From presentiality to virtuality: higher education and transformation in the context of COVID-19

Abstract

The pandemic generated by COVID-19 caused the restructuring of the educational system, the immediate measure to prevent the spread of the virus and avoid the paralysis of the higher education educational system was to adopt virtuality. This change reflected the main weaknesses of a system that was not prepared for such a change, with the exception of the universities that already had experience in virtual education. Making the transition from a face-to-face model to a virtual one allowed us to see the main advantages of a virtual education system, as well as its disadvantages, which translate into challenges and opportunities for improvement that Latin American countries must urgently address. Education, in a forced way, is submerged in a change that had to be addressed, which allows creating an education according to the challenges of the 21st century, where the use of ICT contributes to an educational model that is pedagogical, inclusive and of quality. It is necessary to reflect on the future of education and carry out structural changes that allow in the future to be prepared for a possible situation such as the one experienced.