Because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, most universities were forced to choose Online Distance Learning (ODL). The study aimed to examine the response of university students to the new situation. A questionnaire was sent to the entire university student population. Based on responses from 606 students, it was revealed that use of all applications in ODL increased. However, only the use of MS Teams increased significantly, while the use of the other applications (email, Moodle, etextbooks) increased in a range of low to medium in terms of effect sizes, and even nonsignificant for applications such as Padlet and Kahoot. Based on the replies of 414 respondents, a Model of Forced Distance Online Learning Preferences (MoFDOLP) based on Structural Equation Modeling was developed. With a chosen combination of predictors, we succeeded in predicting 95% of variance for Satisfaction, more than 50% for Continuance Preferences variance in MS Teams applications, and nearly 20% in the case of ematerials. Among hypothesized constructs, only Attitudes are a strong predictor of Satisfaction, while Organizational Support, Perceived Ease of Use and Learner Attitude toward Online Learning are not. Satisfaction is a good predictor of Continuance Preferences to use Information Technology after the lockdown ended.
The aim of the study was to investigate the different views of educators and students on Forced Online Distance Education during the Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lock-down. Such differences in views can be a source of misunderstanding, leading to unintended side effects. Online open-ended surveys resulted in 1341 comments received from 210 university educators and 347 students. The coding, based on the principles of Grounded Theory, resulted in 35 concepts, organized into 6 categories. The main findings were that students and educators shared most of the negative and positive views; however, there exist unique views that are not shared between the two groups. The negative views outweigh the positive ones, and educators are more negative than students. The category 'Perceived usefulness' is the most positive and 'Technology' the most negative category. Positive views were attributed to the quality of life, not the quality of the study. The most important contribution of the work to the existing body of knowledge is the comparative analysis of the unconstrained views of students and their educators about Online Learning Environments (OLE) as the workhorse of Forced Online Distance Education (FODE). The results of this study can be helpful for institutional evaluators, since they reveal undesirable side effects that are usually overlooked. The study brings a new, deeper look at Forced Online Distance Education and the non-neutral role of digital technology in it.
Based on our previous educational researches we discuss whether it is possible to replace a human teacher with a virtual (machine) teacher, refereeing the hidden layers of doing so, as well as considering the technological possibilities currently available explain what this means in a society. For, an adaptation of current cybernetic into cybernetic pedagogy as cognitive modelling within a compounded educational system is proposed.
Two online surveys among 1105 university students and 656 employees were conducted with the inclusion of the construct Personal Innovativeness in the domain of Information Technologies (PIIT). After calculating descriptive statistics, statistically significant differences between personal innovativeness of university students and teachers were sought by the application of one-way ANOVA. The first and most important finding was that average perceived PIIT of teachers and students falls around the middle of the seven-point scale, which cannot be regarded as a plausible predictor of upgrading the University as an Innovative Ecosystem. The second was that university teachers scored higher than their students, a situation that could produce an expectancy conflict between those who want to work in an innovative way and those who would prefer study by the book. Teaching assistants, who should belong to the generation of digital natives, are only slightly more innovative than university teachers, who can be regarded as digital immigrants. Assuming that innovativeness can be upgraded by learning, means that efforts should be made by University Management to encourage and support Personal Innovativeness (and other creativities, as well) as a preferred teaching practice.
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