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Analysing Students’ Reasons for Keeping Their Webcams on or off during Online Classes

Author

Listed:
  • Vasile Gherheș

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Politehnica University of Timișoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

  • Simona Șimon

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Politehnica University of Timișoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

  • Iulia Para

    (Department of Marketing and International Economic Relations, West University of Timișoara, 300223 Timisoara, Romania)

Abstract

Since, in some higher education institutions, it is not mandatory for students to turn their webcams on during online classes, teachers have complained that their students have adopted this behaviour once the educational activities moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering this, the present research aimed to identify the reasons behind students’ choice to hide their faces during online classes and find possible solutions to remedy the situation to enhance the educational process’s sustainability. Thus, this article presents the results obtained by applying an online questionnaire between December 2020 and January 2021 among the students pursuing an academic degree, recording 407 responses. The results highlighted the fact that more than half of the students participating in the study reported that they do not agree to keep their webcams on during online classes, the main reasons being anxiety/fear of being exposed/shame/shyness, desire to ensure privacy of the home/personal space, and chances that other people might walk into the background. The relevance of the research, besides the scarcity of studies on the topic, is also given by the fact that finding and understanding the reasons for this behaviour are, in fact, the first steps in undertaking regulatory interventions on it.

Suggested Citation

  • Vasile Gherheș & Simona Șimon & Iulia Para, 2021. "Analysing Students’ Reasons for Keeping Their Webcams on or off during Online Classes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:6:p:3203-:d:517235
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ciprian Obrad, 2020. "Constraints and Consequences of Online Teaching," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-23, August.
    2. Ramona Alice Bran & Gabriela Grosseck, 2020. "Press RESET: Digitalising Education in Disruptive Times," Revista romaneasca pentru educatie multidimensionala - Journal for Multidimensional Education, Editura Lumen, Department of Economics, vol. 12(1Sup2), pages 39-48, June.
    3. Eduard Edelhauser & Lucian Lupu-Dima, 2020. "Is Romania Prepared for eLearning during the COVID-19 Pandemic?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-30, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Josep Petchamé & Ignasi Iriondo & Garazi Azanza, 2022. "“Seeing and Being Seen” or Just “Seeing” in a Smart Classroom Context When Videoconferencing: A User Experience-Based Qualitative Research on the Use of Cameras," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-13, August.
    2. Vasile Gherheș & Claudia E. Stoian & Marcela Alina Fărcașiu & Miroslav Stanici, 2021. "E-Learning vs. Face-To-Face Learning: Analyzing Students’ Preferences and Behaviors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Jekatyerina Dunajeva, 2023. "University Mentoring Programs during the Pandemic: Case Study of Hungarian Roma University Students," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-14, February.

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