Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges all segments of society and calls for rapid and effective interventions in health-care system, business, the economy and the education system. In the context of higher education, the doctoral level is specific due primarily to its organizational and program characteristics. The goal of this paper is to assess the success of the implementation of consultation segment and teaching process at University North Postgraduate Doctoral Study in Media and Communication, which continued with the Program despite the situation in which the entire education system in Croatia migrated to distance learning practically in a day. The goal is also to show that digital competencies and skills of professors and students are key to the successful implementation of distance learning. Investing in mastering these skills and raising them to a higher level is the key to a successful education of the future. Such conclusion is confirmed by two key documents crucial for our research – UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (2018) and especially Bologna Digital 2020 White Paper on Digitalisation in the European Higher Education Area (2019). The later emphasizes that Europe needs new directions and visions for a contemporary higher education in digital age. Digitalisation is therefore not just an extra challenge, but also an efficient tool capable of detecting the key challenges of 21st century higher education.
The research utilises an interview technique conducted by way of synchronous communication, via videoconference and telephone. Through videoconferencing, a semi-structured group interview method was implemented on a sample of 43 doctoral students divided into two groups. In the first group, which represents the first year of study, 23 doctoral students have participated in the interview. In the second group, which represents the second year of study, 20 doctoral students have participated. The semi-structured individual interview method was conducted by telephone on a sample of five professors teaching at doctoral Program.
Research results show that the situation caused by COVID-19 pandemic sped up certain processes in the areas of higher education that anyway desperately call for a change and are especially highlighted in the above mentioned documents. Research also points to the need for reorganization of doctoral study programmes, particularly in the context of methods and approaches to the research segment. Additional interventions are needed in transfer skills workshops planning, all aiming at the increase of scientific and technical information literacy of doctoral candidates. Furthermore, results show that certain ECTS generating obligations included in doctoral study programme (such as working visit to some foreign University) are made much easier precisely by to modern ICT technologies.
Although the doctoral level of studying substantially differs from other two education cycles, it cannot be the justification for the fact that doctoral-level specific research of necessary digital adaptations is scarce. This work aims at filling the research void and offers guidelines for adjusting the doctoral level of studying to challenges and demands of digital age. We will also show that digital transformation changes not only the educational system, but also economic, cultural and social surrounding, which makes new/digital skills 'conditio sine qua non' for an active and fulfilling participation in this new reality.

Keywords:

Distance learning, doctoral study, information and communication technologies, digital skills in the education system.