Transformation of Higher Education During the Pandemic: Pain Points

Abstract

The relevance of the study is due to the contradiction between the mass transition of the Russian system of higher education to the distance learning format and the insufficient willingness of participants in the educational process to work under the new requirements caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. Teachers, students and administrators of higher educational institutions in Russia have encountered a number of difficulties. Their analysis will highlight the objective and subjective factors of their occurrence and develop recommendations for the further organization of distance learning in its combination with the traditional format. The purpose of the study was to analyze the modern work experience in the remote format of one of the leading Russian universities – Kazan Federal University. On this basis, the article analyzes successes and problems of this process, shows the contradictions between traditional and distance learning, considers the main models of educational organization that involve traditional and remote learning formats using distance educational technologies. It is concluded that in the system of basic formal education at all levels and areas of training, distance learning can be considered as a form that complements and strengthens the social, pedagogical, organizational, psychological, and didactic potential of the traditional (face-to-face) educational format.The work comprehensively used the methods of theoretical (analysis, synthesis, systematization, comparison, etc.) and empirical (study of literature, conversation, questioning, observation) research.

University studies after the pandemic. Challenges and solutions

“…However, the most widespread forms of lectures and practical classes proved to be sending the text of lectures, presentations, assignments, seminar plans to e-mail followed by sending answers to the instructor's questions. Approximately the same conclusions were obtained from the results of research in other Russian universities [8,9,10]. All this shows that some of our faculty members lack the necessary digital competencies and understanding of the importance of transitioning to new educational models in modern conditions.…”

Counter-Pandemic Vector of Remote Learning for University Students: Risks and Benefits of Educational Process Large-Scale Digitalization

“…The set of studies conducted in the 2019/2020 academic year focuses on the key problem of the educational processlarge-scale digitalization of distance learning for University students and innovative activities of educational institutions. The research results reflect the priority areas of digitalization corresponding to the dominant remote learning formats in the modern educational process of the University (Mironova et al, 2017;Pushkarev et al, 2019;Altbach & Hans de Wit, 2020;Gafurov et al, 2020;Malikov, Potapova & Gavrilyuk, 2020;Rogozin, 2020;Starichenko, 2020;Strokov, 2020;Shtykhno, Konstantinova & Gagiev, 2020). The analysis of the works established that major groups of researchers justify the benefits of mass digitization of remote educational process of the University in terms of the dangers of the pandemic, but express fears arose against the inequality of universities, due to differences in the provision of educational process with computer equipment and Internet access.…”

“…At the beginning of 2020, for the first time in its history, the world's higher education systems under the influence of the dangers of the global pandemic were transferred to a remote format based on the large-scale digitalization of remote learning. This process is characterized by surprise, instantaneous nature and lack of preparedness for the transition to a qualitatively different format of training (Galiskan et al, 2019;Altbach & Hans de Wit, 2020;Gafurov et al, 2020;Malikov, Potapova & Gavrilyuk, 2020). The transition to remote education only in Russia in the academic year 2019 /2020 covered more than 4 million students and about 240 thousand teachers ( (Shtykhno, Konstantinova & Gagiev, 2020).…”

Digital learning at the University of Architecture and Civil Engineering: psychological risks and effects

“…This was noticed by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Falkov V.N., who in his interview with the RBC News agency on April 9, 2020 emphasized that the most difficult thing for teachers in using a remote format is to «organize collective work, to keep the students attention and interest, to make the studying process interesting though, in fact, we have emotional and intellectual moments go asynchronously» [12].…”