The lack of ITC didactics through the COVID-19 restrictions

During the second wave of COVID-19 in the Faroe Islands, in autumn 2020, an online survey was conducted, with focus both on student wellbeing, and on the online didactics and pedagogy used. The respondents (N=674) were both university students (N=281, of which 119 were from Faculty of Education) and upper secondary students (N=393). In general, the students understood and accepted the rationale and measures that were taken during the COVID-19 lockdown in the spring and the more limited restrictions in autumn 2020. Some students needed extra support and clarifications, and to a large extent they have been satisfied with the help they got (Olsen, 2021). The students’ feedback shows that when considering the teaching methods used during the online teaching, most of them prefer on-site teaching, as they tend to experience some negative impact on their motivation, concentration and focus with online learning. Also, the social aspects are highlighted as an important factor for a positive learning environment. On the other hand, the students also see the benefits of online teaching, especially for those that are living far away, and when students are prevented from attending for various reasons. However, before implementing online teaching as a permanent part of the learning environment, technical issues need further attention and teachers must be upskilled for online teaching. The survey was conducted with inspiration from an Icelandic survey (Gestsdóttir et al., 2020). To assess the students’ well-being, the WHO (Five) Well-Being Index1 was used as part of the survey.