Available online at ijci.wcci-international.

org
IJCI
International Journal of
International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2)
Curriculum and Instruction
(2021) 1109-1118

Distance learning in higher education during the

COVID-19 pandemic: advantages and disadvantages

Gülyüz Debeşa
aMediterranean Karpasia University, Campus, North Cyprus

Abstract
The study, which utilized survey method, aimed to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of distance
learning during COVID-19 pandemic over the conventional learning from the point of view of the university
administrators and lecturers. The data were collected using quantitative method via an in-depth interview
form administered to randomly selected 14 administrators and 13 lecturers in different universities in North
Cyprus. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and variance analysis. The results showed that
except for one participant, majority of the participants stated that they had experienced educational
challenges during Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the participants encountered some problems such as the
assessment and evaluation challenges (9.7%), technical challenges (41.9%), learners’ participation challenges
(19.4%), and effectiveness of teaching challenges (29.0%).
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning; conventional learning; lecturers, administrators

© 2016 IJCI & the Authors. Published by International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction (IJCI). This is an open-
access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY-NC-ND)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

1. Introduction

The Concept of distance learning first appeared in 1840 then within a few years the
distance education programs become available in the UK, Germany, USA and Japan. The
intense increasing relevance of distance learning brought the possibilities of access non-
location bounded and time independent instructions through the use of synchronous and
asynchronous means (Williams and Shea, 2003). With the growth interest of distance
learning, technology served instructions to learners without an educator’s presence.
Since, it promotes flexibility at any time regardless of context and availability to learners
and educators at any time regardless of the time of content, distance learning led to
many higher educational institutions to implement courses on the Internet that has
provided an opportunity to meet the demands for education has been expanded to
worldwide (Canaran and Mirici, 2020). In addition, distance learning has also provided

Corresponding Author: Gülyüz Debeş

Email: gulyuzd5@gmail.com
1110 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118

lifelong learning phenomenon for significant growth in learners’ capacity building needs
(O’Neill, 2004). In order to establish various categories of graduate, under-graduate,
technical, vocational and training courses via internet, distance learning made it possible
to attend the categories at any time and in anywhere.
In higher education distance learning settings, activities generally are engaged in
synchronous course and asynchronous activities and task. In synchronous course,
learners are engaged in interactive and focused opportunities which are for helping
learners build a basic understanding of technology-enhanced instruction, the use of
technology in courses and effective online design. On the other hand, asynchronous
activities and tasks include quizzes, group work assignments, group’s discussion,
feedback and project. In addition, interactive video-based activities, facilitator meetings,
live webinars and keynote speaker is used for asynchronous activities and tasks.
The distance education needs essential skills and abilities which is more concerned
with the role educators’ in teaching to design technology-enhanced effective instruction
through high-quality, and fully online professional program. Anticipated impacts include
in distance learning for educators (1) educators empowerment in selecting and
integrating technology tools in their instruction, (2) increased pedagogical knowledge and
skills of educators in designing and developing high-impact instruction that leads to
enduring understanding, (3) improved learners engagement through the use of
technology in online and face-to-face classes, (4) forming a professional learning
community in which educators from diverse background collaborate, share, reflect, and
support each other, and (5) changed roles in educators to become a mentor leading and
facilitating professional teaching (Loomis,2000;Vuorela and Nummenmaa,2004).
Distance learning is non-location bounded and time independent through the use of
synchronous (live conferences) and asynchronous (flexible assignments) means. All
activities and content is housed Information and Communications Technology System
(ICT) which is a virtual classroom enabling educators to interact (Moran, 1997).
Distance learning in higher educational setting are organized as modules, small
learning units separated by subjects. Distance learning in higher educational settings
should be organized with attention focused on (1) differentiation with technology includes
essential knowledge to differentiate content, product, and process using differentiation
strategies and technology tools, (2) technology-enhanced instruction focuses on a
research-based instruction model that enables participants to design online and face-to-
face instruction framed by technology integration theories, (3) effective teaching methods
and assessment is aimed at providing skills for participants to incorporate best, evidence-
based methods of teaching and assessment into their classroom. Participants establish a
repertoire of meaningful, engaging, and innovative ways of delivering instruction, (4)
performance tasks and online lessons provide practical insights and structure to develop
authentic assessment (Khan, 1997).
 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118 1111

The overall goal distance learning, educators is to build their capacity in three types of
knowledge (technological, pedagogical, and technological pedagogical) and in designing
and developing technology-enhanced, effective instruction (Anderson, 2004; Alanso,
2005). The theory of action of effective technology-enhanced instruction, facilitate
effective teaching through high-quality, collaborative, and fully online activities in order
for learners to be engaged in understanding-based, interactive learning. In order to meets
the demands of effective technology-enhanced instruction educators should be able to (1)
select the most appropriate technologies in terms of their purpose in instruction, (2)
develop perspective on how to effectively integrate and use technologies in their lesson
plans, (3) differentiate instruction using technology, (4) discuss the best use of technology
in delivering and assessing the content, (5) establish a knowledge base in regards to
online and face-to-face instruction, (6) gain practical insights on online course
development and online teaching, (7),design technology-enhanced effective instruction
using a research-based instructional design model that promotes differentiation,
collaboration, interactivity, and appropriate use of assessment, (8) form a professional
learning community to support their own and others’ professional learning
(Simens,2004;Taylor,2001).
Recent evaluations of distance learning have been an emphasis on the advantages and
disadvantages of distance learning. Researchers endeavored to determine whether
distance learning is better than conventional learning or not? Researches shown that
distance learning as computer-mediated audiovisual learning vehicles promotes more
cost-benefit and flexible than a conventional instruction. (Gilbert, 1997; Annetta, 2000;
Litwin, 2002). In addition, the recent data indicated that learners have access to learning
resources more than in past through distance learning (Moore and Kearsley, 1996;
Williams and Shea, 2003). On the other hand, researchers shown that distance learning
has disadvantages which are relevant to misuse of technology, adaptation of effective
technology based instruction to the ways of effective teaching and poor practices by
managing assessment and evaluation process of learning (Perrenoud 2002; Wahlstrom et
al.,2003; Valentine,2002). Moreover, most of studies have attempted to examine whether
distance learning differs from conventional learning. The majority of these studies
indicated no significant differences between two types learning methods (Diaz, 2000).
The main research question of the study was; “What are the advantages and
disadvantages of distance learning over the conventional learning during the COVID-19
pandemic?”. Based on this main research question, the study also explored the following
sub-research questions:
What are the viewpoints of the administrators and lecturers, in terms of the COVID-19
pandemic, about;
a. the educational challenges?
b. overcoming the educational challenges?
1112 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118

c. the strategies to overcome the challenges?

d. the advantages of distance learning over conventional learning?
e. the disadvantages of distance learning over conventional learning?

2. Method

2.1. Research Design

The study adopted survey method using qualitative data. The details of the research
design are as follows:

2.2. Participants

The participants of the study were composed 14 university administrators (51.9%) and
13 lecturers (48.1%) in different universities in North Cyprus. The participants consisted
of 12 females (%44.4) and 15 males (55.6%). The average age of the participants was
42.52 (SD=10.4). The demographic information of the participants is given in Table 1
below.
Table 1. Demographic variables

NO Educational Status
Gender Background Average
Average Working
experience Head of Director Lecturer
Age department of
Male Female MA PhD (year) Graduate
School

15 12 42.52 3 24 8.37 9 5 13

2.3. Data Collection Instrument

The data of the study were collected through an in-dept. interview form developed by
the researcher. The form was composed of eight research questions to investigate the
advantages and disadvantages of distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic over the
conventional learning from the point of view of the university administrators and
lecturers.

3. Results

Findings of the study are given under each related research question as in the following:
 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118 1113

3.1 The research question concerning about the educational challenges during COVID-19
pandemic process

According to results, all of the participants except for one stated that they had
experienced educational challenges during COVID-19 pandemic (See table 2).

Table 2. Participants’ Answers about Educational Challenges during COVID-19 Pandemic

Participants Answers N %
P1, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10, P11, P12, P13, P14, P15, P16, P17, P18, P19,
YES 26 96.3
P20, P21, P22, P24, P25, P26, P27
P23 NO 1 3.70

In terms of what educational challenges have university administrators and lecturers

encountered during COVID-19 pandemic, the answers of the participants were divided in
sub-groups according to the educational challenges that university administrators and
lecturers have encountered them during COVID-19 pandemic as (1) assessment and
evaluation (2) technical problems (3) participation of learners (4) effectiveness of
teaching. According to results, the participant’s encountered the assessment and
evaluation challenges (9.7%), technical challenges (41.9%), learners’ participation
challenges (19.4%) and effectiveness of teaching challenges (29%). See table 3.

Table 3. The Sub-groups about educational challenges that have been encountered by participants during
COVID-19 pandemic

Sub-groups Participants N %
Assessment and evaluation P2, P4, P8 3 9.7
P2, P5, P6, P7, P13, P15, P16, P17, P18,
Technical problems 13 41.9
P20, P22, P24, P26
Learners’ participation P3, P13, P14, P17, P20, P22 6 19.4
Effectiveness of teaching P4, P9, P11, P12, P19, P20, P24, P25, P27 9 29.0

3.2. The research question concerning overcoming the educational challenges during
COVID-19 pandemic

The results revealed that 70.4 % of the study’s participants have overcome the
educational challenges during COVID-19 pandemic however 29.6 % of the study’s
participants have not overcome the educational challenges during COVID-19 period. See
table 4.

Table 4. The participants’ answers about overcoming the educational challenges during COVID-19 pandemic

Participants Answer N %
P1, P2, P4, P5, P8, P10, P11, P12, P13, P14, P16, P17, P19, P20, P21, P22, P24, P25,
Yes 19 70.4
P27
P3, P6, P7, P9, P15, P18, P23, P26 No 8 29.6
1114 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118

3.3. The research question about what strategies have university administrators and
lecturers used to overcoming the educational challenges during COVID-19 pandemic

The answers of the participants were divided in sub-groups according to strategies that
lead to overcoming the educational challenges during COVID-19 pandemic as (1)
assessment and evaluation (2) technical problems (3) learning methodology and material
(4) time management (5) relationship with learners. According to results, the
participants have overcome the assessment and evaluation challenges (15.8%), technical
challenges (15.8%), time management (10.5%), learning methodology and material
(31.6%) and relationship with learners’ (5.3%). See table 5.

Table 5. The Sub-groups about strategies that lead to overcoming the educational challenges during COVID-
19 pandemic

Strategies Participants N %
Technical P4, P16, P24 3 15.8
Assessment and evaluation P1, P2, P8 3 15.8
Learning materials P4, P5, P11, P12, P13, P19, P20, P21 6 31.6
Relationship with learners P14, P17, P2, P24 4 21.1
Time management P10, P25 2 10.5
Others P27 1 5.3

3.4. The research question concerning the advantages of distance learning over
conventional learning

According to results, 93.3 % of the participants stated that distance learning had more
advantages than traditional learning. However, 48.1 % of the participants stated that
there were no more advantages of distance learning than traditional learning. See table
6.

Table 6. The participants’ answer about whether distance learning has more advantages than traditional
learning

Participants Answer N %
P2, P3, P7, P8, P10, P11, P12, P13, P16, P19, P20, P21, P23, P24 Yes 14 51.9
P1, P4, P5, P6, P9, P14, P15, P17, P18, P22, P25, P26, P27 No 13 48.1

The participants stated the advantages of distance learning as; (1) flexible, and (2)
economic. According to results, distance learning has more flexible than traditional
learning (71.4%). In addition, the results revealed that distance learning more economic
than traditional learning (21.4%). See table 7.

Table 7. The advantages of distance learning than traditional learning

Advantages Participants N %
 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118 1115

P2, P3, P8, P10, P11, P13, P16, P20, P21,

Flexibility 10 71.4
P24
Low cost P7, P12, P23 3 21.4
Diğer P19 1 7.1

In addition, 81.5% of the participants stated that distance learning has disadvantages
than traditional learning. However, 18.5% of the participants stated that distance
learning has not disadvantages than traditional learning. See table 8.
Table 8. The participants’ answer about whether distance learning has more disadvantages than traditional
learning

Participants Answer N %
P1, P2, P3, P4, P8, P9, P11, P12, P13, P14, P15, P16, P17, P18, P19, P20, P21, P22,
Yes 22 81.5
P24, P25, P26, P27
P5, P6, P7, P10, P23 No 5 18.5

3.5. The research question about the disadvantages of distance learning over traditional
learning

The answers of the participants were divided in sub-groups according to disadvantages

of distance learning as (1) effectiveness of teaching (2) assessment and evaluation and
(3) technical struggle. According to results, distance learning may decrease of
effectiveness of teaching (59.1%). Meanwhile, the result shown that distance learning
may also negatively effect assessment and evaluation practices in learning
environment (27.3%). Regard to distance learning, technical struggle may also
negative factor which effect learning environment (4.6%). See table 9.
Table 9. The disadvantages of distance learning than traditional learning

Disadvantages Participants N %
P1, P4, P9, P14, P15, P16, P17, P20, P21,
Effectiveness of teaching 13 59.1
P22, P24, P25, P26
Assessment and evaluation P2, P8, P12, P13, P19, P27 6 27.3
Technical P3 1 4.6
Other P11, P18, 2 9.1

4. Discussion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educators have faced big challenges to convert their
classes to online and have found them in an urgent need to adapt and use technologies to
deliver instruction to their students. The best way to meet these needs and help
educators overcome these challenges is through stakeholder analysis. According the
study results, university administrators and lecturers stated that they have experienced
1116 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118

educational challenges during COVID-19 pandemic however just only one lecturer (3.7%)
stated that he has not been experienced educational challenges during COVID-19
pandemic. Since, one-shot trainings in the form of two-hour Zoom conference with no
follow-up and expert support have been abundant during the peak period of COVID-19
distance learning are deemed ineffective by educators because they don’t use and
incorporate what they have taught into traditional classroom. Educators need more
rigorous, high quality professional development opportunities through which they
develop skills and gain knowledge for a better online, technology-based delivery of
instruction.
Even though the opportunities for educators to attend professional development
programs at universities these distance learning capacity development programs
addresses these issues are abundant, most require monetary and time investments which
are unlikely to be satisfied by educators. It was observed from the study that, university
administrators and lecturers have encountered educational challenges during COVID-19
pandemic as (1) assessment and evaluation (2) technical problems (3) participation of
learners and (4) effectiveness of teaching. Meanwhile, they have overcome the
educational challenges during COVID-19 pandemic using strategies such as online
assessment and evaluation practices, getting technical support, changing learning
methodology, time management and getting close relationship with learners.
In the study, it was claimed that distance learning has more advantages than
traditional learning. To deal with establish a knowledge base in distance learning, there
is ongoing debate about whether distance learning is better than traditional learning. In
the study, 93.3% of the participants stated that distance learning has more advantages
than conventional learning. This finding is congruent to the findings of researches which
shown that distance learning as computer mediated audiovisual learning vehicles
promote more cost-benefit and flexible learning benefit than conventional instruction.
(Annetta, 2000; Litwin, 2002). In the study, it similar stated that distance learning has
more flexible and economic than conventional learning.
However, disadvantages of distance learning were divided in sub-groups in the study
as (1) effectiveness of teaching (2) assessment and evaluation and (3) technical struggle.
According to results, distance learning may decrease of effectiveness of teaching while it
may also negatively affect assessment and evaluation practices in learning environment.
Regard to distance learning, technical struggle may also negative factor which effect
learning environment. This finding is congruent to the findings of researches which
shown that distance learning has disadvantages which are relevant to misuse of
technology by educators, adaptation of effective technology based instruction to the ways
of effective teaching and poor practices by managing assessment and evaluation of
learners (Perrenoud and Valentine,2002).
 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118 1117

5. Conclusions

The distance education needs essential skills and abilities which is more concerned
with the role educators’ in teaching to design technology-enhanced effective instruction
through high-quality, and fully online professional program thus the study aims to
answer the question of what are the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning
over the conventional learning from the point of view of the university administrators
and lecturers. The overall goal distance learning, educators is to build their capacity in
three types of knowledge (technological, pedagogical, and technological pedagogical) and
in designing and developing technology-enhanced, effective instruction (Anderson, 2004;
Alanso, 2005).
Recent evaluations of distance learning have been an emphasis on the advantages and
disadvantages of distance learning. Researchers endeavored to determine whether
distance learning is better than conventional learning or not? Researches shown that
distance learning as computer-mediated audiovisual learning vehicles promotes more
cost-benefit and flexible than a conventional instruction. In addition, the recent data
indicated that learners have access to learning resources more than in past through
distance learning. On the other hand, researchers shown that distance learning has
disadvantages which are relevant to misuse of technology, adaptation of effective
technology based instruction to the ways of effective teaching and poor practices by
managing assessment and evaluation process of learning. Moreover, most of studies have
attempted to examine whether distance learning differs from conventional learning. The
majority of these studies indicated no significant differences between two types learning
methods.
This finding is congruent to the findings of the study which shown that distance
learning has not only advantages which are relevant to (1) cost-benefit learning
environment, (2) flexibility in learning, (3) content availability but also it has
disadvantages which are relevant to (1) misuse of technology by educators, (2) adaptation
of effective technology based instruction to the ways of effective teaching, (3) poor
practices by managing assessment and evaluation of learners.
1118 Gülyüz Debeş / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 13(2) (2021) 1109-1118

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