Abstract:

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented changes in the education system, which affects not only the teacher and partly his role in the educational process, but also increases the demands on students' ability to consume digital content and work with various software tools. The article highlights some aspects of these changes and attempts to analyse which part of digital skills plays the most crucial role in maintaining activity during distance learning lasting several months. This study analyses how the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (DEES) at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra adapted to this new situation. The results are based on experience with bachelor's and master's degree courses, and partly with doctoral studies. From implemented activities is it possible to deduce which thematic areas can be adapted successfully within environmental education and for which topics the pandemic lockdown represents a significant obstacle. Fieldwork is a hurdle in this context, as landscape analysis and some of the other disciplines usually cannot be performed by watching the video screen. The article also evaluates the role of selected hardware and software tools in providing teaching materials, ensuring contact with students and testing their knowledge. Keeping students engaged digitally requires new thinking. Mastering several tasks at once during education can place high demands, but online teaching is still teaching. Like any obstacle that becomes a challenge, COVID-19 pandemic brings new opportunities, including the educational content transformation into digital form and the acquisition of new skills by both parties involved in the teaching process (educators and students).

Keywords:

Pandemic COVID-19, environmental sciences, lockdown, education.