Abstract

As a result of COVID-19 pandemic, universities suspended teaching activities and a distant virtual educational modality emerged as a formative circumstantial strategy to continue educational activities. This study intends to examine how students adapted themselves to changes and the advantages and obstacles they faced. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study including 301 undergraduates from several Bolivian universities. An on-line questionnaire was administered using social networks. Results show that 32% of the students prefer face-to-face teaching; 45% indicate that academics are not prepared for synchronic sessions; and 44% think that they are qualified for the profession. The virtual modality resulted in emergent solutions, these results reveal that this modality decreased learning quality, because the barrier of Internet access had to be faced. Students consider that universities properly adapted to virtual teaching, although classes have not kept the level of face-to-face teaching.Education, Virtual; COVID-19; Teaching/learningKeywords:Marcia Alejandra Pereyra Á[email protected]://orcid.org/0009-0001-6079-5111Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, ChileAdhemar Marco Poma [email protected]://orcid.org/0000-0002-1706-7506Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, BoliviaOrlando Arancibia [email protected]://orcid.org/0000-0001-3275-3053Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, ChileMisael Adhemar Poma [email protected]://orcid.org/0000-0003-3898-3172Universidad de Aquino de Bolivia, La Paz, Bolivia