KEY FACTORS FOR EFFECTIVE DIGITAL EDUCATION AND POST-PANDEMIC BLENDED LEARNING

Education systems are part of the global digital transformation, not only because schools have a significant role to play in developing students' digital competencies and in preparing them for the world driven by technology, but also because technology can influence the way we teach and learn. The prolonged perception of the limited potential for using digital technologies in education was abruptly changed during the COVID- 19 pandemic, which put the traditional schooling to a halt. In difficult circumstances, continuity of the educational process was enabled by an unprecedented use of digital technologies, although with significant variations in the effectiveness of practices which impacted the quality and inclusiveness in education. Based on best practices and lessons learned in the process of implementing online and distant learning in the primary and secondary schools in the EU and in North Macedonia from the beginning of the outbreak, this paper elaborates on the key factors for effective digital education. Taking into account the positive effects and benefits of using digital technologies in education, it offers a discussion on the modalities for applying blended learning from the next school year.