DISTANCE LEARNING IN AN ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
DISTANCE LEARNING IN AN ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Summary/Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of our life including learning and education. 2020 will remain in the history of world education with the unprecedentedphysical closure of schools and universities and the rapid transition of educationalactivities in a virtual online mode. Traditional teaching methods have beentransformed in digital format. The learning process was conducted entirely in anelectronic environment, which had to be organised and provided with electronicresources - different types of electronic media and information and communicationstechnologies (ICT) in education. The aim of the article is to examine the experience gained from e-learning in asocial distance at universities in Bulgaria. This study focuses on academic staffperspectives of main challenges and problems in distance learning process during thepandemic at higher educational institutions using the example of University ofAgribusiness and Rural Development (UARD). As part of our study, we interviewedacademic and administrative staff in University of Agribusiness and RuralDevelopment to investigate the challenges that were faced in the periods of socialdistance. Lessons learned from "crisis education" analysis outline the strategicframework for the necessary changes in learning models, providing distanceeducation, leveraging hi-tech, low-tech and no-tech approaches, so that today'seducation can meet future challenges.

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