Obstacles of Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown and Their Immediate Effect on the Acquirement of Digital Skills

Abstract

Before 2020, there were three methods for students at the University of Zilina (hereafter referred to as UNIZA) to pursue their education. Students have to complete exercises and lectures as scheduled during their daily study. Students were required to participate in classes or exercises individually, as agreed upon with the instructor, through an external study method with a timetable for their educational activities. Beginning in 2020, distance learning (which took place online) was added, changing this. Moodle seemed no longer sufficient; thus, Microsoft Teams was adopted to handle large-scale online collaboration. The paper addresses the benefits and drawbacks of the platforms, as mentioned earlier and analyses the survey results obtained from UNIZA students. Students have become somewhat accustomed to distance learning while developing their digital skills through various programs and software. Some applications were made available to them thanks to MS Teams. Students learned to develop their logical, technical, and analytical thinking potential. They had to learn to work independently and with new platforms. This experience can give students a competitive advantage in the job market. 

Received: 29 July 2023 / Accepted: 21 October 2023 / Published: 5 November 2023