Digital University: A Study of Students’ Experiences and Expectations in the Post-COVID Era

• Published in: Education sciences 2023-02, Vol.13 (2), p.219
• Main Authors: Chodak, Katarzyna, Ciesielski, Piotr, Grysztar, Dominika, Kurasińska, Amelia, Makeeva, Olga, Prygiel, Paulina, Żabicki, Michał
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Comparative Analysis; COVID-19; digital university; Digitization; Distance learning; Educational Administration; Educational Resources; online learning; perception of remote education; Perceptions; Special Needs Students; Student Attitudes; Student Motivation; Students; Universities
• ISSN: 2227-7102; 2227-7102
• DOI: 10.3390/educsci13020219

In 2020, the education process at universities started to be redefined, parting with the traditional face-to-face form. The article presents the conclusions of exploratory study conducted at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (Poland) on the students’ experiences of remote education as well as their expectations for the future. The study was conducted in the form of an online survey addressed to the entire population of science recipients at the Jagiellonian University, around 800 respondents completed the questionnaire. The obtained results show that most students rate remote education relatively high, although there are statistically significant differences in specific questions (e.g., theoretical classes are more suitable for online learning than practical classes). The authors paid special attention to the differences in the attitudes of students depending on their characteristics, the approach to remote education differs, in particular, depending on the gender and field of study. Students of social and humanist faculties view remote education most positively, and science students opinions are mostly negative. It has also been observed that some students are uncritically satisfied with most aspects of distance learning (the so-called “Tiggers”), while others are strong supporters of face-to-face education, reluctant to accept any changes (so-called “Eeyores”), so regardless of the scope of pro-quality activities undertaken, both criticism and praise of remote education can be expected. The obtained results open the field for further studies that would allow to confirm the covariance of multidimensional characteristics of students and their attitudes towards the digital university, and on the other hand would allow planning activities aimed at different and perhaps mutually contradictory expectations of the recipients of education.