Impact on the Virtual Learning Environment Due to COVID-19

TLDR

The COVID‑19 pandemic forced universities to shift to digital teaching, accelerating the adoption of educational technologies. This study investigates how students at the University of Granada’s Faculty of Education Sciences perceived the virtual learning model adopted during the second semester of 2019‑2020 confinement. Data were collected via an online questionnaire administered to a simple random sample with proportional allocation, 95 % confidence, and a 4.7 % margin of error. Students reported widespread dissatisfaction with the virtual learning environment, noting that although active methods and platform use increased, they felt inadequately supported by faculty, lacked necessary digital skills, and found tutoring and instructional practices unsatisfactory.

Abstract

As a result of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, universities have carried out teaching in a digital way, accelerating the inclusion and use of technologies in methodological adaptation. The research aims to ascertain the perception that students at the Faculty of Education Sciences of the University of Granada have regarding the pedagogical model adopted in the virtual learning environment during confinement through the second semester of the 2019–2020 academic year. The information collection method was an online questionnaire, using simple random sampling with proportional affixing 0.5, 95% confidence level and maximum permissible error of 4.7%. The results demonstrate a generalised dissatisfaction of the students, being fundamental to carry out the transition of the educational processes and training of the teaching staff. The implementation of active methodologies increases due to the virtual condition, specifically the flipped classroom methodology, but students manifest generalised dissatisfaction regarding the adequate methodological development and the involvement of professors. There is an outstanding use of e-mail and the virtual learning platform (PRADO), although they consider that they do not have the appropriate knowledge about image editors, video, computer graphics, synchronous response systems and anti-plagiarism tools. The students surveyed express that the tutoring functions, tasks and beliefs of the teaching staff in e-learning are not satisfactory.