The spread of the COVID-19 epidemic has fundamentally transformed people’s lifestyles and habits. The Internet began to play an important role in supporting remote work, e-learning, online collaboration. The education system has been the most affected (Tremmel et al., 2020; Marshall, Shannon, and Love, 2020; Peloso et al., 2020). Closing schools and universities maintaining social isolation in the context of the spread of COVID-19 required new approaches to the organization of education in most countries (Pokhrel and Chhetri, 2021; Renu, 2021). The radical transition from the traditional system of obtaining knowledge to virtual education actualizes research related to the analysis of the specifics and dysfunctions of distance learning. Such a state of affairs contributed to the appropriacy to choose the area given. From the explored sources, the following themes emerged – digital literacy of students, the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning, mechanisms to reduce stress and workload for students, tools to increase their level of motivation and involvement.
As surveys of students from universities in Indonesia and Malaysia conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 show, prior informing students, careful planning, effective communication, monitoring of technical and organizational problems have a positive impact on students’ attitudes towards e-learning (Ana A. et al., 2020). Studies conducted in Saudi Arabia illustrate the high levels of student stress associated with the abrupt and forced transition to online learning. Of particular concern is the uncertainty of knowledge assessment systems (Moawad, 2020). An additional source of concern in the context of online learning is a significant increase in the amount of information received a decrease in the number of personal contacts between the teacher and the student.
Dysfunctions of the rapid transition to distance learning focus scientists on the factors that make it possible to increase the effectiveness of the educational process (Hash, 2021; Rashid and Yadav, 2020; Neuwirth, Jović, and Mukherji, 2021). Involving students in interactive activities and group interaction makes it possible to compensate for the lack of live communication between a teacher and a student in distance learning (Davis et al., 2021; Dhawan, 2020; Wotto, 2020). Great opportunities in this context are the methods of gamification. The game design allows students to practice constructive thinking and analysis skills.
The advantages of distance learning are illustrated by the following factors: flexibility in the organization of the educational process, visibility (an effective system for presenting material using proven methods), and taking into account the individual needs of students (Shamir-Inbal and Blau, 2021; Jameson et al., 2020). The capability to work at one’s own pace, convenient mode, and schedule provides a reduction in stress levels in the learning process. The implementation of these advantages is ensured largely through quality control of digital content the use of digital technologies in education (Friedman et al., 2021; Kozimor, 2020). The results of the research will make it possible to identify factors for increasing the effectiveness of online learning. Among these might be connection with practice, a high level of relevance, involving students in the creation of digital content, monitoring student satisfaction, and adjusting course materials (Khan and Abid, 2021; Madianou, 2020).
It should be noted that the effectiveness of distance learning is determined by the resource provision of the digitalization of the educational space. The results of the research illustrate the problems in the field of financing the availability of digital infrastructure and software in educational organizations (Bubb and Jones, 2020; Tessarollo et al., 2022; Azar et al., 2021). The lack of infrastructure support and readiness of teaching staff to introduce digital technologies into the educational process leads to significant dysfunctions in the practice of distance learning.
The perception of the quality of distance learning by students, first of all, depends on the teacher: their personal qualities and the parameters of using digital technologies. In the context of the digitalization of education, the personal and professional qualities of the teaching staff are of particular importance (Gillis and Krull, 2020; Alqabbani et al., 2021; Ntshwarang, Malinga, and Losike-Sedimo, 2021). This is experience, skills of working in an online environment, the desire to use a wide range of strategies in the process of interaction with students (Smoyer, O’Brien, and Rodriguez-Keyes, 2020; Liu, 2021). Digital trust loyalty to digital innovations determines the success of distance learning. The lack of full-fledged communication with the teacher the complexity of organizing feedback reduces the motivation of students to acquire knowledge, causes difficulties with adaptation, and becomes a source of stress (Shawaqfeh et al., 2020; Saxena, Baber, and Kumar, 2021; Zhou, 2021). Additional problems are technical difficulties lack of infrastructure for online learning for certain social groups of young people.
The purpose of the study is to determine the benefits and risks of the transition to distance learning for university students, which is due to the introduction of quarantine measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following tasks are set: to determine how successfully students of higher educational institutions have adapted to the transition to distance learning; identify dysfunctions and difficulties of transition to distance learning; identify new trends in changing the quality of the educational process.
The study puts forward the following hypotheses. First, the effectiveness of the transition to distance learning depends on the professional and personal qualities of the teacher, his motivation, and their ability to adapt the usual pedagogical methods to the new conditions of distance learning. Secondly, the use of modern information and communication technologies the formation of stable feedback with students reduces the negative consequences of the transition to distance learning.
A set of general scientific research methods will be used: analysis, synthesis, generalization, systematization, classification. Also, empirical research methods will be involved: analysis of documents (information and scientific sources). The key research method is a questionnaire survey of senior students of full-time and part-time forms of education. The choice of an educational organization will be determined both by the internal principles of improving the quality and effectiveness of the transition of education to a remote work format and by its status as a leading innovative university.
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