Abstract:

The coronavirus disease pandemic has caused an unprecedented crisis in all areas including education. In order to prevent spread of this virus educational institutes have been closed in more than 190 countries. Consequently, this situation led to the massive deployment of distance learning activities through a variety of formats. The first incidence of SARS-CoV-2 was in Slovakia 6th March 2020, the government declared emergency led to lockdown of Slovakia. All types of schools were enclosed, schools and maternal schools were reopened in 1st June. Universities carried on distance form of study up to end of academic year 2019/2020. Reduction of face to face contacts with teachers has led to problems in educational areas. The aim of the study was to evaluate the education of college students influenced by COVID-19, attitude and preference of educational methods and forms of education. Our attention was focused mainly on verification of knowledge and skills. The specific aim was oriented to comparison of situation before and after lockdown resp. isolation dependent on pandemic situation and spread of new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of pandemic during the period March – May 2020. The research sample was created by randomly selected college students (n=199) aged 20-50 years (162 women and 37 men; 81.4 and 18.6%). The average age represented 24.1 ± 5.3 years, median 23.0 years. College students originated from two universities – Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra and Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. 1st stage of study represented 92 students (46.2%) and 2nd stage 107 students (53.8%). We used questionnaire method, questions mapped situation in education before and during pandemic. Comparative methods evaluated students of the 1st and the 2nd stage of study. Statistical analyses were realized by software Statistica version 10.0 (StatSoft Inc., USA), significance p<0.05. Before occurrence of pandemic during the present form of education students of the 1st stage preferred the partially verification of knowledge by writing form – test to oral exam (69.6 and 44.6%). The students of the 2nd stage preferred to use test form and addition of the short answers. After pandemic during the distance form of education the students of the 1st stage choose the same methods of verification of knowledge. In the comparison with situation before pandemic (71.7% and 46.7%), while students of the 2nd stage preferred project/term work along with written exam with addition of the short answers (43.0 and 34.6%). Students of the 1st stage during pandemic significantly decreased interest in oral exam by distance form (39.1 versus 17.4%) in comparison with situation before pandemic (p<0.01). In term of the final exam students choose uniquely test form. It has been confirmed significant differences between 1st and 2nd stage of study in preference of oral exam among students (51.1 versus 29.0%, p<0.01) before pandemic. The most favourite forms of education during pandemic were the following: visual form of presentations (power point 94.5%), interpretation of teacher (oral presentation) (76.4%), and video online presentations (32.7%). The recent possibilities in evaluation of knowledge level of college students utilized in education process are diversed, we can choose from wide spectrum of innovative method including technical equipment and didactics items. This work was supported by KEGA-012UKF-4/2019.

Keywords:

Covid-19, coronavirus, pandemic, lockdown, college students, education, exams, methods, forms.