TEACHING PSYCHOLOGY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. CHALLENGES FOR ONLINE COURSES

Abstract

The forced transition to online teaching and learning, caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, was sudden and difficult for many teachers and students who had to adapt to new ways of interacting. Our purpose is to describe some specific challenges and recommendations for online teaching and learning in the field of Psychology, especially for those who never had this kind of experience before. The quality of learning was not an issue identified by current students, but the content quality and the opportunities for social interactions during online courses were revealed as real problems by scientific research. Teachers are expected to act as facilitators, content experts, organizers, or technical helpers, and all these may become sources of frustration. The convenience of online courses for students could diminish the worries connected to learning outcomes, but we have to admit that not all teachers are prepared, willing or able to adapt to online classes.