Academic research on the effect of technology and digital support in education, language learning and teaching has greatly increased in recent years. This issue has come into focus with recent global developments, which have led to research directions taking a radical shift towards digitalized training. Institutions all over the world, including academic establishments, were forced to find strategies to adapt to the pervasive introduction of distance education. As a result of the shift from onsite to online education, academic institutions in North Macedonia and Romania also resorted to digital learning strategies. The transfer from direct to remote learning occurred rapidly, which gave institutions and teachers little time to prepare. Various educational needs called for urgent solutions at all levels. The way teachers handled the situation largely depended on their own creativity and became their responsibility. This explorative study examines student experiences and perceptions on the new digital environments established through remote education. Acknowledging convenience sampling, the subjects who participated in this study were students at the English Language and Literature Department of the University of Tetovo (UT) in North Macedonia. Data were collected using questionnaires, via Google Docs, in which participants were asked to reflect on their experience. Responses were subjected to a modified content analysis to identify the main themes and topics. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken via Google Classroom to substantiate the essential findings of the subsequent content analysis. The results of the study have shown that safety, security, time and cost effectiveness were perceived among the advantages of online learning. However, peer collaboration and learning were felt as ineffective during online language classes. the study identifies the need for urgent staff and student training in line with recent global developments. This suggestion is not limited to building digital skills from a technological point of view, but also highlights the need to enhance situational and communicative settings in digital environments.

EFL (English as a Foreign Language), students’ perceptions, digital education, qualitative analysis, tertiary education

agronomy

Presentation: poster