Title: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of a Delphi survey

Authors: Matteo Cristofaro; Pier Luigi Giardino; Luna Leoni

Addresses: Department of Management and Law, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', 00133 Rome, Italy ' Department of Management and Law, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', 00133 Rome, Italy ' Department of Management and Law, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', 00133 Rome, Italy

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic forced the global population to modify social habits. In particular, during 2020 the majority of educational institutions worldwide had to shift from the traditional face-to-face to the online teaching methodology, leading to a consequential debate - among instructors, citizens, media, and government - about its advantages and disadvantages. To realise a comprehensive evaluation of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, the following research question has been formulated: "What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of online teaching that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic?" In order to provide an answer, a three-round Delphi study was implemented involving 12 editorial board members of the International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, whose opinions were mediated and synthesised in a SWOT analysis. From the SWOT analysis, a series of strategies has been developed to help policy makers and instructors in adopting a strategising view towards online teaching.

Keywords: online teaching; COVID-19; pandemic; face-to-face teaching; strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; SWOT; university; learning; knowledge; strategic decision making; strategy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIOME.2021.119086

International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, 2021 Vol.7 No.2, pp.93 - 112

Received: 30 Sep 2020
Accepted: 13 Nov 2020
Published online: 22 Nov 2021 *

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