Distance Learning at the Hungarian Dance Academy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The Hungarian government prescribed distance learning for higher education institutions due to the spread of the coronavirus epidemic which was challenging at the Hungarian Dance Academy. The development of movement skills was difficult without personal presence, no common e-learning practice had existed in the institution before the pandemic. In the research we explored the distance learning and teaching practices developed at the theoretical and dance courses at the Hungarian Dance Academy, as well as the experiences of both teachers and students during the 3 and a half months. Instructors (n=65) and students (n=240) completed an online questionnaire on digital tool use and course management, furthermore 13 of the responding instructors also shared their experiences in a structured interview. Most of the instructors welcomed everything they could benefit from distance learning (e.g. creating new curricula, learning about new digital tools, improving relationships with students), but understandably, online distance learning of dance was considered impossible by many. Some students enjoyed distance learning because of their own schedule and the convenience of their home, but there were many critical remarks about its methods.