Online learning during COVID-19 pandemic as perceived by the students of Graphic engineering and design

Abstract

In this work we wanted to determine how students of Graphic engineering and design perceived online learning a year after the transition from traditional to online classes. The goal was to better understand problems, challenges, and good sides of online learning in this study field, and determine factors that impede knowledge transfer. The students' responses were collected via an anonymous online survey, which consisted of a series of questions that covered: conditions in which online classes are attended, communication channels, problems and how they are dealt with, understanding and motivation. The biggest challenges for our students were to sustain their attention and concentration during classes despite the distractors in their environments, and to keep their motivation despite the lack of direct interaction, social isolation, and too much computer time. Their technological and digital literacy were of great use in adapting to the online platforms and applications, as well as in solving technical problems that prevented them from following the classes. Even though online courses allow students to be more flexible and potentially combine work and study, most of our students do not think that their attendance and engagement in the studies increased in the last period. It is also undisputed that our students were dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety and that their emotional state highly influenced their perception of online learning. Hence, we firmly believe that apart from making online courses more engaging and interactive, it is of utmost importance to find a proper way to motivate and psychologically support students in the online learning environment, especially in times that require a high degree of resilience.

Engineering Students’ Perception on Self-Efficacy in Pre and Post Pandemic Phase

“…In relation to F5-Emotional Resources Management, the literature supports that students' mental health has been severely affected, being one of the most cited factors. The reported social impact during the pandemic [32][33][34]36] might have left repercussions that students still need to overcome, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorder or poor sleep. The findings of these works corroborate this study's results that there was a significant decrease in their emotional resources management.…”

“…Particularly with regard to students in higher education, research reports that the pandemic had an impact on several dimensions of students' lives, including their lifestyle, interpersonal competences, behaviors, emotions, feelings, and educational experiences [19,[30][31][32]. Studies from different parts of the globe indicate some common issues experienced by students, such as a decrease in motivation due to social aspects and especially a lack of communication and interactions with teachers and peers [33][34][35][36]. In a systematic literature review carried out at the beginning of the pandemic crisis in 2020 on The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Context of COVID-19, the authors found 83 articles that addressed this topic [37].…”