Studying And Examining The Challenges, Opportunities And Consequences of Corona on The Main Functions of Higher Education (Experiences of Agents And University And Ministerial Managers)

Considering the experiences of agents and university and ministerial managers as well as experts in the field of higher education, the present research is an attempt to study and examine the challenges, opportunities and consequences of Corona on the main functions of higher education. The approach of qualitative research and its method was interpretive phenomenology. The participants of the research, who were purposefully selected, included 38 agents and university and ministerial managers, as well as experts in the field of higher education in universities and the central headquarters of the Ministry of Science and Research. The data collection process continued until theoretical saturation was reached and the data was collected through a semi-structured interview. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and validated using the alignment method. Data analysis was done using thematic analysis method in the MAXQDA software environment. The results of the research included three themes of the challenges of higher education in the Corona era (in the fields of education, research and management of human and financial resources), the opportunities of the Corona crisis for the higher education system (educational justice, fundamental transformation, critical rethinking of the functions of higher education, a new opportunity to face with the reality of virtual education, a new opportunity to address the fundamental questions and challenges related to them) and the consequences of Corona on the main functions of Iran's higher education system (consequences of policy making in the administrative-education sector, consequences of the research field, and human-social consequences).
Corona is one of the examples of the tragic but real crisis that the world and mankind faced in almost three years. This phenomenon was so widespread that made the pillars of the educational systems face a doubt and forced the educational systems to multiple and sometimes contradictory reactions. In the meantime, strategies such as temporary closure of school and university centers, fifty percent attendance, emphasis on the development of virtual and electronic education, etc., were adopted. What was very important in the meantime was the effort to observe educational justice and equality so that the weakness of the infrastructure and facilities does not prevent maximum access to education. This has had short, medium and long-term effects on higher education structures, the lives of students, families, researchers and university administrators. In the policy-making dimension, it has induced the necessity of reviewing the structures, types of policies, decision-making, research, financial resources, and interactions outside the university. Considering the structure of the higher education and the dynamism and uncertainty of this large scientific community, the policies and programs considered for it must have a special dynamism and innovation, and a university manager should regard Chaos theory and be ready for unforeseen crises like the Corona virus era.
Policymakers play a very important role in the education system; because each component in the system is implemented based on their decisions. The constructive role of the policy maker includes monitoring the size and organizational scope of higher education, designing policies for the development of universities, planning for recruiting, maintaining and improving human resources, improving teaching methods, organizing and compiling curriculum content based on the needs of the learners, and attention to the development of original researches based on the development of science. This role of the policymakers in higher education, which is experiencing its peak of uncertainty during the Corona epidemic, has become doubly important, while higher education was forced to change its policy, from face-to-face to online education. Therefore, according to the changes, the policymakers should plan and make decisions in such a way that the quality of education is improved, educational justice is established, and the learner and the teacher feel safe and effective in the new learning environment.
The policies of Iran's higher education during the Corona epidemic to prevent its damage were mostly temporary and based on case-by-case problem solving, and its only purpose was to prevent the closure of education. The policies used for higher education suffered from the lack of strategic planning for the crisis period and the lack of future research by innovative managers, and its effect on the quality of education was noticeable. In this situation, universities need appropriate models and tools in order to fulfill their important and dynamic tasks. In other words, the country's higher education system should strive to increase the efficiency and optimal use of the funds available in the country with detailed planning in education, research and human resources.
Many believe that the only condition for the successful implementation of virtual education programs is to be based on the results of educational, and psychological research. Universities face the challenges of online courses such as the low digital capabilities of professors and students, inappropriate Internet infrastructure and network problems, the lack of learning platforms and user-friendly educational content, the challenge of motivation and retention. In order to pass electronic courses, students need to compile and accept the regulations and pedagogy of electronic education and face challenges in the field of accepting electronic education charters and electronic evaluation. Today, education is faced with new communication tools and environments and new technology which is a constructive and transformative challenge for professors, for which there is no textbook. The management of higher education during the Corona indicated that although the focus was on immediate issues, the university needs a way of considering critical situations as an opportunity to rethink and re-evaluate elements of the student experience, admission, graduation needs, and exams. Artificial borders in education can be removed so that all people in all regions have access to the same educational resources and information. Educational and social justice can be established and expanded by using all human capacities. The necessity of making university and academic education smart and the use of new educational technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and virtual education in smart environments, along with face-to-face education, was fully felt, and learning communities and new forms of learning emerged. The university realized that in order to succeed in regaining its power and position, it must revise its communication policies and the output of its activities must be something that will ultimately leave an impact on the society.