The Use of Information Technology: Lessons Learned About Sustainability in Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction

The COVID-19 global crisis will probably remain in our minds as a terrible event that changed us during the year 2020, when, in our modern times, nobody expected epidemics or pandemics to be such a great danger anymore. This crisis is related with major problems for people around the world, including reshaping the process of education in universities. Given the major changes related to the COVID-19 global crisis, new solutions had and still have to be found in order to manage the situation and to continue teaching and learning activities in a sustainable way. As the situation of the COVID-19 still affects our society, solutions that were meant to be temporary still have to be implemented, like e-learning for students and home office for teachers. These solutions provide us with educational instruments that are safe, giving us hope that we can stay safe and continue the education process in a sustainable manner, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The question related to this challenge is if on a long-term these instruments can be applied in a sustainable way, ensuring a sustainable education process in universities. The present paper deals with the socio-economic, science-related and cultural sustainability achieved through education. Sustainable development is a goal for all important organizations, including education establishments such as universities, and it is reflected in the strategy and in the policies of universities.

Home-learning was implemented in the beginning of the lockdown period for a few weeks, but it had to continue for the rest of the semester and for the following academic year. Home office is still the best option for universities wishing to protect their employees. University personnel will still be at great risk in the near future, so it would help to use as much as possible information technology-based solutions in universities, where suitable.

Given these circumstances, the use of information technology seems to provide solutions for this global crisis but as well for sustainable development of the university as an organization beyond the crisis. The present paper researches this topic, trying to find answers to the question to what extent the use of information technology may contribute to sustainable development in the field of education. The present paper evaluates the use of information technology and online learning methods from this perspective, considering and assessing the attitude of students towards the researched topic, in the context of the challenges faced in education related to the COVID-19 global crisis. Based on the assessment of students’ attitude towards online learning, the paper raises the question if methods based on information technology are really ensuring sustainability in education. The research hypothesis is that information technology has a major importance in ensuring sustainability in education and that it is an extremely useful instrument, helping to achieve sustainable education. Online learning can be used for the short term, but on the long-term, a blended learning, hybrid system must be implemented, as the teacher cannot be replaced by information technology.

In order to formulate research findings starting from this research hypothesis, an interdisciplinary research approach is proposed by the present paper, considering aspects of business, economics, psychology, sociology as well as medical aspects related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in education and the subsequent need of reshaping and redesigning the educational process in universities in order to stay safe. The paper uses an inductive research method based on qualitative research. Qualitative research methods, such as the questionnaire are used in the present paper in order to emphasize the trend of using qualitative research methods in the field of economic papers, where mainly quantitative research methods used to be applied. The qualitative approach is complemented by quantitative data illustrated in charts and diagrams, reflecting the research results.

This approach is innovative, as a multidisciplinary view considering various aspects of psychology and sociology can unleash new ways of approaching a subject with major impact on the sustainable development of our society, as education. Illustrating students’ attitude and perception, the research may have an impact beyond academia and a social impact.

The originality and novelty of the present article consist in the emphasis on an interdisciplinary understanding of the research topic, in the use of qualitative methods as empathy-generating research methods and in the own conducted research, illustrating the genuine perception of students related to the researched topic.