Engl. transl.: Distance learning and media literacy skills - a survey with students

At the end of May and the beginning of June 2020, the Media Literacy Coalition conducted surveys - among students and teachers - in relation to distance learning from the point of view of the development of digital skills and media information literacy. A total of 481 students and teachers took part in the surveys by filling in anonymous questionnaires, which aim to explore a certain aspect (activities, methods, approaches) of the learning process in a virtual environment that is relevant to the development of students' digital skills and media literacy. Based on the results and of the analysis of the two surveys, both the deficits and the good examples and practices in the work of teachers were identified and the next steps related to the development of methodology and resources for overcoming the difficulties were outlined.

The availability of different platforms where the learning process can take place, incl. services, designed for virtualization of the classroom, as well as applications adapted for the purposes of the learning process, allows individual classes to choose the most convenient and appropriate for them. Students report a number of advantages in the platforms they use. With the exception of six respondents, all others indicated one or more advantages of distance learning. Every seventh student wishes to return to the classroom instead of making recommendations for optimizing online learning in the future. It is impressive, and it is highlighted as a disadvantage by students, that many teachers use more than one (up to 5-6) different platforms (2/3 of the participants have listed several applications). This negatively affects the organization and structuring of the learning process and the learning content, in addition to the insufficient training of some of the teachers (not knowing and using of all functions), unsatisfactory (from the students' point of view) student-teacher communication, technical problems (devices, internet) and etc. Only 40% of students have been given an assignment related to finding and evaluating sources of information online - a missed opportunity, given the immediate and unrestricted access to information on the Internet. Only 30% of survey participants worked with sources after receiving instructions on the approach and criteria they should apply. Beyond any doubt, students need more support, the help of teachers when they encounter difficulties (close to 1/2 of the respondents claim that their teachers either do not want feedback from them or do not take action when they receive it) and most of all by competent leaders in the digital world. In order for this to happen, it is necessary to develop and introduce qualification programs for teachers both to improve their digital skills and to develop and periodically measure their media and information literacy.