Student adaptation to distance learning: An analysis of the effectiveness, benefits and risks of distance education from the perspective of university students

Abstract

This research study provides an analysis of university students' experiences of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its main objective was to identify factors influencing students' adaptation to the online learning model. A total of 932 undergraduate students from a large Czech public university participated in the research through an online questionnaire. The data were processed using a mixed model design, which combines qualitative and quantitative research methods. In the case of our research, the initial qualitative phenomena were converted into numerical data, which were then processed using quantitative analyses. Response frequencies were grouped into categories, which were then analysed using binary logistic regression based on odds ratios. Ordinal and cardinal data were analysed using both descriptive and inductive statistical analysis. The results showed that, in addition to teaching methods and content, students' own adaptation to distance learning plays an important role, and that there are significant differences in this adaptation between students according to gender, type of programme and learning preferences. We also found that contact with teachers remains a key element of student success, and that maintaining communication with teachers is essential to setting an appropriate pace of learningand minimising student frustration. We identified key adaptive factors that influence student success in distance learning, such as personality profile, motivation, study skills and selflearning skills. An important finding of the study was that there is a need to identify educational content that can be delivered at a distance and those that require only face-to-face teaching. This appears to be a key requirement for the effective implementation of distance learning in higher education. The study also points to the need to evaluate the effectiveness of different teaching methods for learning in terms of their impact on student success in the distance learning mode. On the basis of the results obtained, we consider it necessary for universities to invest sufficiently not only in technical equipment and in the training of teachers in the use of the available technologies, but also in strengthening the pedagogical and psychological competences of all teachers.