Mediatization of Musical and Theatrical Practice on the Moodle Platform: Investigation of Online Resources

Introduction

The pandemic crisis has forced many countries around the world to change people's habits and the way they manage their internal sectors of life (United Nations – Secretary-General, 2020; Alwan et al., 2020). University-level training processes were not exempt. Many universities in the world have had to adopt urgent measures for the reorganization of training processes, both in management and learning design level (Gaebel et al., 2021; EUA, 2020), in order to avoid the negative effects of the so called 'coronateaching' (UNESCO-IESALC, 2020) - that is the adaptation of face-to-face classes into a virtual mode, without changing the curriculum and methodology, i.e. poor quality of training provision and inefficiency with respect to skills output. The use of digital technology in universities involves the transformation of teaching and learning practices in relation to student access and the expansion of individualized and adaptive education. For this to be possible, higher education institutions should invest in the development of learning environments through update of hardware and software and training for teaching staff able to adapting pedagogical and assessment approaches.

The COVID-19 crisis stimulated an acceleration of digitalization in teaching by touching on aspects such as the design of courses, the methods of instruction and assessment, the analysis of learning (Crawford et al., 2020). However, the OECD underlined 'how poorly prepared universities in most countries were for a rapid shift to online provision (…) they often struggled with insufficient experience and time for conceiving new formats of instructional delivery and assignments’ (OECD, 2021, p. 3). This imply relationship with the suppliers of educational technologies and online learning platforms and with the designers of virtual learning environments, so that it is not competitive with respect to the control over the development, design and evaluation of courses. Specifically, the adaptation of courses due to the pandemic crisis has affected the disciplines or courses that required practice-based learning resources (e.g. laboratories, fine arts studios, clinics, work-based), as faculties where practical apprenticeship is required (Rose, 2020; Mapletoft & Price, 2020).

Degree courses, specifically aimed at training professional profiles, have had to ensure online methods consistent with expected outgoing skills and are still experimenting with new e-learning solutions to make students exercise in experiential practice - virtual internships, online practical exercises, remote laboratories, etc. - no longer feasible in the face-to-face mode but to be carried out in the remote mode (Gamage et al., 2020; Hora et al., 2020). The document 'The impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education in Apprenticeships: An Overview of the Challenges facing Higher Education Providers' (2021), which takes into account approaches to higher education in apprenticeships across the UK, notes three key elements that higher education institutions should consider regarding their support for higher education apprenticeships: ability to adapt training to different circumstances; ability of the work context to continue to provide an adequate environment for work-based learning; apprenticeship requirements to be guaranteed despite being in remote mode. In addition to compliance with financial, regulatory and reporting requirements, in terms of educational organization, higher education institution have had challenges such as:

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  Impact on work-based learning – related to the ‘integrity’ of the apprenticeship and its roots in work-based learning - the possibility for apprentices to be able to acquire the required experience through additional equipment, access to online sources, setting up of an appropriate study environment, methods of assessing the tasks of the courses, observations and exams, which are not always available online.

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  Digital technology and communication strategies – regarding the need to mitigate any potential 'digital fatigue' (Gaudioso et al., 2017), both for apprentices and staff, through appropriate supports (i.e., scheduling of meetings, personalization of meetings, proactively offering support and encouragement, etc.) in the interest of the well-being of both.

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  Forward planning – related to the flexible rescheduling of teaching blocks or the replacement of certain activities, rather than traditional terms or semesters.