The use of digital tools and digital learning skills in multicultural higher education campuses during the Covid-19 crisis

Abstract

With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Israel’s higher education institutions regrouped in ‘real time’ to continue teaching online. Based on a 2020 mixed-methods study comprising 639 Israeli students from various sectors, this article examined which digital tools and skills were used for learning during the Covid-19 crisis, and whether these tools and skills were suitable for students from various sectors with particular characteristics. It found that the most commonly used digital tools were synchronous lectures (about 80% via Zoom) and course websites (about 80%). No significant differences were found in the level of digital learning skill-use by sector. The most commonly used learning skills were: asking questions (~31%), expressing an opinion and taking a stand (~25%), finding and gathering information (~22%) and peer learning (~22%). The article’s findings indicate that despite cultural differences, a majority of students managed to deal with distance learning.