Title: Online education during COVID-19 in the Western Balkans: a case study of a university in Kosovo

Authors: Giuseppe Ciccone; Gazmend Qorraj; Nada Trunk; Arbnor Bajraliu

Addresses: Escuela de Doctorado Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain ' University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo ' International School for Social and Business Studies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia ' University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo

Abstract: The educational environment has changed worldwide due to COVID-19, including in the European Union (EU) and the Western Balkans (WB). While the main challenge for the EU member states, according to the EU Commission (2018), is the quality of education and research activities, in contrast, the Western Balkans lack digital infrastructure, including broadband access and digital skills. The aim of the paper is to analyse and address the response of the universities regarding the digitalisation process, quality of education, networking, interactive approach, capacity building and further valuable issues. In addition, the paper analyses the government response in support of universities to overcome the challenges and exploit the opportunities offered by the digital experience during COVID. With regard to the methodology, this study applies descriptive statistics derived from the online surveys with respondents and a focus group as a qualitative method.

Keywords: digital education; COVID-19; e-learning; academics; digital transformation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2023.134229

International Journal of Management in Education, 2023 Vol.17 No.6, pp.541 - 565

Received: 04 Oct 2022
Accepted: 15 Mar 2023
Published online: 13 Oct 2023 *

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