Abstract:

Background:
The project "Optimizing Distance Learning Educational Programs" (ODLEP) aims to boost the distance educational programs in Greece, Romania, Italy and Serbia by creating an innovative framework for selecting the most suitable instructor for a given group of students for a competent and successful online distance learning program.

Methods:
Six participating Institutions (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Macedonia, University of Ioannina, Universitatea Lucian Blaga Din Sibiu, Universita telematica Degli Studi, Univerzitet U Nisu) from four European countries partnered to establishing a theoretical framework and deliver an online platform and policy recommendations for the successful matching of instructor/educator with students for online courses. A series of questionnaires evaluating desired characteristics of instructors (personality, teaching styles and preferences) and students (personality, learning styles and preferences) were completed by 257 Instructors (Age: M=49.6, SD=10.1; Sex ratio M/F: 55/45%) and 644 students (Age: M=33.6, SD=11.1; Sex ratio M/F: 52/48%) as of September 2023.

Results:
The rationale and processes selected to provide the best approach to match students and Instructors is presented in detail. Interestingly, the vast majority of Instructors (85%) prefer face to face educational approaches, whereas students seem to accept distance education very well, as 41% opted for distant educational over face-to-face approaches. Almost all instructors (98%) have delivered at least one semester of distant education courses (range: 1-50), whereas almost half of the students have attended at least one semester of distant education courses (range: 1-42).

Conclusions:
This is an ongoing project expected to be completed in January 2025. Our preliminary results indicate that distance learning is of interest to almost all educators and a significant proportion of students. There is, therefore, a need to delineate how educators and students think about distance learning, what their expectations are and how they prefer to deliver and acquire knowledge and training. Knowledge on these factors will facilitate the best possible match between students and instructors in online courses and will contribute to successful distant learning experiences.

Keywords:

Distance Learning, personality, learning styles, preferences.