Digital University: Investigating the Impact of the Pandemic on the Acceptance of E-Learning

This article explores a comparative study on the Digitalization in Teaching conducted by the FHWien der WKW (FHW) at the very beginning of the pandemic, with a follow-up one year later, after the complete changeover to distance learning. The study investigated behaviour and preferences of students and teaching staff as linked to their experience with digital tools both initially and after that year. The results were compared to the results of similar studies, focusing on answering the question about the impact of digital education on the acceptance of the digital tools and processes. This paper presents the findings of the FHW study examining the acceptance or rejection of e-learning by students and teaching staff by exploring their needs, questions, and requests. The research uses acceptance theory in its theoretical underpinnings. Its methodology consists of a quantitative survey of students and teaching staff, as well as the review of studies on related topics. The outcome of this study shows that, after a year of being forced to work with digital tools, attitudes among students and teaching staff generally became more accepting and shifts in their needs and requests could be observed. Keywords: distance learning, digital tools, post-secondary education, e-learning, acceptance