Virtual work team, a way to develop competences in distance education due to covid-19

The confinement by COVID-19 forced the implementation of virtual classes, in this context it was proposed to determine how the virtual work team influences the development of skills in students at the secondary education level. Through the experimental method, the design consisted of two non-equivalent groups with pre and post-test, through which it was possible to establish that the virtual work team significantly develops the skills in the area of Social Sciences. Therefore, in the pedagogical scenario of virtual classes, it is necessary to train tutors in order to optimize the development of student skills.

Coexistence in virtual classes during confinement by covid-19: A perspective from university students

Due to COVID-19, many countries have banned mass gatherings, including face-to-face classes at all educational levels. To avoid losing the academic year, educational institutions opted for distance education in multiple variants: traditional distance education, with virtual environments, b-learning, and e-learning. The Hermilio Valdizan National University, located in the province and region of Huanuco, Peru, opted for online education or e-learning. This modality disrupted the pedagogical practices and the usual coexistence of the students, which is why the article aims to interpret the nature of the coexistence experienced by students of the Hermilio Valdizan National University during virtual classes, due to social confinement by COVID-19, from a phenomenological-hermeneutical perspective. Consistent with the qualitative methodological perspective, the information was collected through in-depth interviews with university students, from which the following categories emerged: Virtual classes: new experience, new challenges;coexistence in virtual classes;the interpersonal relationships of introverted students;"looking into the eyes of the interlocutor during virtual classes;physical and psychological health in virtual classes;virtuality, security in dangerous times. In conclusion, virtual classes depersonalize communication and modify students' sensitivity, the conception of the world, the notion of time and space and, above all, the interrelation with others.

Trends and challenges of latin american graduate programs in COVID-19 contexts

The purpose of this article is to reveal the trends and challenges of Latin American graduate programs in the face of the imminent situation of confined education due to the effect of COVID-19. The modality of documentary research has been chosen through the systematization and analysis of bibliographic, newspaper and referential sources. The trend results were grouped into three categories: management, research, and curriculum development;being that the greatest challenges point to quality improvement with transdisciplinary curricula, and pertinent and collaborative research at the regional level, as well as the assurance of sustainable technological capabilities. It is concluded that the pandemic has meant a turning point in the evolution of the Latin American university system, and before this the postgraduate students have the challenge of “innovating”, for which they must evaluate the academic and managerial effects that have been experienced during the confinement, in order to define and adapt the management, research and curricular designs models in response to the emerging professional profiles that the new post-pandemic environment is envisioning. © 2021, Universidad del Zulia. All rights reserved.