Exploring the Impact of ICT on Higher Education Teaching During COVID-19: Identifying Barriers and Opportunities Through Advanced Text Analysis on Instructors’ Experiences

The rapid shift to online education during the COVID-19 crisis has presented both challenges and opportunities for educators worldwide. This paper aims to analyze free-text comments from instructors at Greek Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), gathered during a quantitative survey on the impact of the intensive use of ICT during the lockdown. Topics emerging from extensive survey comments highlight specific barriers and suggestions, offering valuable recommendations for policymakers in similar situations. The majority of barriers were expressed regarding remote teaching, followed by remote examinations, while the section on HEIs support and remote teaching garnered more suggestions. Advanced topic modeling techniques employing Large Language Models (LLMs) are applied to analyze the collected responses. The results reveal that numerous instructors encountered difficulties stemming from insufficient infrastructure, technical assistance, and personnel, along with challenges related to student interaction and remote examination administration. Instructors put forth various suggestions for enhancement, including the provision of equipment, technical support, remote learning workshops, and interactive educational modules. The study’s findings provide insights for guiding the formulation of strategies aimed at better supporting instructors, enriching the teaching and learning process, and shaping policy decisions concerning the utilization of ICTs in higher education during crisis situations, ultimately enhancing education’s effectiveness in preparing students for the knowledge-based economy.