Abstract:

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed the way we all live, work and learn. Higher education institutions had to adapt to the pandemic situation suddenly and accelerated the implementation of ICT skills and competencies to avoid a disruption of studies. Teachers were forced to convert their instruction to online formats during the lockdowns, most of them moving to blended learning approaches after the pandemic. The University St. Kliment Ohridski-Bitola (UKLO) and the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland (UASB) quickly reoriented themselves towards providing conditions for students and teaching staff to apply and strengthen blended learning. The bilateral Scientific & Technological Cooperation between Austria and Macedonia, entitled “Blended Learning in Business Education – Consequences After Covid-19” examined the implications of this transformation process alongside the research question: Which skills, tools and methods will be maintained, further developed and creatively combined after the Covid-19 crisis?”

Teachers and researchers in the future should be able to recognize in retrospect the efforts made during the Covid-19 crisis in comparison to the further development of blended learning up to 2030. The cooperation covered a time span of two years from January 2022 to December 2023, examining the implications of this transformation process.

The methods applied included:
(1) desk research from the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 and outreaching the pandemic by systematizing the measures UKLO and UASB took on to continue the education,
(2) two surveys addressing teachers and students to get information about the effects of the increased use of online and blended learning
(3) four focus groups with academic staff and business students with work experience to provide answers on how well students are prepared for the economy through online and blended learning methods. For more visibility of the cooperation,
(4) a scientific brochure with the most relevant findings and
(5) a website with the extended research results had been produced as well.

By presenting the results, the scientific brochure takes a closer look at which skillsets, toolsets and mindsets will be maintained and further developed in the future for blended learning instruction. There was agreement that certain courses can be taught online easily, while others live from the interaction on campus, depending on the course type and topics, the group size, the tasks, the different kind of learning methods and the learning purpose. A clear distinction between “mastering content and actually having a learning experience” was drawn, showing that social learning is still essential. The professional role of teachers is enriched by guiding students, but teachers are definitely not perceived as their technical assistants. Nevertheless, the adequate design of online teaching, the managing of technical tools, the creation of online tests and assessments and the recording of videos are responsibilities teachers are in charge for. How to deal with emotions and exhaustion or frustration was a prevalent topic; as well as all aspects of how to enable socializing and teambuilding between students. In conclusion it turned out that learning how to use technological tools and designing new teaching formats is a benefit when combined creatively with proven methods.

Keywords:

Blended learning, online learning, Covid-19, Scientific & Technological Cooperation.