teaching and Professional Development of Bioscientists”. Recently she has been appointed as the manager of the Teaching and Learning Center of Democritus University of Thrace. Her scientific interests focus on University Pedagogy, Adult Education / Lifelong Learning, Career Management, Guidance, Gender Issues in education and employment.

  • Christos Kaltsidis, Laboratory of Teaching and Professional Development of Bioscientists, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece

    Christos Kaltsidis is an ICT teacher in secondary education. He has studied Computer Science at the TEI of Thessaloniki and has a masters’ degree in Adult Education from the Hellenic Open University. He is a PhD candidate at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Democritus University of Thrace and his research interests include the adaption of Virtual Reality in Education, University Pedagogy, and Distance Education. He works as a detached member in the Laboratory of Teaching and Professional Development of Bioscientists.

References

Farrell O., Brunton J., Costello E., Donlon E., Trevaskis S., Eccles S., Ni She C. (2019). An investigation of effective online teaching: a needs analysis of online educators and online students, Dublin: #Openteach Project.

Fragoulis I., Valkanos E (2016). The continuing training of the Professors of ASPAITE in Heraklion, Crete, within the framework of University Pedagogy. In K. Kedraka, (Ed.), Proceedings of the University Pedagogy Symposium: Education and Teaching in Higher Education, a terra incognita? Alexandroupolis, 9 - 11 September 2016: 163-169.

Holmberg B. (2002). Training on Learning. Theory and Practice (translated in Greek), Athens, Ellin.

Karalis T., Raikou N. (2020). Teaching at the Times of COVID-19: Inferences and Implications for Higher Education Pedagogy. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10 (5): 479–493. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i5/7219.

Kamarianos I., Adamopoulou A., Lambropoulos H., Stamelos G. (2020). Towards an Understanding of University Students’ Response in Times of Pandemic Crisis (Covid-19). European Journal of Education Studies, 7(7): 20-40.

Karalis T. (2020). Planning and evaluation during educational disruption: lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic for treatment of emergencies in education. European Journal of Education Studies, 7(4): 125-142.

Kedraka K. (2016). University Pedagogy: Past, Present and Future. In K. Kedraka, (Ed.), Proceedings of the University Pedagogy Symposium: Education and Teaching in Higher Education, a terra incognita? Alexandroupolis, 9 - 11 September 2016, 21-39.

Keegan D. (2001). The Basic Principles of Open and Distance Education, Athens: Metaichmio.

Koutselini M. (2020). Quality assurance of e-learning within higher education: The philosophical and operational framework. Academia 18: 132-144. doi: https://doi.org/10.26220/aca.3214.

Μurphy M. (2020). “Universities beyond the coronavirus crisis – What awaits?”. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=2020050114564949. Accessed 5 May 2020.

OECD (2020). Education responses to covid-19: Embracing digital learning and online collaboration. https://oecd.dam-broadcast.com/pm_7379_120_120544-8ksud7oaj2.pdf. Accessed 5 May 2020.

Owusu-Fordjour C., Koomson C. K., Hanson D. (2020). The Impact of COVID-19 on Learning – The Perspective of the Ghanaian Student. European Journal of Education Studies 7(3): 88-101.

QS (2020). The impact of the coronavirus on global higher education. Quacquarelli Symonds http://info.qs.com. Accessed 6 May 2020.

Redecker C. (2017). European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators: DigCompEdu. doi: 10.2760/159770.

Reimers F. M., Schleicher A. (2020). A framework to guide an education response to the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020. https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/view/?ref=126_126988-t63lxosohs&title=A-framework-to-guide-an-education-response-to-the-Covid-19-Pandemic-of-2020. Accessed 5 May 2020.

UNESCO (2020). COVID-19 and higher education: Today and tomorrow. http://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-EN-090420-2.pdf. Accessed 6 May 2020.

Vogiatzaki E. (2019). Teachers' roles and skills in distance education. International Conference on Open & Distance Education 10: 38-42. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/icodl.2154.

Salah-Eddine K. (2020). How COVID-19 is driving a long-overdue revolution in education. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/how-covid-19-is-sparking-a-revolution-in-higher-education/. Accessed 15 May 2020.

Downloads

Published

2020-07-09

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 8 (2020)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).