Lessons Learned from the Educational Experience during COVID-19 from the Perspective of Latin American University Students

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the educational context. University students were exposed to an educational transition from a face-to-face context to emergency remote teaching (ERT). This change affected the educational experience of students and teachers in general, and impacted their educational performance, as well as their emotional and mental health, among other aspects. However, learning from the successes during the ERT and reflecting on good and bad practices will allow us to configure effective learning scenarios that respond to the new normal. The objective of this paper is to describe and present the lessons learned during ERT from the experience of university students in Latin America who have already returned to face-to-face instruction. The study used a qualitative inductive approach and a phenomenographic design. The sample consisted of 640 undergraduate students (63% women) of higher education who experienced online education during the year 2021 and a face-to-face modality during the first semester of 2022, belonging to universities in Chile, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The results suggest that new learning scenarios should consider specific pedagogical practices, including active, collaborative, meaningful, and problem-based strategies, together with a diversity of feedback practices. It is concluded that the ERT brought good practices that should guide university educational policies.

Homemade Educational Videos for Learning General Chemistry Experiments: A Pedagogical Alternative for Remote Teaching

“…Likewise, it is essential to note that all videos were produced in Spanish, making it easier for younger students at high schools and universities, mainly from Latin American countries, to quickly transmit the message and learn chemistry through novel learning alternatives. In this region, there are technical and budgetary difficulties , with the correct access to quality infrastructure for performing laboratory assignments in chemistry.…”

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“…Según la UNESCO2, datos sobre el seguimiento del impacto de la pandemia en la educación global, Perú tuvo cerrada la escuela 75 semanas (dos cursos) por la pandemia. En Perú, como en otros lugares de América Latina, la pandemia impactó sobre la experiencia educativa de estudiantes y docentes, influyendo negativamente en el rendimiento académico, así como en su salud emocional y mental (Almonacid-Fierro et al, 2021;Lobos et al, 2023). Pero, la escuela peruana ya adolecía de otras crisis.…”

“…La otra crisis, la pandemia por coronavirus, que marcó un punto de inflexión en todos los ámbitos de nuestras vidas, para el que nada ni nadie estaba preparado, sigue coleteando en nuestras mentes. El empeño por seguir educando a pesar del Covid-19, educar en la incertidumbre sanitaria, lejos de ser una tarea sencilla y mecánica, fue también un acto de resistencia que ha marcado la historia de estudiantes, padres, docentes, gestores y políticos del que se cabe recuperar lecciones educativas (Marshall et al, 2022;Lobos et al, 2023;Suárez-Guerrero et al, 2021). Por ello, mientras que para la crisis climática aún cabe buscar alternativas, de la crisis sanitaria debemos de tomar nota de lo aprendido.…”

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“…They also wanted to gain knowledge from their international colleagues. Some had witnessed favorable advances, particularly in adopting technology where there had previously been mistrust, with some students adjusting exceptionally well to the online world [15].…”