COVID-19 Emergency Remote Teaching: Lessons Learned from Five EU Library and Information Science Departments

1.1 The DECriS Project and the Analysis of the ERT Response to COVID-19

This article illustrates the overall results of a qualitative study performed as part of the Erasmus + project “Digital Education for Crisis Situations: Times when there is no alternative (DECriS)” whose main objective was to investigate how the European LIS Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) practice online education and use open educational resources (OERs) in times when there was no other alternative, especially to analyse the perceptions and experience of all stakeholders involved. In this qualitative study, we analysed the attitudes, expectations, problems, adaptability, pros and cons, and lessons learned in Digital Education (DE) during the COVID-19 crisis. During the COVID-19 outbreak, UNESCO made a survey of about 222 HEIs from 67 countries about the response of the HEIs to remote teaching (UNESCO, 2020) in relation to the teaching and learning cycle. One of the results was that 79% of surveyed institutions offered forms of online remote learning for students. According to this report, surveyed HEIs offered positive solutions in the crisis situation; however, it was still unclear whether these measures had a positive impact on teachers and students.

Teaching and learning during the COVID-19 lockdown were part of the emerging crisis situation that had never been seen on a global scale before. There have been similar situations in countries with complex geopolitical characteristics, such as South Africa (Czerniewicz, Trotter, & Haupt, 2019), or when natural disasters occur, such as floods or earthquakes (Ayebi-Arthur, 2017; Collings, Gerrard, & Garrill, 2019; Liang, Chen, Wu, Yen, & Chang, 2015; Richardson et al., 2015). Nevertheless, most generations have not lived through a pandemic situation since the Spanish Flu in 1918 (Fornasin, Breschi, & Manfredini, 2018) or Ebola (Walsh, De Villiers, & Golakai, 2018). In the case of COVID-19, most HEIs shifted overnight from face-to-face teaching to remote teaching. This meant that lecturers had to teach online, either synchronously or asynchronously, and students also had to learn remotely online. In this article, we focus our attention on how remote teaching was carried out and the perceptions of the teachers and students one year after the lockdown in five LIS departments.

The process of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 lockdown has been given different names in the scientific literature, such as distance learning (Sarwari, Kakar, Golzar, & Miri, 2022), distance teaching (Boté-Vericad, 2021a), emergency remote teaching (Alqabbani, Almuwais, Benajiba, & Almoayad, 2021; Maraqa, Hamouda, El-Hassan, Dieb, & Hassan, 2022; Walsh et al., 2018), and remote learning (Stewart, Baek, & Lowenthal, 2022; UNESCO, 2020). In all cases, definitions among authors vary slightly, and a variety of names have been used for teaching and learning in a crisis scenario. In this article, we will use the terms remote teaching and remote learning.

1.2 The Context of the LIS Departments Involved

The Erasmus + project involved five partners: University of Barcelona (Spain), University of Zagreb (Croatia), University of Osijek (Croatia), University of Hildesheim (Germany), and University of Library Studies and Information Technology (Sofia, Bulgaria). During the COVID-19 lockdown, the situation in relation to teaching and mobility was different for each partner. For instance, in the case of the University of Barcelona, teachers were instructed to perform the usual teaching schedule, and mobility was seriously restricted. In the case of the University of Zagreb, at the time of the lockdown, there was an earthquake that added more difficulties to the teaching and learning activities; nevertheless, Croatian students received remote teaching. The students’ situations at the University of Osijek were similar to those of Zagreb, except for the earthquake, which did not affect Osijek. In Hildesheim, Germany, students were allowed to move around with some freedom. Finally, at the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies in Sofia, Bulgaria, students had to remain at home with mobility restrictions. From a cultural teaching context perspective, all teaching plans among partners are similar, and other cultural aspects were not considered in this study. In this regard, Hildesheim has a more tech-oriented approach, while the other centres, despite the digital transformation they have undergone, also lean towards the more traditional library-archival field. However, these differences are more pronounced at the undergraduate versus master’s level. As explained in the methodology section, we aimed to account for this by selecting professors and organizing separate focus groups for undergraduates and master’s students. Our primary objective was to identify exceptional teaching scenarios.

This article is structured as follows: Section 2 presents a literature review focused on remote teaching and learning in higher education. This is followed by Section 3, which describes the methods and materials used in this study. Section 4 shows the results and provides an analysis of the main findings, complemented by Section 5 with a discussion of the results. Finally, Section 6 is devoted to conclusions and limitations.

3.1 Research Questions

Considering the context of the centres, the study’s purpose, and the framework of the literature review conducted, this article aims to answer the following research questions regarding the COVID-19 crisis based on the students’ and teachers’ views of the learning and teaching situations at that time:

RQ1. How did teachers and students cope with the challenge of the COVID-19 crisis and how did they adapt and adjust to the new circumstances?

RQ2. What differences in teaching/learning performance were observed between the first semester of teaching affected by the pandemic (spring–summer of the 2019-2020 academic year) and the second semester (autumn–winter of the 2020–2021 academic year)?

RQ3. What is the teachers’ perception of how HEIs adapted their structure, services, and policies to teaching during the lockdown and the following academic year?

RQ4. What are the lessons learned and best practices from these five HEIs?

3.2 Research Design, Sampling and Data Collection

This paper is part of the Intellectual Output 2 of the DECriS Project, a bigger research activity in which additional information has been obtained. Since the methodology is unique to the complete study, in this manuscript we show the results in relation to the HEIs’ responses to the pandemic and reflect on the digital transformation of the HEIs, looking at the attitudes, expectations, problems, adaptability, pros and cons and lessons learned in DE during the COVID-19 crisis (Table 1).

We created a methodological guide to analyse the data obtained by the different partners (Boté-Vericad, Argudo, & Urbano, 2022). This guide explained which concepts should be covered in the interviews and in the focus groups, as well as the data flow. We decided that just one partner (the Barcelona team) would analyse all the datasets to avoid different sorts of analyses being used or completely different interpretations being made. The partners chose their sample from teachers and students according to the methodological guide.

As we use two qualitative techniques that involve a relatively small number of people compared to the total teacher and student populations, it was necessary to determine the criteria and the sampling system very well to decide who would be interviewed and who would be part of the focus groups. Purposive sampling (i.e., non-probabilistic sampling) was performed according to the criteria of each partner to coordinate their interviews and focus groups. The criteria for selecting students and professors were consistent across all partners, as explained in the following paragraph.

To simplify carrying out the interviews and focus groups, once the criteria and the sampling routine had been established, each partner institution selected participants considering that it was necessary to ensure that the samples had the appropriate representation of the different levels and types of subjects included in the study. It was necessary to include the following:

• Students of various courses and levels of education who were enrolled during the pandemic period of lockdowns (2020–2021). Both bachelor’s and master’s degree students had to be represented. There needed to be proportionality between genders and age groups. For example, the proportionality of genders had to ensure that there were participants of both genders.

• Bachelor’s degree teachers, master’s degree teachers, and teachers who teach at both levels of education had to be represented. The proportionality between genders and age groups also had to be respected.

• The teaching area of each teacher also had to be considered as a variable, keeping in mind that some people teach in more technological/practical areas and other people in less technological/practical areas, and each area involved a different approach for shifting to the emergency digital remote teaching.

Participants were requested to give their informed consent and the process of interviews and focus groups was approved by the Bioethics Commission (CBUB) of the University of Barcelona as the project team from the UB led this work package, and the outputs of this study were planned in a unitary approach (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Methodological pathway to analyse data among partners.

The interviews and focus groups were conducted by each partner following common guidelines and were recorded in their corresponding native languages: Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, German, and Spanish. The composition of the focus groups was balanced, including both men and women. Table 2 represents the composition of all focus groups and interviews conducted by partners.

The audio recordings were transferred to the University of Barcelona team, who made an automatic transcription into the language of each partner through a commercial platform, Happy Scribe. All partners were in charge of editing and verifying their own transcriptions to check accuracy. Once the transcription process was done, all transcriptions were subsequently edited and translated into English by each of the participating teams. During the editing and translation process, the most important phrases and concepts were highlighted to guide the Barcelona team with the relevant sections of the conversations. Then, all partners sent the transcript translated into English with the most relevant parts highlighted to avoid bias in the interpretation of the results.

Later, the Barcelona team analysed the complete dataset. The analysis was double-checked to avoid bias and misunderstandings. Once the data had been analysed, a report was prepared and sent to all partners, so they could check and verify that what was analysed corresponded to the context. With all the text files in English, the Barcelona team worked on the inductive coding of all the transcripts and data analysis to prepare the reports of each centre and the final joint report. Using inductive coding, codes and categories emerge from the data itself, without preconceived notions. It involves identifying patterns and themes to develop a grounded understanding of the information.

The data were analysed following the qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2010). A total of 39 interviews with teachers and 10 focus groups with a total of 47 students were conducted during the first quarter of the year 2022. The breakdown by partners is in Table 2. Throughout the report, all the quotes from the interviews are labelled with the partner code followed by the interview number (e.g. [OJ_1] for Osijek teacher #1); for focus groups, we added the letters FG before the number (e.g. [OJ_FG_1] for Osijek focus group #1).

4.1 Adaption and Adjustments to New Circumstances

Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers’ experiences in adapting to remote learning were marked by distinct patterns. These patterns emerged based on the teachers’ prior familiarity with blended learning or their encounter with the pandemic-induced lockdown as an innovative challenge. This division served as a significant precursor to understanding their varied approaches to transitioning to virtual classrooms.

However, the process of adapting was not without its hurdles. The pandemic’s unexpected shift to remote learning brought personal limitations to the forefront. A teacher from the University of Barcelona, for instance, expressed concerns related to the transition from a formal teaching environment to their own homes. The absence of specialized teaching equipment, suitable communication platforms, and an organized teaching setup posed initial concerns for educators, potentially affecting their teaching effectiveness and students’ learning experiences:

“The first feeling, in a way, was one of concern. Well, that’s because you’re not in the teaching environment where you usually conduct classes. You’re in your home. You’re not in a place where you have cameras, where you have sound, where you have a space set up to communicate. You have your home set up just for what you set up a home. But you don’t have a space to communicate with the network and that. The first feeling was this.” [BA_5]

In the University of Osijek, one teacher’s assumption that students preferred independent tasks over online classes was debunked. Students, contrary to this presumption, expressed a desire for online lectures that mirrored the structure of traditional classroom interactions. This mismatch between assumptions and student preferences highlighted the complexities of adapting pedagogical strategies to the unprecedented remote learning landscape:

“So, from the beginning when we started, the first two weeks, it seemed to me that it would be simpler for students to have more independent tasks because it seemed to me that somehow it would be easier to work if they managed their own time. So, I wouldn’t give lectures, I’d give them a text to read. And then through online consultations we would comment on that text. Which turned out to be a completely wrong assumption, because students literally wanted online classes. They wanted to go into online classes that were really no different from contact classes in the classroom.” [OJ_9]

Student experiences also played a pivotal role in shaping the transition. The importance of social connections became evident, as students in various institutions sought to maintain a sense of camaraderie. For instance, students from Hildesheim utilized WhatsApp groups to stay connected with peers and instructors, bridging the gap left by physical classroom interactions:

“Yes, I also tried via WhatsApp to keep in touch with the people I already knew from before Corona, so to speak, and who I had met a few times. Then in the summer, when it was allowed again and so on, and yes, with the lecturers. I don’t think I asked many questions in person before Corona, but in the first semester I think you only have these big lectures, so you didn’t really need it. But yes, when I did, I also wrote in the forum or asked questions by email. But I always got answers relatively quickly. So, it wasn’t like I didn’t get an answer or anything. Otherwise, we also had a WhatsApp group, somehow from [the degree program], where sometimes people asked or answered questions. Sometimes you found out about something faster there than if you had written an email to the lecturer.” [HI_FG_2]

The earthquake in Zagreb added an additional layer of challenge to remote learning. Students and teachers navigated through various approaches to lectures, with some instructors opting for synchronous sessions while others provided pre-recorded content. The response of students to these different approaches varied, with some students resisting asynchronous methods, underlining the complexities of catering to diverse learning preferences in a remote setting.

“For me, there was a big difference between the study groups. In [subject X], for example, teachers most often left a recorded lecture that we could listen to later. Or they would have a live lecture, but they would also record it and leave the recorded version for us to view and listen later. In the case of [subject Y], for example, classes were held in real time, and some people would even object a lot if they left us recordings.” [ZA_FG_1]

Assessing, monitoring, and grading in remote teaching was one of the main concerns that emerged during the pandemic period. The contrast between the teacher's experience and the student’s expectations and experience is very interesting. In general, students expected a more tailored assessment. For them, the exams were very similar to the usual ones, but conducted online with a series of complex mechanisms to ensure that they did not copy.

“I must mention that the examinations were conducted online, which introduced challenges related to cheating and monitoring student behaviour. Implementing time limits was a strategy to mitigate this issue. Striking the right balance was crucial – too little time might pressure students unduly, while too much time could facilitate cheating. Despite these concerns, there haven’t been any reported complaints about this approach.” [OJ_5]

Adapting to the COVID context, teachers’ experiences varied between those familiar with blended learning and those finding the lockdown innovative. Personal limitations impacted adaptation, exemplified by a University of Barcelona teacher’s concerns about home setup. At the University of Osijek, a teacher’s initial assumption that students preferred independent tasks over online classes proved wrong. Students emphasized social aspects, using WhatsApp groups to connect. In earthquake-affected Zagreb, diverse approaches to synchronous and recorded lectures were noted, with some students resisting asynchronous methods. The accounts underscore the complexities of transitioning to remote learning amid personal, technological, and social considerations.

In summary, teachers’ adaptation to remote learning was influenced by their prior exposure to blended learning, while personal limitations further complicated the process. Student perspectives underscored the importance of social connections, and the unique challenges faced by earthquake-affected institutions added an extra layer of complexity. The narrative of adaptation during the pandemic is one marked by multifaceted considerations, ranging from technological constraints to student engagement, and speaks to the resilience of the academic community in the face of unprecedented challenges.

4.2 Teaching and Learning Performance

The main topic of the interviews and focus group discussions was the initial confinement period from March to July 2020, which affected the ability to conduct exams and evaluations in person. The participants were interviewed in the first trimester of 2022 and were asked about the September 2020–July 2021 academic year. Despite some resolved issues, the following academic year was far from normal, and the teaching staff had to prepare multiple plans for their courses. Most teachers, with few exceptions, acknowledged the pandemic’s negative impact on academic performance and learning levels. For example, most students did not have a dedicated space at home to work, affecting their pace of work, which in turn influenced their performance and results. A Barcelona professor emphasizes this issue, which is similarly present among the other partners, regardless of students’ gender:

“I remember a student once explaining the issues she faced while working at home. This, I believe, became quite apparent. Many people don’t have what this girl told me about, how ‘both my parents work remotely.’ I have a sister who’s also studying, and we all have to share one computer. And of course, the time I can have access to it is very limited, right? Well, this also poses a problem.” [BA_3]

Final-year students expressed concerns about lowered learning standards and potential effects on their integration into the labour market. The transcripts revealed a lowering of passing thresholds and teacher adaptation to the situation. The return to lockdowns and restrictions due to new waves of the pandemic in autumn 2020 caused confusion, fatigue, and pessimism among all involved parties, highlighting the pandemic’s far-reaching effects on education.

In general, teachers said that the exceptionality of the situation affected academic performance and learning levels, although, in some very specific and minority subjects, performance was assessed as even better than in the normal situation immediately before. However, in general, the impression obtained from reading all the transcripts is that there was a “lowering” of the thresholds so that students could pass the subjects and that teachers adapted the assessment to the precarious circumstances of the teaching provided. Some students, especially those in the final years, were also concerned about the lowering of learning standards and what this might mean for their integration into the labour market.

4.3 The Teachers’ View

Teachers were forced to be flexible with deadlines during the first year of the pandemic, which may have affected academic performance. A teacher from Barcelona pointed out that this flexibility was necessary:

“[…] I attempted to be more lenient regarding the deadlines of assignments. It was mentioned that several students were distressed, and it’s possible that many students were experiencing complex family situations. Due to these circumstances, I decided to be more accommodating with the submission deadlines.” [BA_12]

A teacher from Osijek addressed the difficulty of evaluating students’ grades amid the emergency situation. Surprisingly, online grades were poorer compared to physical classes, even with on-time test submissions. The absence of clear instruction and tutorials for assessment and exam development, despite support for online tools like BigBlueButton and Moodle, compounded challenges. Crafting evaluations to suit virtual learning, including defining suitable time limits and question formats, proved particularly complex. These observations underline the intricacies of remote evaluation, necessitating a delicate balance between academic rigour, coherent guidance, and the need to adapt assessments effectively for an online environment:

“Surprisingly, grades were worse online than in the physical classroom, despite students submitting their tests before the deadline. The lack of instruction and tutorials on assessment and exam creation were identified as issues, despite good support for using online tools such as BigBlueButton and Moodle. The evaluation process, including determining appropriate time limits and question types, was a particular challenge.” [OJ_6]

During the pandemic’s initial year, teachers adjusted deadlines due to student distress. A Barcelona teacher highlighted flexibility due to complex family situations. In Osijek, online grades were unexpectedly lower than in physical classes, despite timely submissions. Lack of assessment guidance, despite online tool support, complicated evaluations. Crafting virtual assessments with suitable limits and formats posed challenges. Remote evaluation complexity, balancing rigour and guidance, became evident. Grades were worse online, even with timely submissions. Instruction and tutorials were lacking for assessment. Crafting virtual assessments proved complex due to diverse formats and limits, highlighting evaluation intricacies in remote learning.

4.4 The Students’ View

In comparison to the assessment systems prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, during the outbreak, students pointed out experiencing a significant diversity in grading and assessment methods. This implies that not all courses adhere to the same approach in evaluating student performance. Students noted various grading techniques and a wide array of assessment systems employed in their subjects. This variability in assessment approaches might have emerged due to the adjustment to the exceptional circumstances of remote learning. The existence of this diversity could have impacted students’ expectations, study methods, and their ability to adapt to different forms of assessment. While it can provide an enriched learning environment, it may also necessitate greater comprehension and adaptability from students to excel in different academic contexts.

“There were many different requirements. Some teachers, for example, asked that a test be written and sent to them. The others required term papers, various tests, presentations and additional assignments to the specific subject being taught.” [SO_FG_3]

According to students in Zagreb, the 2020–2021 academic year was better organized and showed improved teaching performance.

“Yes, well it was much better. Everybody knew how to use the online system better and the teachers were better organized. And I know that in the summer I only had one teacher who kept live lectures, with the option to join the online class for those who are not from the city or who don’t want to come for health reasons.” [ZA_FG_1]

During the initial confinement (March–July 2020), interviews and discussions focused on remote exams and evaluations. Participants reflected on the 2020–2021 academic year in early 2022. Despite adapted plans, the year remained abnormal, impacting learning. Teachers noted negative effects on academic performance and learning levels due to the pandemic, leading to lowered passing thresholds. Teachers showed flexibility with deadlines, accommodating students’ distress. Challenges in online evaluation arose, affecting grades. Students reported varied evaluation methods. The 2020–2021 academic year saw improved organization and teaching quality in Zagreb. Overall, the pandemic caused confusion, fatigue, and pessimism, highlighting its profound impact on education.

Collectively, this discourse analysis encapsulates the intricate interplay of factors in the educational landscape during unprecedented times. It unravels the complex web woven by teachers’ adaptability, students’ resilience, and the evolving paradigms of teaching and learning in an era defined by the pandemic.

4.5 Structures, Services, and Policies for Teaching

The lockdown has clearly caused a rapid change in the functioning of HEIs. The structures, services such as the library for students and teachers, and policies regarding evaluation have been adapted to various degrees, but these have sometimes collapsed with the crisis situation. It seems that there were no initial guidelines for this new situation, and HEIs had to adapt in their own ways. We found that teachers in general have a common way of thinking. First, they organized lectures and their aim was not to lose contact with students. Second, they used the different services that the university provided, such as the digital library or virtual campus, which depend on different units in each university.

“We didn’t have any guidelines for the new situation, so we decided not to replicate the face-to-face teaching plan. Instead, we provided clear weekly work guidelines and held synchronous meetings once a week to address doubts. We aimed to maintain contact with students as a reference point and wanted them to have self-paced learning instructions to organize themselves. Therefore, we maintained a weekly synchronous session of an hour and a half.” [BA_10]

It was overwhelmingly observed that teachers universally aimed to maintain student engagement. They employed university-provided services like digital libraries and virtual campuses, tailored to each institution’s units. In Sofia, book deliveries through Biblio Car, daily consultations, and department head’s guidance were crucial in navigating the situation. Teachers shifted from replicating in-person teaching to offering structured weekly guidelines and synchronous sessions.

“The university library provided support to colleagues and students during the lockdown by giving access to necessary resources. Colleagues were able to request scanned parts of documents and students had access to various resources, including book deliveries through Biblio Car. Daily consultations were available as needed, and the department head sent regular letters with updates and instructions for quick and efficient communication.” [SO_1]

Students have different perceptions, and they use a combination of resources. They used commercial databases provided by their university but also looked for digital content online. This situation was similar for all partners.

“Well, I definitely think that digital materials that we use a lot now, especially those articles that we can find in databases, they somehow reduce the need to go to the library because you can actually find a lot of content online, for seminars and other things. I think that very often, before and during the pandemic, when I had seminars or presentations, I mostly looked for online sources instead of going to the library. And now I even look for a book or something online, so I mostly use digital materials.” [ZA_FG_1]

Since the lockdown situation was different in the various countries, this was reflected in the access to the library as well. And in some cases, students asked for an appointment. This situation was also explained by students from other universities.

“We could look for some articles in the beginning if we couldn’t access them from our devices from home and we could scan them. However, to do so you had to call, make an appointment and then you had to go and they would leave it at the library window. However, I personally did not use the library services at all during the whole time of the lockdown because everything we needed we either got through Moodle from the teacher or we found it ourselves in the online databases.” [OJ_FG_1]

The lockdown swiftly reshaped HEIs, affecting structures, services like libraries, and evaluation policies. Adaptations varied across institutions, with some struggling due to a lack of initial guidelines. Common teacher strategies emerged: maintaining contact, using university-provided services (like digital libraries), and setting clear guidelines for self-paced learning. Sofia introduced book deliveries via Biblio Car, while department heads played a pivotal role. Students utilized diverse resources, combining university databases and online content. Digital materials reduced library reliance, influenced by varying lockdown situations. Some accessed libraries by appointment, while others used Moodle and online databases for required materials during lockdowns.

4.6 Lessons Learned and Best Practices

Considering the circumstances of the crisis scenario, students and teachers considered that best practices in teaching were performed. The text presents insights into remote teaching and learning. For instance, it discusses adapting projects to online contexts and describes a successful virtual museum project. Lessons learned encompass improvements in student self-organization, enhancements in teachers’ digital skills, and the establishment of videoconferencing as a new norm. Students’ perspectives highlight the advantages of videos, podcasts, and recorded lectures, showcasing the adaptation of teaching methods for virtual environments. They also underscore adaptability and express appreciation for well-organized deadlines. Overall, the text showcases creative approaches to remote teaching, the evolution of practices, the value of hybrid models, and the importance of structured online learning. It delves into the challenges and opportunities arising from the transition to virtual education.

There were different activities that we considered as best practices, including online oral exams through videoconferencing tools, short quick quizzes, flexible organization of the timetables, certain activities, and also ways of delivering teaching. This was the case with the role-playing in Osijek, in which the students’ projects could be carried out in a virtual setting with role-playing gamification functionalities.

“And as for the advantages, I would mention these projects with students, we just had to tailor them to online circumstances. Although we couldn’t go to some bookstores or a publishing house to do a practical project. So we did some virtual projects that are very good. For example, a virtual museum of students and their works in publishing, where they were very engaged. We met in a virtual classroom on a weekly basis, talking about this project all year round and they did it. Some things turned out to be good, nice for them. I tried to make some sense of what they were doing, so when the course is over, they can have some result, something they can say ‘I did this’.” [OJ_2]

All the different partners had many thoughts on the lessons learned. These included the student’s shift to self-organization skills, the teacher’s improvement in digital skills, recognizing of the value of face-to-face teaching contact for certain activities, and videoconferencing as the new normal for meetings with students and mentoring.

In Zagreb, the blended and hybrid learning modes were highlighted as key players for the future of traditional face-to-face activities:

“I would definitely like teaching to be more hybrid, I have already said that, because I don’t think exclusively traditional teaching works anymore and students are asking for a lot more than that. Especially some types of students, like part-time or postgraduate students, so there is no need to bring them back and force them into something that actually suits them less.” [ZA_5]

Students had different views from the teachers and they found that creating videos and podcasts to facilitate the flipped classroom, promoting the creation and reuse of educational resources, and recording lectures for further clarification and reuse extended the scope of what is meant by recommended bibliography.

Students from Barcelona also found that videos and podcasts were useful for the flipped classroom.

“[Teacher X] used to make videos and in the end he stopped giving classes. He uploaded the videos to the campus and you had to watch the video by a particular day and do this questionnaire. Yes, …. So, for example, that seemed much more comfortable and good, and it wasn’t so tiring. We met once a week, I think, to discuss the subject and I think that’s the way to do it. And not to transfer everything that is face-to-face to the virtual, you have to adapt, both in terms of the means and the dynamics.” [BA_FG_1]

Students from Osijek found that a good practice was that deadlines were better organized and easy to follow. Online teaching and learning require better planning, defined deadlines, and milestones to ensure a more structured learning pace.

“In online classes, knowing that there’s a quiz each week at a certain time or that we have a certain deadline was much easier. Everything was synchronous with a defined schedule.” [OJ_FG_1]

In response to the crisis scenario, students and teachers adopted commendable teaching practices. These included online oral exams, quick quizzes, flexible timetables, and innovative teaching methods. Role-playing in Osijek showcased virtual project execution with gamification features. Advantages encompassed tailored virtual projects, improved self-organization for students, enhanced digital skills for teachers, and recognition of videoconferencing’s norm. Hybrid learning emerged vital in Zagreb, meeting diverse student needs. Videos, podcasts, and structured deadlines facilitated flipped classroom approaches, creating reusable educational content. Notably, a consensus emerged about the value of adaptability, emphasizing tailored approaches and structured scheduling in online education. The synthesis of best practices and lessons learned showcases the resilience and dynamism of educators and students amid the challenges posed by the crisis. These findings offer valuable insights for the future of education, advocating for hybrid models and personalized approaches to cater to diverse learning needs.