Naslov
Sustainability and ethics in e-learning - case of selected European countries

Autori
Brozović, Mateja

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u zbornicima skupova, cjeloviti rad (in extenso), znanstveni

Izvornik
Proceedings of FEB Zagreb 13th International Odyssey Conference on Economics and Business / Sever Mališ, Sanja ; Jaković, Božidar ; Načinović Braje, Ivana - Zagreb : Ekonomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, 2022, 439-461

Skup
13th International Odyssey Conference on Economics and Business

Mjesto i datum
Dubrovnik, Hrvatska, 01.06.2022. - 04.06.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
e-learning ; traditional learning ; sustainability ; ethics ; economics disciplines

Sažetak
E-learning is gaining in importance and provides an important addition or even an alternative to traditional learning. The use of digital tools enables the creation of various quality and useful educational content, with which learning can be faster and more fun. Advanced technologies and platforms can enable students to acquire knowledge remotely, without coming to school or university. All these advantages have been very useful during the pandemic when students and teachers had no choice but to completely shift from traditional learning to e-learning. However, the increase in the use of e-learning has also highlighted its disadvantages, primarily that students are less motivated to participate and interact with teachers, they can feel isolated, have technical issues with the equipment, etc. Among all the different advantages and disadvantages of e- learning, the purpose of this paper is to additionally explore a specific segment of e- learning related to its sustainability and ethics. Namely, the goals are to investigate the correlation between e-learning and: 1) social inclusion, 2) environmental sustainability, 3) privacy, security and ethics, and 4) health issues. A vast majority of articles and publications covering these topics have been published in the period from 2020 to the present, which again can be attributed to the increased popularity of e- learning during the pandemic. The literature review has shown that e-learning has the potential of increasing the inclusion of vulnerable groups of students, such as students with disabilities and low-income students, but only if its execution is carefully planned and prepared. The sudden transition to e-learning did not allow for careful consideration of the needs of different groups of students, which sometimes resulted in their exclusion rather than inclusion. Furthermore, e- learning has the ability to reduce carbon footprint and promote environmental sustainability, primarily through less travel of both students and teachers. Despite these potential advantages, using different online learning platforms and tools can pose significant security and privacy risk, which has not been appropriately addressed during the pandemic, as suggested by the number of different cyber- attacks. In addition to security and privacy risks, e-learning may also come with health risks, in a form of reduced physical activity, increased stress and less social contact. These health issues were particularly pronounced during the pandemic, due to lockdowns and social isolation. In order to explore the perception of students and teachers on these aspects of e-learning, primary research was conducted in four European countries: Croatia, Poland, Germany and Serbia. The questionnaire was distributed to high school and university students and teachers in the area of the economy. In the period from September 2021 to January 2022, 2, 897 responses were collected. Research results showed that respondents generally believe that e-learning benefits working students, students with children and students with disabilities, raising their involvement and making education more accessible. Additionally, they agree that e-learning is more environmentally friendly than traditional teaching because it requires less paper and travel. However, they are also aware of the disadvantages. Namely, they recognized the issue of plagiarism and violation of intellectual property rights over teaching materials, as 440 well as identification issues. Interestingly, they are less concerned that e-learning violates their privacy and security. As for the health issues, both groups of respondents are aware that e- learning might negatively affect physical activity and the overall health of teachers and students. A comparison of students and teachers showed that teachers are more convinced of the benefits of e- learning (related to social inclusion and environmental sustainability) but are also more worried about potential risks (regarding privacy, security, ethics, and health). Comparison across countries showed that students and teachers in Croatia are similar in their perceptions with their colleagues from Serbia. Research results pointed out certain benefits and drawbacks of e- learning that were especially highlighted during the pandemic. Since e-learning definitely has positive sides, it will remain at least as an important addition to traditional learning in post-covid times, which is why the negative sides have to be properly addressed.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Ekonomija

POVEZANOST RADA