Introduction: At the end of 2019, a new virus (Covid-19) emerged in China and quickly spread worldwide, posing a global health treat. In response, countries implemented various measures including the closure of educational institutions. As a result remote learning become a necessity bringing both positive and negative challenges for professors and students alike.
Purpose: The purpose of this research is to define the concept and significance of remote learning, examine the related factors and present its main advantages and disadvantages during the Covid-19 period. Additionally the study aims to understands how students experienced remote learning during the pandemic.
Methods: The first part of the thesis presents the theoretical background including an overview of Covid-19, education, e-learning, its advantages and disadvantages and the motivation for remote learning. In the second part an online survey was used as a research instrument to collect data from radiologic technology students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The questionnaire focused on students' perspectives regarding the benefits and challenges of remote learning, their experiences with e-learning and information-communication technology and their suggestions for improving online education.
Results: The survey was distributed to 182 students, with 100 respondents completing it appropriately (53% response rate). Among them, 69 were undergraduate (representing 69%) and 31were postgraduate students (representing 31%) . The findings indicate that key advantages of remote learning were greater schedule flexibility (73% of postgraduate students), better access to study materials (59%), time and cost savings with 80% of students who commuted for more than two hours daily supporting online learning. However 41% of students reported a lack of interaction with professors (p=0,006), which negatively affected their understanding of the material. Additionally, statistically significant results (p=0,024) revealed that remote learning limited the acquisition of practical skills, a concern particularly expressed by undergraduate students. Based on these findings a blended learning model could be considered as potential solution.
Discussion and conclusion: The analysis showed that students generally perceived remote learning as a convenient and flexible study format that allowed better time management, improved access to study materials and reduced travel expanses. However a sense of social isolation was observed, particularly among undergraduate students. Postgraduate students were more supportive of integrating digital education in the future, as they saw it as an opportunity to better valance academic and extracurricular activities. Conversely, undergraduate students emphasised the importance of personal interaction and hands-on training. The research confirms that while remote learning offers many benefits it cannot fully replace traditional education. The optimal solution would be a blended learning model that combines the advantages of both approaches, ensuring flexibility while maintaining the quality of education and practical training.
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