One of the challenges teachers and students face in online synchronous learning is not turning on their video cameras. The reasons are multitasking, being concerned about the background, psychological barriers, and poor internet connection. In this study, social presence theory (SPT) was employed as the theoretical lens to understand the possible impacts of video cameras in synchronous online learning. Social presence allows individuals to make personal characteristics visible to the community. Students experience greater levels of trust and rapport because of verbal and nonverbal cues that occur when video cameras are turned on in video conferencing. The use of video cameras in synchronous distant learning creates intimacy and immediacy, leading to teacher–learner social presence, which leads to dialog. The phenomenographic study was carried out to analyze the students’ perceptions of the phenomena. The eighty-two first-year undergraduate and doctoral students took part in the study. It showed that students perceive a video camera as a tool for cooperation, as well as for self-discipline and self-control. The students relate the use of video cameras with quality studies, the ability to interact, and to be a part of the process. They feel less inclined to participate when their cameras are off. That leads to the weaker student–teacher relationship, which is achieved with a higher social presence. It is essential to see one other to strengthen students’ motivation, sense of belonging, and community in the courses for first-year students who are still developing learning habits and social networks.

This article aims to present the results of a study on favourable and unfavourable factors of using online learning environments in the study process as a digital learning strategy to promote education for sustainable development. Technologies have changed traditional face-to-face classrooms through online environments to hybrid learning spaces. Personal experiences and expectations are part of these hybrid learning setups and learner-positive attitudes to such sessions could contribute to the effectiveness of hybrid learning and student satisfaction. The quasi-experiment was carried out to determine the attitude of students towards favourable and unfavourable factors of using an online learning environment (OLE) in the study process. Five groups of students studied for one semester using the flipped classroom method. The sample was made up of 106 secondary school students, selected by means of non-probability sampling. Students were given pre-test and post-test questionnaires in the beginning and at the end of the semester. Favourable factors of using an online learning environment identified by students in the beginning of the quasi-experiment were grouped in five categories: material resources/base; teacher personality; student personality, information presentation and increase of accessibility at the institutional level. As students gain more experience in using an OLE for learning, it is not technical issues and computer literacy that become important, but students’ and teachers’ attitudes and the motivation to improve and learn. At the end of the project, the participants emphasised other favourable factors: continuous uploading of materials, convenience of use and the promotion of online learning environments for studies in all subjects. The role of the teacher while using an online learning environment was highlighted. This research contributes to the improvement of teacher pedagogical competences, creating conditions for increasing student satisfaction.

This qualitative inquiry explores how, during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania (European Union), the stakeholders in the education system—university teachers, general education teachers, students, and children’s parents—coped with the encountered challenge and what was important to them under the changed conditions. This paper uses a communication management objective to describe how participants in the education system responded to the emerging distance learning situation and its challenges. The phenomenographic research approach was chosen to carry out the qualitative study. The 37 interviews from higher education teachers, university students, school teachers, and parents of minor school-aged children were conducted during the early stage of COVID-19 quarantine. The research allows for concluding that, after a successful transition to distance learning, the dimensions of communion and supportive collaboration acquired importance among stakeholders in education. Starting new activities, a need for communion and mobilization for joint activities under the crisis emerged. The research showed that the adaptation period was necessary at the beginning of these new activities. Competent leadership was expected from the teacher. Additionally, the preparation of all the actors in the education process was needed. The data offer a window into the dynamics of online teaching in crisis and experiences with a new activity that are key to success. Although research on technology-mediated learning has increased in recent years, it still lags behind developments in practice.

Research and higher education regulations have been shaping attitudes not only towards the higher education lecturer as a professional in the field who is able to use educational tools but also towards the interfaces between lecturers and students. In this lecturer–student interaction, the students’ own perception of the qualities of the lecturer’s personality and/or possessed competences that are acceptable to them and that motivate them to participate in the learning process should be emphasised as an important aspect of success. Thus, the article raises the following problem questions: (1) What competences should a lecturer have from the students’ point of view to achieve student-centred studies? (2) What is the relationship between the competences of the lecturer and the implementation of sustainable development ideas in the organisation of student-centred studies? This article is based on a 2019 survey conducted among Lithuanian university and college students, employing a questionnaire survey with a survey instrument that included open-ended questions. The survey was conducted with a sample of 390 participants. In addressing the issue at hand, it becomes evident that, from the students’ perspective, the personality of the lecturer possesses a multidimensional character. They not only value the lecturer’s expertise in the subject matter taught (subject competence) but also place a stronger emphasis on two other aspects. First, they value the lecturer’s ability to motivate and engage students in the learning process (educational competence), which includes an essential component: communication competence. Second, the lecturer’s personality acquires meaning through fundamental human values.

The human body and its consciousness interacts with a number of external and internal factors, including, among others, the surrounding environment, experienced emotions, those things seen, things that are possessed and touched, and affection that is experienced, all of which accumulates over time as personal experience. In the aforementioned process memory plays the most significant role and predetermines the extent to which an individual remembers (and perceives) their own experience, and how they identify and are conscious of their own self-esteem, etc. The aim of this research is to record an idea and its transformations by reference to its associations, implementation and interpretations. Thus, transformations require personal experience, memory, knowledge, verbal and nonverbal abilities, as well as psychical phenomena that occur during research through the interaction of the participants. In our research task we presented 5 squares in which fragments of abstract pictures were placed. The participants were asked to freely interpret the fragments and complete the pictures. The results allowed us to conclude that associations and the process(es) of interpretation are inconstant and independent of each other. Associations usually visualise views of our physical environment, whereas intellectual creations are most frequently found in interpretations. Santrauka Žmogaus kūnas ir sąmonė sąveikauja su daugybe išorinių ir vidinių veiksnių, įskaitant, be kitų, supančią aplinką, išgyventas emocijas, išvystus dalykus, dalykus, kurie yra turimi ir liečiami, bei juntamą prisirišimą – visa tai kaupiasi kaip asmeninė patirtis. Minėtame procese atmintis atlieka patį svarbiausią vaidmenį ir iš anksto nulemia tai, kiek individas prisimena (ir suvokia) savo paties patirtį, bei tai, kaip jis identifikuoja ir supranta savo paties savigarbą ir t. t. Šio tyrimo tikslas – užfiksuoti idėją ir jos transformacijas, atsižvelgiant į asociacijas, realizavimą ir interpretacijas, susijusias su ja. Tad transformacijos reikalauja asmeninės patirties, atminties, žinių, verbalinių ir neverbalinių gebėjimų, taip pat psichinių reiškinių, įvykstančių tyrimo metu sąveikaujant jo dalyviams. Mūsų tyrimo užduotyje pristatėme penkis ketvirtainius, kuriuose buvo pateikti abstrakčių paveikslėlių fragmentai. Dalyvių buvo paprašyta laisvai interpretuoti fragmentus ir užbaigti paveikslėlius piešti. Gauti rezultatai leido padaryti išvadą, kad asociacijos ir interpretacijos procesas(-ai) nuolat kinta ir nepriklauso vienas nuo kito. Paprastai asociacijos vizualizuoja požiūrius į mūsų fizinę aplinką, o intelektinė kūryba dažniausiai reiškiasi interpretacijose. Reikšminiai žodžiai: vizualinė komunikacija, asociacijos, kūrybiškumas, divergentinis mąstymas, interpretacijos. Keyword : visual communication, associations, creativity, divergent thinking, interpretations

The article analyses the development of creativity concepts. Notions of creativity transformed historically from uncontrolled divine inspiration and non-reflected artistic inspiration to the targeted work resulting in commercially successful creative products. The analysis begins with Plato’s discussion that a poet should be overtaken by divine inspiration, that human beings do not create by themselves, they are dictated to by the Muses. Renaissance, Rationalism and Romanticism are analysed including their reflections in recognised artists of 20th century. Today’s notions of creativity are reviewed including ones important for creative industries and consumer society.