Online tools and systems in universities are a common practice all over the world, but our recent research found that it is not the case in Bulgarian biggest universities. A research with students from some of the most wanted universities like Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Medical University Sofia, Technical University Sofia, Shumen University “Konstantin Preslavski”, New Bulgarian University, University of National and World Economy Sofia and the National Academy for theatre and film arts showed surprisingly bad results when it comes to an online system like moodle.
Starting with the simple question if the university is having an online system for administration, registration, payment, learning resources etc.; it seems that only few of them are having such, but fewer even use the tools.
New Bulgarian University is having an online systems and when entering in two different panels, the student is able to register and pay (if having online banking on his/her own); to see the timetable; to get access to the learning materials and keep an eye on every lecture online. The tool give more opportunities like blog and discussion boards, but students and professors don’t really use them. However, this is the best case, but you need pay at least 1,200 EUR per year to study in New Bulgarian University, which is probably the highest fee for studying in Bulgarian university.
It seems that the other universities are not having a general platform and the different departments handle the problem on their own (probably, because they are quite autonomous). Some of the students in one university are having different information, which also proves that there is no sufficient informative system integrated.
Some programs in Technical University of Sofia are using online platform for tests and receiving marks. Actually, it is quite strange the university of computer specialists and engineers not have a good online platform. Other students claim not to be having any online tool and all agree it is quite important.
There are departments in Sofia University which are two steps ahead of the others. The Computer Science department is having a moodle, but the students think that professors are afraid to upload and share lectures and articles, feared someone will steal their works… This is a common belief in Sofia University: the professors are not approving Internet’s usage for sharing materials, lectures, because it literally takes their earnings. Their salaries are so low that they are forced to work at several universities and to sell books in order to cover their basic needs.
Sofia’s Medical University, Shumen University and National Academy for theatre and film arts are not having online systems at all.
Today’s students are 100% confident about the need of online tools which can help a lot in their learning. The basic functionality should cover administration, registration and online resources. If we want to go deeper and be more modern: it should have a social element like blogging, discussion boards and gamification elements. The students should use such platform to create communities and exchange information. Bulgarian students are using social networks like facebook and their functionality to create groups where sharing latest news about their studying.
Most of the student find as a very serious problem the fact that professors are not trained to use Internet at all. What is worse, a lot of them are not approving it, or just do not want to go deeper in it.
In the research surveys, students stress on another serious problem: the online presence of their universities (or actually the lack of it). Most of the universities are having a very old (and old-fashioned) websites, which look amateur and don’t even have an English version. They also think that those institutions should have a very active presence in the online field including social networks, informative and science portals. It is true that such online activity can increase the awareness of the institution and also to increase the approval, interest by the future and current students.
So, the future of the online presence of Bulgarian universities is quite clear:
+ They should 100% have an online platform for administration, registrations and learning courses.
+ They should take the example of social networks and understand that Internet is not a virtual reality, but the reality itself. And to integrate it within their platforms.
+ They should be active online; professors should use the Internet for creating their online reputation.
+ They should teach the students how to improve their selves, but also should learn from them. Right now, that is definitely the case!
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Startup e-Bulgaria 
Hi, I am an student from Spain. We do have e-learning platforms, but teachers don’t know their potencial and students find them ugly and complex. I am thinking of designing a platform that should cover not only e-learning aspects, but registration and timetables too.
My aim is increate something that is inter-universities and, why not, international. That way students (and teachers) in Bulgaria can share and watch what students (and teachers) are doing in Spain.
It’s just an idea, but I’m interested in knowing your opinion. You can write to my email (on the comment registratipn form). Thanks in advance.
Hello Miguel,
Please, excuse me for the delayed answer. I will write down an email to you shortly, indeed.
Cheers!
It’s odd that you didn’t research the American University in Bulgaria that actually uses an online platform and can provide a great example for other Bulgarian universities
Hello Anonymous,
I didn’t have sources there, but we can publish its case as a success story. Do you have info, are you studying there?
Cheers!
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