The Perception of Slovak Students on Distance Online Learning in the Time of Coronavirus—A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Teaching and learning at educational institutions in Slovakia has been based on traditional education, consisting of face-to-face classes until it was disrupted by the spread of the Coronavirus disease. A sudden lockdown caused massive changes, which presented challenges not only for teachers, but also for students who were forced to adapt their learning in a very short time, without any previous preparation. Since various educational institutions were forced to remain closed, they had no option but to shift from a traditional educational approach to distance learning. This form of education requires a form of online learning. The main purpose of this study was to explore what technical equipment students had at their disposal, to understand the students’ perception of distance learning, and to ensure better learning conditions in case of future lockdowns. In order to investigate student readiness for distance learning, a questionnaire survey was conducted at the Secondary Vocational School of Tourism and Gastronomy in Nitra, Slovakia. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of students from the Secondary Vocational School of Gastronomy and Tourism are ready for distance online learning. The results also indicate that a great percentage of students have Internet access and are the owners of technological devices that can be used for educational purposes. Furthermore, students are able to work individually on their own and do not require any help from other people while working on assignments. Although they prefer different teaching methods, the synchronous online courses are their priority because it enables them to have direct contact with their teachers and peers. Overall, this research shows that distance online learning is possible provided that both teachers and students are familiarised with this new learning environment and are ready to cooperate.

Global emergency remote education in secondary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Students' deepened understanding was cited in a number of studies and related to subject content (e.g., Nugraha et al, 2021) and their ability to discuss and communicate topics effectively (e.g., Bruin, 2020). Characteristic approaches of online learning also helped increase understanding (Nurliani et al, 2021;Poláková & Klímová, 2021), such as the use of videos (e.g., Rusmansyah et al, 2021) and flipped feedback (e.g., Education Scotland, 2021). In a study of Maths students in the United Arab Emirates, Almarashdi and Jarrah (2021) found that students were focused more on developing their understanding of concepts, rather than on memorising answers for tests during remote online learning.…”

Studying Abroad from Home: An Exploration of International Graduate Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching

“…In the context of higher education, the pandemic promoted the implementation of online learning systems and the training of instructors to teach online. In other words, studies conducted during this pandemic could present practical implications for future online learning systems and models [8].…”

“…Higher education in many countries was forced to switch to ERT on that day or roughly around the same time. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a growing body of literature that explores students' ERT experiences in many parts of the world such as Jordan [4], the US [5], Serbia [6], South Africa [7], Slovakia [8], the UK [9,10], and Hong Kong [11]. However, these studies focus on students in general with no special attention to international students.…”

COVID-19 Effects on Communication Course and Faculty Evaluations

“…However, student responses to the rapid transition to online learning may also be influenced by their own digital literacy. According to Poláková and Klímová (2021), students are ready and have the necessary skills to use technology for education. In addition, Jin et al (2021) found that students discovered the convenience of online learning as a result of the emergency response of universities to the global COVID-19 pandemic.…”