5 │ USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN DISTANCE LEARNING Distance learning in basic and upper secondary schools in the Czech Republic 32 While in the spring of 2020 the focus on the basic mastering of digital technologies and technical mastering of video conferencing tools prevailed, the interest in controlling digital platforms for online distance learning has shifted to the – currently more prominent – didactic mastering of online distance learning. CHART 13 | Distance learning skills and digital competences that are most lacking in schools The importance of skills development is crucial, but if the school management underestimates it as in the following example, it affects the quality of distance learning. The teachers have insufficient skills to teach in Google Classroom. The school management no longer trains them; beginners, intermediate and more advanced users were each only provided with one training session in August and September 2020. However, not all the teachers participated in these training sessions and the school management did not further verify the quality of technical provision or use of Google tools during distance learning. The Czech School Inspectorate’s observations in online synchronous learning show that – compared to the spring period of the 2019/2020 school year, when teachers tried different ways of teaching – there are two predominant video conferencing systems. Microsoft Teams is predominantly used, and communication tools from the spring, such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger, have either become completely marginal or have ceased to be used for distance learning entirely. CHART 14 | Comparison of the use of video conferencing systems at the beginning of distance learning and at present 0 %5 %10 %15 % 20 % 25 %30 %neúplné ZŠúplné ZŠgymnáziamaturitní SOŠnematuritní SOŠtechnické dovednosti vedeníon-line synchronní výukydovednosti kybernetickéhozabezpečení on-line výukydovednosti účelného využívánídigitálních technologií i v běžné výucedidaktické dovednosti vedeníon-line synchronní výukyžádné0 %10 %20 %30 % 40% 50% 60% 40 %50 %60 %Microsoft TeamsGoogle MeetZoom duben 2020 únor 20212021 30% 25% 20%15%10% 5% 0% incomplete BSs complete BSs secondary general schools Maturita STSs non-Maturita STSs technical skills for online synchronous teaching cyber security skills for online teaching skills for the effective use of digital technologies in standard teaching didactic skills for online synchronous teaching none April 2020 February 0% 10% 20% 30%