Research Article

Perceptions regarding Distance Learning in Higher Education, Smoothing the Transition

Ardita Todri 1 * , Petraq Papajorgji 2 , Howard Moskowitz 3 , Francesco Scalera 4
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1 Faculty of Economics, University of Elbasan “Aleksandër Xhuvani”, Albania2 Faculty of Engineering, Canadian Institute of Technology, Albania3 Mind Genomics Associates, USA4 Faculty of Economics, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Italy* Corresponding Author
Contemporary Educational Technology, 13(1), January 2021, ep287, https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/9274
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ABSTRACT

This paper presents the perceptions on distance learning approaches, assessed through an online survey, using experimental design of ideas (Mind Genomics). Students and professors of higher education institutions who had not yet experienced distance learning before COVID-19 pandemic period participated in the study. The participants belong to the universities located in Mediterranean basin, e.g., Albania, Italy, Morocco, Algeria and few African countries.
Results suggest that distance learning will shift many of the responsibilities formerly on the professors to those of the students. The data suggests the need for emotional support during this transition, specifically to maintain interaction among students and professor as well as among students themselves in distance learning platforms as in traditional classrooms. The study shows that the effectiveness and the interactivity of this new paradigm are very important and any further developments of distance learning should provide strong support for these components. The position of the professor is indispensable as the guide to the entire process, suggesting that at least at the time of this writing (2020) distance learning approach is perceived only to be an intermittent complementary path to in-person interactions.
Keywords: distance learning, Mind Genomics, survey, user’s perceptions

CITATION (APA)

Todri, A., Papajorgji, P., Moskowitz, H., & Scalera, F. (2021). Perceptions regarding Distance Learning in Higher Education, Smoothing the Transition. Contemporary Educational Technology, 13(1), ep287. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/9274

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