Abstract:

Both the world of educators and that of the beneficiaries of the education have changed profoundly in the last half year. The need for self-isolation, sometimes even quarantine periods and lockdown sessions led to a major change of teachers and students’ perspective on education. Paradoxically, the digitalization of education is not a new concept, but the fact that it has passed, overnight, from the status of ‘alternative education’, to the unique way of providing education generated panic among teachers, unprepared for this approach, among parents, and also among students. During spring months of the year 2020, all the factors involved in the process were willing to identify benefits, such as: an emerging new dress code - half office, half home outfit; the comfort of own home; stimulating creativity, both on the part of teachers and students; an increased tolerance towards one's own image, but also towards the public image of others (the video exposure exacerbated the need to build an attractive public image). But, after the enthusiasm of identifying positive aspects has passed - compulsory to keep the optimistic tone both for the educators and the educable ones - we are forced to think about risks and consequences. Our paper highlights some essential aspects (in terms of risks and benefits) that must be considered when the teacher creates a virtual classroom and invites students to be part of it. The study was carried out with the help of Romanian language preparatory students who were eager to answer a questionnaire about the changes they registered with the transition from face-to-face to online study. Our questionnaire covered 3 aspects: teaching strategies, learning tools, emotional impact. Students were asked to identify benfits and drawbacks from a list with the opportunity for them to make their own suggestions. The answers in the questionnaire were corroborated with the results obtained by the students in the final tests and it was found that there was a progression due to the greater concern of teachers to provide students with various online learning tools and due to the increase in individual study hours. The results of the study indicate a greater determination of students to learn and to be present in virtual classes, identifying this type of communication as their "new normality" ( advantages and disadvantages included) which offers them new perspectives and challenges.

Keywords:

Alternative education, risks & benefits, face-to face study, online teaching.