Factors determining satisfaction with e-learning during the pandemic in the opinion of Polish and Spanish students: analysis of differences and similarities

Abstract

E-learning has become a challenge for many universities worldwide, which during the pandemic had to switch overnight from offline to online learning and meet the expectations of students for whom this form of education was often alien. The aim of the paper is to present how students from two different countries, Spain and Poland, perceived e-learning during the pandemic, what factors, in their opinion, influenced their satisfaction with this form of education, which of them decreased it; and what are the similarities and differences in their opinion. In order to get to know their opinions, an online survey was conducted with students at the University of Manresa (Spain), and telephone interviews with students of the Warsaw University of Technology Business School. A comparative analysis of the obtained results was then performed to determine the similarities and differences in the satisfaction with e-learning between the Spanish and Polish students. The study shows that the main factors satisfying both groups of students are the possibility to use digital didactic materials, the quality of e-learning platforms, the organisation of e-learning, and the support provided by universities and lecturers. The most significant differences were visible in the perception of online classes, the formula for completing the course, and the didactic activities for students. The research results lead to the conclusion that despite the cultural differences and different teaching systems, the factors satisfying students with e-learning in the two countries were in fact quite similar.