Did the Covid-19 Crisis Prepare us for Digital Learning?

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic divides our lives on life before Covid-19 and life with Covid 19. That enforced significant changes in global education. The sudden shift to remote education fosters the broader deployment of digital learning. In the field of engineering education, this transition becomes an incredibly ambitious challenge. For engineering education, it is necessary to acquire practical skills in experimental laboratories to understand complex processes and coherences. Even though various approaches exist, the author proposes a hybrid education model that optimizes skills and safety requirements. The author's implementation of the hybrid education achieved positive feedback from students. On the other hand, in contradiction to different scholars, the author, based on feedback from students and teachers, rejects the conclusion that the Covid19 pandemic prepared us for digital learning. The knowledge of digital learning options has increased, but the lasting absence of face-to-face education has increased the negative sentiment towards digital education among both teachers and students. The preference for personal contact, social relations, the need for practical skills, and collaboration has risen significantly, according to the author's interpretation of qualitative surveys.