Facing The New Learning Normality - Europe At A Glance In The Context Of Coronavirus Pandemic

Over time, digital tools have benefited from an increasingly intense use, being recognized for their beneficial potential in many areas of activity. Among many other domains in which technological instruments have been integrated in order to improve the processes carried out, we can mention the educational environment. Multiple policies have been adopted at European level in order to support the use of digital tools as a complementary activity to traditional learning. The transition from traditional education to education supported by ICT tools has been and continues to be one of the main interest areas in each European country. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a new learning normality in which distance learning has been the only option to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning processes. We naturally wonder if we have been fully prepared for such a situation given that the digitization of educational processes is an ongoing process in Europe. The aim of this paper is to identify and summarize the main obstacles regarding the distance learning processes in Europe, in a situation where there was no other possibility. In the absence of a good understanding of these issues, it is impossible to manage a similar situation in the future. The results obtained from the analysis highlight real challenges related to disadvantaged socio-economic environments, such as rural areas. Also, aspects associated with the pedagogical side, digital skills of participants in educational processes, enabling conditions and others were discussed.