WUT Social Work Department Students Perceptions of the Online Learning Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The spread of COVID-19 has led to the physical closure of universities, accelerating the expansion of online learning methods. West University of Timișoara has adapted to the pandemic context using different online teaching methods, useful also for students that needed to enhance interpersonal relationship skills, such as future social workers. Thus, authors explored social work students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemics. The main goal of the study was to determine the perceptions of WUT students, Department of Social Work, about their online learning experience, assessing the effectiveness of online learning with four indicators: Interaction with professors and faculty colleagues, Student comfort in online learning, Motivation to learn online, and Advantages and disadvantages of online learning. The data was obtained through an online questionnaire applied to 107 students. The results indicate that students were generally satisfied by the online learning experience, 60.7% feeling satisfied with the way the university made the transition to online education and 45.7% appreciating that teachers were prepared for the online environment. Their perception is influenced by their ability to technically access online courses and the educational outcomes. Over 50% of the students expressed satisfaction regarding communication with teachers and colleagues. An important conclusion of the research is that university education can benefit from this glimpse of online education, which has challenged, but in the end, has adapted to a hybrid, alternative, way of education. However, to have a sustainable education, e-learning tools should be constantly adapted to students’ needs.