Since March 2020, one of the most relevant issues in the world has been the COVID-19 pandemic, the changes it has generated in society being of the utmost importance. For ACSI Research it has also been a period of change and adaptation, since as a company specialized in Market Research, a primary task is to observe the different transitions that the market has with the variety of study methodologies that are implemented.

Para el presente documento, el segmento de interés fueron los estudiantes del sector universitario, ya que la decisión por parte de las autoridades de la Universidad de Guadalajara de no volver a las aulas hasta que la mayoría de la población estudiantil se encontrara vacunada ha sido de gran ayuda para evitar una ola de contagio mayor. Sin embargo, esta decisión también impactó de diferentes maneras a los estudiantes que aún no se han adaptado a la “Nueva Normalidad”. Algunos de estos ejemplos se mencionan a continuación:

Las clases virtuales

One of the main changes that were seen within the pandemic was the implementation of virtual classes as a support instrument to quickly attack the growth of infections. This involved both students, teachers and parents to readjust the way of living together, learning and interacting. No one was prepared for such a change, so new ways of learning had to be experienced in the social, academic and cultural aspects.

A virtual class is a long-distance training method whose dynamics take place on a web platform. Due to the importance of implementing a strategy, the students had to adapt to the new training experiences where they are allowed to continue their education, being the most feasible alternative that could be found at the time of the emergency.

When conducting the research with university students, it was observed that the majority did not feel prepared to take online classes since many of them considered that they did not have the necessary materials such as the Internet. This important resource presented technical failures when connecting, in addition to the fact that the adaptation to this new form of studies for some turned out to be the most difficult experience when facing the fact of not being physically in a social environment. On the other hand, online classes brought some positive experiences that, according to some experts, are here to stay. An example of this is the flexibility of schedules, the convenience of working or studying from home, entrepreneurship of business projects, development of various skills, maintenance of physical health; In addition to mentioning the transportation savings and the ease of access for many, because the class can be taken from any device, be it a cell phone, a tablet or a computer; Thus allowing that no matter where they are they can access without problems to receive the information session through platforms such as Zoom, Meet or Microsoft Teams.

Educational platforms are called ICT tools, which have been generated to meet the needs generated by today’s society that is experiencing incessant progress in the areas of communication and generation of information in order to improve life and Teaching and learning processes. These tools have come to stay within the educational format of the pandemic, managing to improve educational management and methodologies, however, despite the fact that they are fully operational, it is clear that students need interaction with their peers, and this is something that unfortunately cannot be obtained effectively through virtual communication, at least in the way we are used to.

Due to this, the digitalization of educational programs, although functional, shows areas of opportunity, since 43.9% of the students mentioned that it is difficult to pay full attention, however, they manage to retain the information, although with difficulty since external situations arise that they develop within their social environments; home, work, study areas. Likewise, the ease with which they can access other pages, games or tools without the teacher realizing it, which is why the distracting factors are present and within reach throughout the class.

Una de las consecuencias que genera esta falta de concentración en las clases virtuales se ve directamente reflejada en el rendimiento académico ya que el 54.1% indica que se encuentra afectado, seguido de muy afectado con el 23.9% de las menciones.

As mentioned above, students need interaction and coexistence and, likewise, concentration and academic performance have been affected. In addition to this, we can perceive a third factor that has been affected. It is about the emotional health of the students who have developed feelings of anxiety, worry and a sense of frustration. In some cases they feel desperate due to the uncertainty of when this situation will end and some others show concern about the economic situation in their homes.

Due to this, it is considered extremely important that teachers are prepared not only to improve educational programs, but also to keep an eye on the needs of students so that they can develop future professionals who meet the expectations of public spheres. and private, since these generations developed in the pandemic are the future. Likewise, educational institutions at all levels offer psychological care to teachers and students.

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