Learning under Lockdown:
The Conditions in Austria in a Global Context
Patrick Wolfschwenger
1a
, Sara Hinterplattner
2b
, Heike Demarle-Meusel
1c
,
Birgit Albaner
3d
and Barbara Sabitzer
1e
1
Department of STEM Education, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria
2
University College of Education Upper Austria, Linz, Austria
3
Department 6, Media, University of Education Carinthia, Klagenfurt, Austria
Keywords: Covid-19, Education, Distance Learning, Strategies, Practices, Impact.
Abstract: This paper assesses the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on learning conditions with focus on the Austrian
educational system. It presents an overview of the strategies pursued by the government and other relevant
stakeholders and evaluates the effects of the restrictive measures on entrenched educational practices. By
gathering data on different target groups and frames of reference, we analyse the experiences instructors and
learners have made in times of distance learning, examine the opportunities and threats in conjunction with
the abrupt transition from traditional to online instruction and highlight resemblances and differences between
the situation in Austria and other countries. The database serves as the basis for establishing perspectives for
action and support systems for remote learning.
1 INTRODUCTION
Success of educational organizations in 2020 can be
measured by how effectively they adapted to the
changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Aligned
conditions of social cohabitation urged many
organizations to rethink their ways of working and
collaborating. Educational organizations were
particularly affected by the mandate to move
pedagogical work to online systems. Finding ways to
keep workgroups connected over distance suddenly
became a central question in almost every
organization, which required a quick and sustainable
answer (Mishra et al., 2020).
All actors were faced with a new set of
distractions and experienced an unparalleled fusion of
instruction and private life. Not only the learners, but
also the instructors, managers and IT employees were
required to get used to new environments, adopt new
routines and extend their digital skills to transfer and
a
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5325-0511
b
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9601-433X
c
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4897-757X
d
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5592-2932
e
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1304-6863
maintain education beyond classroom boundaries.
The movement from classroom to distance learning
came suddenly and involved a number of challenges
and constraints, but also opportunities have been
emerging and it is questionable whether online
learning is here to stay and how it will persist post-
pandemic. This work analyses the governmental
course of action in Austria with reference to the
situation in other countries and describes the
implications on educational practice.
2 METHODOLOGY
A breadth of apposite data has been gathered in a
systematic search process revealing learning
conditions in phases of lockdown caused by the
Covid-19 pandemic. The goal is to provide a
classification of existing databases and research.
Relevant data points were sought out by conducting
648
Wolfschwenger, P., Hinterplattner, S., Demarle-Meusel, H., Albaner, B. and Sabitzer, B.
Learning under Lockdown: The Conditions in Austria in a Global Context.
DOI: 10.5220/0010492506480656
In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2021) - Volume 1, pages 648-656
ISBN: 978-989-758-502-9
Copyright
c
 2021 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

literature research and reviewing a range of
recognized sources. The gathering comprises
different types of data, including surveys, testimonies
and field reports.
The selected sources have been subject to
thematic analysis, with the aim of detecting patterns
and generating themes in the examined data. Data was
analysed in an iterative process of selective reduction
to determine the existence and frequency of concepts
and to identify potential themes and categories. After
familiarizing with the sources, different data sets have
been analysed, compared, and aggregated to create
manageable and logical chunks of knowledge.
Subsequently, a cross-analysis of data was performed
to explore relationships between the concepts, draw
connections to contiguous approaches and place them
into a wider context for discussion.
The goal of this paper is to give an overview of
the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions on learning
conditions, focusing on the Austrian educational
system. In this process, the following aspects are
investigated: online learning, learning progression,
support and assistance, learning organization, mental
health, and social aspects.
3 OVERVIEW OF THE
EXAMINED SOURCES
A research team at the Faculty of Psychology at the
University of Vienna is conducting a questionnaire-
based survey on how pupils and students have coped
with the situation and distance learning, what
challenges have been associated therewith and what
new learning paths may open up as a result of the
pandemic (Schober et al., 2021). The study
concentrates on the situation in Austria and has
already reached 7500 students, 22000 pupils and
1750 teachers.
The School Barometer of the Institute for the
Management and Economics of Education (IBB) of
the University of Teacher Education Zug (PH Zug)
and the World Education Leadership Symposium
WELS researches the situation in regular intervals,
providing a mood picture and a platform for exchange
of experiences and know-how. Its aim is to describe
the current school situation in Austria, Germany and
Switzerland from the points of view of different target
groups, with special focus on family aspects
(Fickermann & Edelstein, 2020; Huber et al., 2020).
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) takes a global
perspective by gathering data from all over the world.
The Global Education Coalition launched by
UNESCO supports countries in their efforts to
alleviate the impacts of school closures and to
facilitate the continuity of education through remote
learning. UNESCO gathers data related to different
topics, from equity and gender to distance learning
strategies, connectivity, and reopening of schools, on
the one hand and shares practices, ideas, and
resources in the form of publications and webinars on
the other hand. In the survey “How are you learning
during the Covid-19 pandemic?”, UNESCO calls for
testimonies from students, teachers, and parents who
want to share their stories about how they are coping
and continuing to learn (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2021a).
In a survey in cooperation with the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World
Bank, UNESCO seeks to gather worldwide
information on countries responses to school closures
and other challenges stemming from the global health
crisis (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization, 2021b). The questionnaire is
designed for Ministry of Education officials in charge
of school education and does not cover higher
education or vocational education and training.
Empirical inquiries in the context of research
comes from scientific communities. Cachón-Zagalaz
(2020) survey literature from different countries
regarding effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the
lives of school children, concentrating on how the
measures of the government have affected children
between 0 and 12 years and providing a perspective
on their future needs. Carrillo and Flores (2020) have
provided a review of work on online teaching and
learning practices in teacher education.
A strong focus on Covid-19 has also been set by
the Joint Research Centre (JRC), which is the
European Commission's science and knowledge
service. It employs scientists to carry out research in
order to provide independent scientific advice and
support to EU policy. Free digital access to official
information and data from JRC research is provided
via the EU Science Hub. Among others, Di Pietra and
Biagi (2020) provide reflections based on existing
literature and recent international datasets.
School Education Gateway is an Erasmus+
project targeting teachers, school leaders, policy
makers, experts and other professionals in the school
education field. It is an online platform that provides
a single point of entry for its target group and
currently offers support on online teaching and
professional development by providing webinars,
surveys and online courses. A wide-ranging survey
conducted between 9 April and 10 May 2020
Learning under Lockdown: The Conditions in Austria in a Global Context
649

Figure 1: Distance learning phases in Austria (blue) intermitted by holiday breaks (orange): PS... Primary School, LSS...
Lower Sec. School, USS... Upper Sec. School without Graduation Classes, GC... Graduation Classes, U... Universities.
attracted roughly 5000 respondents from more than
40 countries (School Education Gateway, 2020).
The Federal Ministry of Education, Science and
Research in Austria has set up a crisis management
system to provide all stakeholders in its area of
responsibility with comprehensive and ongoing
official information on current developments
regarding Covid-19. It informs educational
directorates, schools, enterprises, and other relevant
departments on an ongoing basis, gives an overview
of the current situation and measures and addresses
the general population, especially instructors and
learners, directly through information letters
published on its website. In addition to the legal
provisions (COVID-19-Maßnahmengesetz.; COVID-
19-Risikogruppe-Verordnung), the publications of
the Ministry of Education provide the basis for the
interpretation of the applicable regulations
(Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung, 2020a, 2020b, 2020c, 2021a, 2021c).
4 RESTRICTIONS
Diverse measures have been implemented by
educational authorities around the globe to reduce
person-to-person transmission and promote physical
distancing in educational institutions. There is
variation across provinces and territories, also within
countries, in terms of how education has been
conducted.
On all continents, the responses have been school
closures and the introduction of distance learning
models. While a combination of in-person attendance
and remote learning was the strategy chosen by most
countries, some (especially developing countries)
have predominantly aimed for full in-person classes
depending on classroom infrastructure and number of
students (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization, 2021b). Austria’s educational
institutions went through several stages of distance
learning, as illustrated in Figure 1.
The targeting of the measures in Austria indicates
that the higher the average age of the group of learners
was, the more emphasis was placed on autonomous
learning. While instruction in upper secondary and
tertiary organizations has more extensively taken
place in a hybrid or distance learning format,
elementary and lower secondary schools have
adhered to in-person attendance to the largest extent
possible. Higher priority in terms of classroom
instruction was also given to graduating classes
(Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung, 2020c).
When distance learning was introduced for the
first time, repeating, practicing and fortifying old
teaching material was the focus in Austria. Teachers
were advised not to introduce new subject matter.
Strengthening students’ own initiative and motivation
as well as familiarization with the online environment
were the major goals (Bundesministerium für
Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung, 2020b).
Pupils should become aware that they are
accompanied in their work by teachers and receive
regular feedback. Practical lessons could be
postponed and held in accumulated form during
phases of in-person attendance when it was
unmanageable to deliver them in a distance learning
format; optional subjects and non-compulsory
exercises could take place in distance learning format
when being necessary for final exams
(Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung, 2020c). In the global context, the Internet
was the most important education delivery system
used (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization, 2021b). TV, paper and radio
were of lower priority on all continents except Central
and Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa where the
TV was the most important delivery system (United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, 2021b).
CSEDU 2021 - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education
650

Even in times of lockdown, schools in Austria
remained open for day care, but not for teaching or
educational support. This offering was made
available to all pupils, regardless of the vocational
background of their parents or guardians
(Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung, 2020c). The Ministry of Education in
Austria (2020a) provided digital devices for schools
that could be requested on loan from schools directly.
The “#Weiterlernen” initiative was founded bundling
numerous offers for students throughout Austria,
such as equipment donations, which have been made
available to socially disadvantaged students free of
charge (Innovationsstiftung für Bildung und
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung). Measures taken to include vulnerable
populations in other countries were special support to
learners with disabilities, improvement of access to
infrastructure, subsidization of devices and provision
of learning materials for minority languages (United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, 2021b).
Individuals with underlying medical conditions,
with mental health problems or living in households
with members of a Covid-19 risk group were to be
exempted from physical attendance upon
presentation of medical clearance
(Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung, 2021a; COVID-19-Risikogruppe-
Verordnung). Psychologists, social workers, medical
staff and pedagogues were allowed to enter the
buildings, whereas programs in cooperation with
external persons and institutions that require physical
presence at campuses as well as practical training of
student teachers have been temporarily interrupted
(Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung, 2020c).
In the secondary and tertiary sector in Austria, all
persons being present in educational institutions were
obliged to wear a protective face mask except those
who could not be expected to wear one due to
disability or impairment. In elementary and special-
needs schools, the obligation applied only outside
classrooms, but the school authority has been entitled
to tighten this regulation up in districts with a high
incidence of infection. If available, rooms outside
schools and large rooms such as sports halls could be
used for teaching (Bundesministerium für Bildung,
Wissenschaft und Forschung, 2020c). Also in most
other countries, schools had to comply with health
and safety measures, including a requirement that
people who are ill stay at home, enhanced hygiene
and cleaning conditions, arranging classrooms,
testing and tracing, etc. (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2021b).
On all continents, plans to implement catch-up
strategies were remedial programmes, acceleration of
learning and an increase of class time; in particular,
Europe was the only continent where none of the 12
countries that responded to the first survey planned
on accelerating learning or increasing class time
(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, 2021b). Endeavours to adjust the scope
of curriculum to be covered exist only in
approximately one quarter of the countries reviewed
(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, 2021b). A summer school was
introduced by the Ministry of Education in Austria
(2021c), which is a voluntary two-week program
aimed at the elementary and lower secondary sector
for the individual and targeted support of pupils in
order to counteract impending educational
disadvantages due to different framework conditions
during the school closures as a result of the pandemic.
5 IMPLICATIONS
5.1 Online Learning
In the first lockdown, the unexpectedness of the
measures and abrupt need for adjustment were
outstanding. Both instructors and learners were
thrown out of their usual structures and had to adapt
to online environments (Cachón-Zagalaz et al., 2020).
While instructors could not continue their lessons in
the usual way, learners were at the mercy of the
situation and had to fend for themselves much of the
time. To cope with the situation, infants and minors
were heavily reliant on support from their parents
(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, 2021a), who themselves had to struggle
with multiple issues such as creating a physical
learning environment for their children, lending them
a hand in working out learning content and adapting
to new routines in their job.
In subsequent lockdowns, educational institutions
could already draw upon experience from the
previous phases of distance learning. The adjustment
to the situation became easier. Nevertheless, the often
electronically supported learning at home was not
equally manageable in all families (Di Pietro et al.,
2020). It was easier for those whose parents had a
higher educational background and provided modern
digital devices and good Internet connections. Pupils
who had little or no parental support at home were left
even further behind than they already were. Those
Learning under Lockdown: The Conditions in Austria in a Global Context
651

who were already unable to organize their learning in
the first lockdown and thus had no learning success
will probably have difficulties making up for already
lost educational ground.
After many students in Austria had claimed the
use of too many platforms as a problem during the
first lockdown, nearly 80 percent of respondents used
no more than two learning platforms during the
second hard lockdown (Schober et al., 2021). 44.9
percent used one, 34.9 percent used two, 13.5 percent
used three and 6.1 percent used four or more learning
platforms. 0.6 percent responded that they did not use
any learning platform at all. 47.8 percent reported to
use not only learning platforms, but also messaging
services and email for communication with their
teachers.
Concepts in which learners are more intensively
involved in planning and implementation in the
context of a diverse and dialog-oriented type of
teaching have increased in international popularity
during online teaching. Instructors reported that aims
of didactics shifted towards engaging learners in
social interactions, encouraging innovation and
creativity and projecting a positive image of the
future, with the overarching goal of counteracting
social exclusion (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2021a).
5.2 Learning Progression
About half of the parents state that their children were
succeeding in engaging with the new learning
methods, working independently on their tasks at
home, but that they also needed a lot of support in
coping with school tasks in the current situation
(Huber et al., 2020). 23 percent of parents were
concerned about their children's learning progress,
while a slightly larger proportion of parents (42 %)
was optimistic; 51 percent of the pupils questioned
did not think that they learn more than in regular
classes and that more home schooling should be
performed in the future, whereas a smaller proportion
of students perceived higher learning success in the
lockdown situation (Huber et al., 2020). This can
probably be traced back to the effects of different
learning types, the learning environment and the
associated amount of distraction as well as the
possibility to align learning with individual needs and
choose own learning paces and paths (Huber et al.,
2020).
Although online learning has a lot of potential, it
would probably be more effective if students had the
time to prepare and get used to it and educational
organizations had more time to adequately implement
it in their organizational structures (Di Pietro et al.,
2020). According to the School Education Gateway
survey (School Education Gateway, 2020), two thirds
of instructors had to teach online for the first time.
Further factors presumably affecting learning
progress are less time spent in learning, stress, a
change in the way students interact, and lack of
learning motivation (Di Pietro et al., 2020).
Performance determination has been strongly
impaired by the constantly changing regulations and
unaccustomed forms of teaching and learning. While
the tertiary sector switched to delivering exams in an
online format, remote tests have not at all been
conducted in the primary or secondary sector in
Austria. The prerequisite for holding school tests and
other written performance assessments is timely and
intensive preparation (Bundesministerium für
Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung, 2020c). Due
to the rapid adjustments of the regulations and
requirements for schools to respond, tests could not
or could only partly be carried out. In such cases,
other forms of performance assessment, such as
participation, were required. Cancellation of tests
should be avoided in graduating classes whenever
possible, but formal structures such as the mid-year
school report remained (Bundesministerium für
Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung, 2020c). In this
context, Schober et al. (2021) pointed out that the
motivation to study decreased when learners were
uncertain at what time and in what form exams will
be held.
5.3 Support and Assistance
The majority of learners in Austria consistently felt
well informed about the situation. Four fifth gave a
favourable opinion, around five percent of pupils
voted negative in the second inquiry of the Austrian
study (Schober et al., 2021): When being asked what
they would need more information about, many
referred to details about school openings as well as
uncertainties in grading and performance reviews.
It
was also responded that mainly technical issues had
to be solved at the beginning of school closures which
has led to a waste of learning time.
Findings of the School Barometer reveal that
there is a strong variance in the sufficiency of
hardware and software equipment for distance
learning (Huber et al., 2020): Around a quarter of the
teachers inquired stated that the availability of tablets,
laptops or PCs was adequate for learning at home,
although there was criticism about shortage of digital
terminals and the necessity to use the private
computer and broadband connection to continue
CSEDU 2021 - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education
652

teaching at home. Respondents from the group of
school principals, school employees, and school
administrators expressed an urgent need for
comprehensive digitization and provision of technical
equipment and Internet connections within schools
accordingly (Huber et al., 2020). Around ten percent
of parents reported that they do not have enough work
equipment available at home, while 21 percent of
pupils answered that they had to borrow a device from
parents or siblings – inadequate hardware at home
was mentioned as the most significant reason for
students' absence (Huber et al., 2020).
Learners in Austria have felt well supported by
their teachers despite a tiny number of interviewees
responding they did not know how to contact teachers
with questions (Schober et al., 2021). The School
Barometer also confirms that individual learning
support in terms of a positive learning climate
(concerns are taken seriously, teachers can be asked
at any time in case of difficulties) has been well
developed (Huber et al., 2020). When asked which
support would be helpful, students most often
respond that they would like faster feedback on
assignments and support in structuring daily learning
and in using computers (Schober et al., 2021).
Learners suggested that all e-learning should be
organized uniformly on the same learning platform as
it would help them to maintain a better overview
(Schober et al., 2021).
5.4 Learning Organization
Learning at home in isolation with more extensive
assignments across different subjects requires
learners to have a bigger picture of the work to be
done and the learning objectives. Independent and
self-reliant learning abilities are essential skills to
cope with this situation. Learners in Austria have
mostly recognized the high relevance of good
learning organization as an important insight from the
home learning period (Schober et al., 2021): Pupils
say that they have experienced in times of lockdown
how important good learning organization is for
learning success and that they have made gains in
their self-organizing skills. The more frequently
pupils report an increase in their self-organization
skills, the more successful they also experience
themselves in completing their assignments after
phases of home learning (Schober et al., 2021). The
higher the level of independence, the higher the
learning success, learning effort and positive
emotions, and the lower the negative emotions
(Huber & Helm, 2020).
However, learners in Austria have also responded
that independently solving assignments was
occasionally difficult for them (Schober et al., 2021).
Receiving oral instructions and asking questions in
online lessons was more challenging than in
classroom settings. Breaking down extensive tasks
into manageable pieces and scheduling assignments
over available time were novel challenges for pupils.
Around one third of the pupils participating in the
Austrian studies stated that the organization of
learning at home was rarely or not at all discussed in
the classroom (Schober et al., 2021). Also, students
have mentioned problems in working out content
independently, as it was frustrating to hardly be able
to discuss concerns and questions with lecturers
(Schober et al., 2021).
5.5 Mental Health
The School Barometer sets out that a higher level of
positive emotions correlates with significantly higher
learning success and moderately higher learning
effort, whereas negative emotions are associated with
significantly lower learning success, but not with
lower learning effort (Huber & Helm, 2020). The
quality of teacher-student contact relates to higher
positive emotions, and significant correlation
between negative emotions and lack of parental
support came forth (Huber & Helm, 2020).
An equal number of pupils and parents (37 %
each) stated at the beginning of the pandemic that
they were looking forward to other ways of learning
like distance learning; the proportion is a bit higher
(40 %) among representatives of school
administration and supervision (Huber et al., 2020).
About a quarter of school administrators and assisting
employees estimate that the children look forward to
different ways of learning or learning method, and.
half of the pupils answered three weeks after the first
school closure that they began to miss school (Huber
et al., 2020). Students in Austria attributed motivation
problems to a lack of professional exchange with
instructors and fellow students (Schober et al., 2021).
The vast majority of pupils in Austria stated that
the time of home learning was generally discussed in
school (Schober et al., 2021). Although the majority
feels well supported by their instructors, there are a
number of risk factors involved in home learning. A
few percent of participants reported having serious
problems coping with the demands of home learning
(Schober et al., 2021). This group is characterized by
low well-being and low confidence. They feel
socially disconnected and keep little contact with
friends. They have difficulty organizing their learning
Learning under Lockdown: The Conditions in Austria in a Global Context
653

independently. Therefore, it is particularly important
to reflect on how students fared during home learning,
coped with work assignments and what insights can
be taken away for future learning.
5.6 Social Aspects
How contacts are reduced in phases of attendance has
heavily depended on the circumstances of educational
organizations. Temporary shift of holiday, lesson and
break times, outdoor training, grouping, and avoiding
contact between groups have been widespread
measures that should contribute to minimizing social
contact and the transmission of disease (United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, 2021b). Countries also responded that
staggered attendance phases were introduced to
counteract crowding on transportation. Sports lessons
have been held outdoors whenever possible. Music
lessons with instruments have been avoided,
especially instrument sharing.
Schober et al. (2021) show that most students
experienced positive changes in their well-being,
social integration and subjective learning success when
returning to school. Seeing classmates and teachers
again was long awaited and a great pleasure for the
most. The negative sides of returning to school in times
of the pandemic comprise the ongoing division of
groups and separation from classmates.
However,
many pupils preferred content delivery through in-
attendance methods and were content with fewer
persons in the classes. A quieter atmosphere and the
possibility of more individualized feedback was
widely perceived beneficiary in the reduced classroom
setting. Some learners mention increased pressure to
perform, since in some cases instructors tried to catch
up on as much missed material as possible.
Empowering learners to connect with each other
and their instructors through online systems should
help to stay connected and positive over distance.
This is an important prerequisite for productivity and
wellbeing. Educators tell that the physical and
emotional connections they have with the learners
still cannot be replaced by any distance learning tool
(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, 2021a). They are not feeling equally
connected with the learners and less efficient and
effective under the adverse circumstances.
6 DISCUSSION
Learning with, through and about digital technologies
was in the centre of attention in most organizations
worldwide, and the potentials of digital technologies
have become tangible for all actors. Collective
transition towards distance learning made members
of educational institutions reflect upon their habits
and customs as related to teaching and learning and
let the potentials of collaborative technologies
become visible. With data on how the lockdowns
have impacted student learning, we get an insight into
the experiences under the current conditions that
contributes to making informed decisions about the
future of education.
The 8-point plan for digital instruction in schools
presented on 17 June 2020 by the Ministry of
Education represents the next development step for
the nationwide implementation of digitally supported
instruction and for the widespread implementation of
innovative teaching and learning formats in Austria.
Based on scientific findings and practical experiences
of learning in times of Covid-19, eight priority fields
of action were derived in preparation for the
upcoming school year 2020/21 and onwards
(Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung, 2021b). Teacher training will increase its
focus on digitally supported teaching and learning.
Schools will standardize their processes, reduce the
number of learning management and communication
systems used locally, and thus create clear structures
for digitally supported teaching and learning. The
most important pedagogical and administrative
applications will be bundled and made accessible via
single sign-on, which should also support
communication between schools and parents. The
range of educational media will be expanded to offer
teachers and learners a better service. To ensure equal
opportunities and up-to-date teaching and learning,
all students at lower secondary level need to be given
access to digital devices. Cooperation between
schools, teacher training colleges, education
departments as well as the Ministry of Education in
implementing the eight priority measures will play a
key role in achieving those goals.
Sustaining good teaching despite the pandemic
has been and continues to be a major achievement.
Turning experience into lasting development will not
happen automatically. Innovation requires awareness,
smart processes and the involvement of every
stakeholder. It will be important to hold on to the
positive developments triggered by the pandemic
while getting rid of restrictions and barriers so as to
allow organizations to exploit the opportunities of
digitization.
CSEDU 2021 - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education
654

7 CONCLUSION
The restrictions that influenced the learning and
teaching process were similar all over the world. In-
person attendance at schools and universities was
reduced as much as possible and replaced by distance
learning. In Austria, the number of days in distance
learning depended on the educational level of the
students and varied from 11 to 24 weeks in 2020.
2021 started with distance learning for all educational
levels and the date for a physical return to school is
still in discussion.
In the first phase of online learning, infants and
minors needed a lot of support from their parents with
structuring the online learning, but also with the use
of digital devices and online learning platforms. The
learning progress was described very differently by
students. Some students perceived higher learning
success in the distance learning phase whereas around
half of the students did not think that they learned
more than in the regular classroom with in-person
attendance. Support and assistance were described as
sufficient by the Austrian learners, particularly when
talking about the teachers. However, some problems
occurred due to the lack of information, due to
technical issues and due to the lack of work
equipment like digital devices. Most of the learners in
Austria have noticed that the importance of learning
organization has grown during the distance learning
phases. Self-organization skills were essential for
pupils to successfully complete their assignments.
Challenges were seen in online lessons, because
for example asking questions was not as easy as in
regular classrooms with in-person attendance, or
when independently solving assignments where
discussions were missing. The restrictions brought a
lot of changes for social aspects and students
experienced positive changes when in-person
attendance in regular classrooms was re-established.
The students experienced also benefits due to the
quieter atmosphere or more individual feedback
during distance learning phases. Empowering
learners to stay connected was seen as a main concern
for teachers.
In conclusion, the evidence from this paper shows
that the Covid-19 restrictions affected all learners and
instructors and made it necessary to rethink and revise
teaching and learning concepts. The results from the
different studies in sum show both benefits and
drawbacks due to the restrictions.
REFERENCES
Bundesgesetz betreffend vorläufige Maßnahmen zur
Verhinderung der Verbreitung von COVID-19.
https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfra
ge=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20011073
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung. (2020a). Begleitbrief zur Auslieferung von
Leihgeräten: Information an betroffene Schulen im
Wege der Bildungsdirektionen. https://www.bmbwf.gv.
at/dam/jcr:5a8f45fa-ed28-4ff6-9005-5ec8fe376719
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung. (2020b). Leitlinien für die Fernlehre/das
Distance Learning. https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/
dam/jcr:9ba26998-866b-4341-8c19-6d152804a70d
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung. (2020c). Maßnahmen zur Reduktion der
COVID-19-Infektionszahlen: Unterrichtsbetrieb ab 7.
Dezember 2020. https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/dam/
jcr:1d480dcd-aead-4977-926f-9acaedd37bf9
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung. (2021a). Coronavirus (COVID-19):
Häufige Fragen und Antworten (FAQ) im Universitäts-
und Hochschulbereich. https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/
Themen/HS-Uni/Aktuelles/corona/corona_faq.html
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung. (2021b). Digitale Schule.
https://digitaleschule.gv.at/
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und
Forschung. (2021c). Sommerschule 2021.
https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/Themen/schule/zrp/sommer
schule.html
Cachón-Zagalaz, J., Sánchez-Zafra, M., Sanabrias-Moreno,
D., González-Valero, G., Lara-Sánchez, A. J., &
Zagalaz-Sánchez, M. L. (2020). Systematic Review of
the Literature About the Effects of the COVID-19
Pandemic on the Lives of School Children. Frontiers in
Psychology, 11, 569348.
Carrillo, C., & Flores, M. (2020). COVID-19 and teacher
education: a literature review of online teaching and
learning practices. European Journal of Teacher
Education, 43(4), 466–487.
Di Pietro, G., Biagi, F., Costa, P., Karpiński, Z., & Mazza,
J. (2020). The likely impact of COVID-19 on education:
Reflections based on the existing literature and recent
international datasets. JRC technical report.
Publications Office of the European Union.
European Commission. EU Science Hub.
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en
Fickermann, D., & Edelstein, B. (Eds.). (2020). Die
Deutsche Schule Beiheft: Vol. 16. „Langsam vermisse
ich die Schule …“: Schule während und nach der
Corona-Pandemie.
Huber, S. G., Günther, P. S., Schneider, N., Helm, C.,
Schwander, M., Schneider, J., & Pruitt, J. (2020).
COVID-19 und aktuelle Herausforderungen in Schule
und Bildung: Erste Befunde des Schul-Barometers in
Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Waxmann.
Huber, S. G., & Helm, C. (2020). Lernen in Zeiten der
Corona-Pandemie. Die Rolle familiärer Merkmale für
Learning under Lockdown: The Conditions in Austria in a Global Context
655

das Lernen von Schüler*innen: Befunde vom Schul-
Barometer in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz.
In D. Fickermann & B. Edelstein (Eds.), Die Deutsche
Schule Beiheft: Vol. 16. „Langsam vermisse ich die
Schule …“: Schule während und nach der Corona-
Pandemie.
Innovationsstiftung für Bildung und Bundesministerium für
Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung. #Weiterlernen.
https://weiterlernen.at/
Institute for the Management and Economics of Education
(IBB) of the University of Teacher Education Zug (PH
Zug) and the World Education Leadership Symposium
WELS. Schulbarometer. http://schul-barometer.
edulead.net/
Mishra, L., Gupta, T., & Shree, A. (2020). Online teaching-
learning in higher education during lockdown period of
COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of
Educational Research Open, 1, 100012.
Schober, B., Lüftenegger, M., & Spiel, C. (2021). Lernen
unter COVID-19-Bedingungen. Fakultät für
Psychologie, Universität Wien.
https://lernencovid19.univie.ac.at/
School Education Gateway. (2020). Survey on online and
distance learning. https://www.schooleducation
gateway.eu/en/pub/viewpoints/surveys/survey-on-onli
ne-teaching.htm
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization. Global Education Coalition.
https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/globa
lcoalition
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization. (2021a). How are you learning during
the COVID-19 pandemic? https://en.unesco.org/
covid19/educationresponse/learningneverstops
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization. (2021b). Survey on National Education
Responses to COVID-19 School Closures.
http://tcg.uis.unesco.org/survey-education-covid-
school-closures/
Verordnung des Bundesministers für Soziales, Gesundheit,
Pflege und Konsumentenschutz über die Definition der
allgemeinen COVID-19-Risikogruppe. https://www.ris.
bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnor
men&Gesetzesnummer=20011167
CSEDU 2021 - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education
656