Duration of the project:

Lead partner:

UP Faculty of Health Sciences

Project partners:

UP Faculty of Education

Project leader:

Assoc. Prof. Sabina Ličen (SICRIS, ResearchGate)

Team at UP FHS:

Assoc. Prof.  Mirko Prosen (SICRIS, ResearchGate)
Assist. Prof. Igor Karnjuš (SICRIS, ResearchGate)
Assoc. Prof. Maša Černelič Bizjak (SICRIS, ResearchGate)
Assist. Sandra Martinuč (SICRIS)
Assist. Jure Žitnik (SICRIS, ResearchGate)

Abstract:

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (COVID -19) highlighted the need for greater digital capacity in education while reinforcing existing challenges and inequalities between those who have access to digital technologies and those who do not. This includes people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Most importantly, the pandemic has shown that the higher education system was not prepared for such a rapid transition from the classroom to the online environment and that Slovenia urgently needs a digital education standard to help teachers successfully prepare, adapt or redesign educational programs or individual subjects using digital technology.

The aim of the project is to explore the experiences of higher education teachers with the current use of digital technologies for educational purposes (e-learning) and to investigate their digital competencies. At the same time, the project aims to investigate the experiences of students from different programs and levels of study with the use of digital technologies and to determine the level of their digital competences. The main goal of the project is to develop a digital standard in higher education based on a detailed analysis and identification of factors in digital education while focusing on the country’s environment, policies, and culture.

The research project will be based on a mixed-methods research design or a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches to investigate the factors related to the development of the standard. This phase will use a research design that involves the sequential implementation of methods. However, the first phase is the collection and analysis of qualitative data, followed by the collection and analysis of quantitative data to improve the results of the first phase.

For the qualitative part of the research, a purposive sample of students from various programs and levels of study who have experience as participants in the pedagogical process based on digital education, either through distance learning, blended learning, or fully implemented through learning management systems, will be used. In addition, a purposive sample of higher education teachers who have experience as providers in the pedagogical process based on digital education (via distance education, blended learning, or through learning management systems) will be used. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method based on thematic analysis. Data analysis will be conducted using the computer program NVivo. The qualitative data will be reported in accordance with the reporting standard for qualitative research.

For the quantitative part, a stratified random sample from each participating group ( higher education teachers, students) will be used. Data will be collected using a structured questionnaire based mainly on the results of the qualitative part of the study. In this part, a standardized instrument is added to measure the digital competences of higher education teachers. Before conducting the survey, both questionnaires will be piloted on a small sample. The questionnaires prepared in this way will be translated into electronic form and conducted as an online survey. Data will be analyzed using the computer program IBM SPSS, version 25.0, and IBM SPSS Amos, version 26.0. Data will be analyzed using basic descriptive statistics. Depending on the sample size, normality of data distribution, and the purpose and objectives of the study, the appropriate statistical tests will be used. The STROBE standard for cross-sectional observations will be followed in reporting the results.