TITLE:
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Use of Digital Technologies in Ensuring the Efficient e-Learning Process at the Technical University of Moldova
AUTHORS:
Dinu Țurcanu, Rodica Siminiuc, Viorel Bostan
KEYWORDS:
Information Technologies, Higher Education, Microsoft 365 for Education, Applications, Services, e-Learning, COVID-19, Technical University of Mol-dova
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.11 No.10,
October
27,
2020
ABSTRACT: The Technical University of Moldova (TUM) is the
only state-accredited technical higher education institution in the
Republic of Moldova. In the face of the magnitude of the health crisis, TUM had
to quickly adapt its mode of operation to ensure the continuity of its
activities and to accompany its students in the study process in an efficient
way. In this paper, we analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eLearning and on the
use of Moodle and Microsoft 365 educational platforms, implemented at the
Technical University of Moldova. The data
were exported from M365 Usage Report in excel format for a period of 180 days
(from 15.02.2020 to 15.08.2020) and from the Moodle database for a period of
about 210 days (period 31.12.2019 - 31.07.2020). Those intervals include
the pre-pandemic period, the lockdown period and the student holiday period.
The aim of the research was to analyze the potential of the university to
continue and ensure the online education process internally, to share the lived
experience, the measures taken to anticipate the widening of the digital divide,
but also for the identification of vulnerabilities and reasoned planning of
exit strategies, in an appropriate frame of reference, depending on subsequent
developments related to the COVID- 19
pandemic. The Technical University of Moldova anticipated and undertook
multiple measures that demonstrated the potential to ensure the continuity and
good development of the teaching process during the pandemic by: reducing the
digital divide; reducing the risks of inequalities in education for students
from disadvantaged backgrounds; ensuring the social binder (imperative during
this period). At the same time, it would be incorrect not to mention that
eLearning, although it is an indisputable support in the teaching process,
requires additional investments (financial, time etc.) from the university and
from the teachers, but also from the students!