Skip to main content
Log in

Perceptions of Digital Learning and Teaching: The Case of a Croatian University Transition to an Emergency Digital Environment

  • Original research
  • Published:
Technology, Knowledge and Learning Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This research aims to analyse the self-perception of teachers and students on their digital readiness and their attitudes towards digital and distance learning, as well as the potential influence of other factors. The use of digital technologies is directly linked to the academic performance of students and teachers, while also enabling new modes of the teaching–learning process. Considering the pandemic disruptions, the self-perception of Croatian university students and teachers was analysed, exploring the relationship and differences between groups. The results indicate significant digital readiness gaps, considering gender and the field of study. From a substantive point of view, the use and application of digital tools show a disconnect between expectations of digital transformation in the learning environment and reality. Existing environments and practices are augmented digitally without building new and improved learning systems. The findings of this study provide insights to reduce the existing gaps and improve the digital teaching and learning environment. Higher education institutions have a unique opportunity to increase their antifragility by leveraging new experiences gained during the pandemic, while also valuing their pre-existing institutional agility. The research has practical implications that can assist educators and policymakers in creating a digital learning environment that is more inclusive and beneficial to all participants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study, including the R source code, are available from the corresponding author Git repository (https://github.com/nkkko/research-data/tree/main/2023/perceptions).

References

Download references

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

NB and AG contributed to the study conception and design. NB did the data collection and analysis, including the writing of the first draft of the manuscript and all authors commented on all versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nikola Balić.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study prior to starting the survey.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (PDF 366 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Balić, N., Grubišić, A. & Granić, A. Perceptions of Digital Learning and Teaching: The Case of a Croatian University Transition to an Emergency Digital Environment. Tech Know Learn 29, 453–481 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09692-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09692-4

Keywords

Navigation