Challenges and Opportunities of Virtual Education for Children in Schools from Communication Perspective(Case Study: SHAD Software)

The purpose of this qualitative research is to identify the most important challenges and opportunities of virtual education for children aged seven to 11 years in schools from communication perspective. In this study, in-depth interview has been used. The data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire and were analyzed through thematic analysis. The statistical population includes teachers, specialists in education, children, psychology and communication, selected via purposeful sampling method 12 members of whom were selected until reaching theoretical saturation. The reliability and validity of the research were analyzed through Kendall’s coefficient of concordance and recodification, and were approved. Based on the results, the platforms of emotional communication, perceptual communication, the rate of sending and receiving feedback between the teacher and the student, reciprocal communication interactions between the teacher and the student, as well as among the students, have decreased in the virtual education of SHAD software compared to face-to-face education. The most important suggestions to reduce these communication challenges in the virtual education of SHAD software in the country are increasing the intimacy between the teacher and the student using the efficient teachers, using specialized and new methods of virtual education, more attempt of teachers to get instant verbal and non-verbal feedback from the students during the virtual education through SHAD software, using new styles and methods of validation and evaluation of the students and increasing the reciprocal communication between teacher and student both in real and in virtual form. Moreover, the capacity to help establish more educational justice in the country by overcoming geographical limitations and physical facilities of education in the country and helping to increase students’ media and digital literacy is one of the most important positive points of virtual education in the country.