Abstract:

Evidently pandemic has utterly disrupted an education system not only in Georgia but throughout the world. The universities have been forced to transit face to face to online learning that places students and teachers in a different physical environment. Distance learning itself has a long history and has undergone a lot of technological improvement. Distance learning is characterized by advantages and disadvantages. However, this article aims to identify the main advantages and benefits of distance education both for teachers and students. The methodology applied in the article - questionnaire survey, observation, the interview was aiming at an analysis of how effective this modality can be with other traditional forms of teaching (face to face teaching/learning). In the course of the research, the main advantages were identified: increased number of students attended, better engagement of the students, flexibility offered by distance, developed speaking, writing, and listening skills.

The applied experiment in the Georgian context revealed that online learners benefit greatly from online learning because of their interaction: student-student interaction, student-teacher interaction, and student-content interaction, they become more technology natives: Georgian students develop digital literacy skills that are necessary to have in modern life, they feel enthusiastic about submitting their homework and getting feedback, majority of students admitted their improved self-discipline and feeling of responsibility due to the deadlines. Based on these findings, the study suggests that lecturers need to be equipped with a variety of engaging activities to ensure students’ active participation, they should consider the context of students when planning online classes and incorporate the media tools in their teaching process that sparks learners’ interests and fosters their active engagement which makes learning/teaching process more enjoyable and productive process.

Keywords:

Benefits, online learning/teaching, students, positive outcomes.