The Impact of Mandatory Distance Education on Teaching and Learning Macroeconomics and International Economics, at Budapest Business School, during the Covid-19 Epidemic

Abstract

In our study, we explore the impacts of remote and online education framework introduced as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic in the case of two subjects (Macroeconomics and International Economics) taught at the Faculty of Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism, Budapest Business School. We analyzed the measures of the education change, the effects of the change on the final results of the students and introduced the experiences of our students and teachers in this period. The primary data required for the analysis were diaries maintained by teachers and information available through the electronic study systems supporting online learning (CooSpace, Neptun), as well as student and teacher questionnaires and teacher interviews. The results for both subjects show that, despite the unmodified difficulty level of the exam questions, student performance improved during the remote learning period. The implications of the study are therefore as follows: the coronavirus changed the educational framework of our university; the performance of students improved on both subjects; preparation time for teachers has increased, exam preparation time for students has also increased; consequently, the online solutions used in the distance learning period, have changed the attitudes of the students and teachers, as well.