TECHNOLOGY USE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AMONG STUDENTS OF OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

Abstract

Due to COVID-19 pandemic faculties were closed and online educational platforms were used, which caused the process of transferring from conventional learning to online learning at majority of higher educational institutions across the world. The aim of this research was to examine types of technology students of Faculty for special education and rehabilitation own, types of technology their faculty owns, self-perceived level of proficiency in using certain programs, students’ satisfaction with certain services or spaces provided to them by their faculty, students’ belief in usefulness of certain aspects of technology use at their faculty, perception of usefulness of particular technologies at their faculty, as well as their opinions about technology use during lectures. The sample included 156 students and the survey distributed to respondents was a survey designed by Honeychurch & McCluckie (2007).Almost all respondents own smartphone (97.4%) and a computer, while only 26.3% of the sample owns tablet device. The programs that students believe their level of proficiency in using is excellent are internet (53.2%) and email (41%). The students are not satisfied with faculty spaces and services. Majority of the sample believes that usingtechnology can help them in all aspects of their studies and that technology is the most useful in making them feel more connected to their peers.We recommend replicating this research again now, since the study was conducted when the COVID-19 pandemic started. We believe it is important for students, as well as teaching staff to be properly trained on how to use technology. Key words: technology, faculty, satisfaction, students.