Emergency remote teaching: impacts of the pandemic on the learning of students at a Higher Education Institution

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, strikes occurred in several areas of society and the Ministry of Education (MEC) decreed that face-to-face classes be suspended. Considering this scenario, this work aims to analyze the perspective of student learning at a higher education institution during the pandemic period, which is located in Rio Grande do Sul. The research had a qualitative approach of an exploratory nature, with the data discussed through Content Analysis. To achieve the proposed objectives, an online questionnaire was administered, with objective and descriptive questions to students of the Undergraduate courses in Psychology, Nursing and Administration at the collaborating institution. 38 students participated. It was found that the impacts caused by Emergency Remote Education (ERE), from the perspective of students at the institution participating in the research, were predominantly negative. Their difficulties refer to the development of learning in this teaching modality, access to classes, adaptation to the ERE and theoretical-practical training. Emotional issues such as lack of attention, fear, anxiety and overload were present in the results, which opens up space for interventions by School and Educational Psychology in higher education. Furthermore, the reduced interpersonal interaction and barriers regarding accessibility point to weaknesses in teaching in the researched context. It was concluded that the ERE was inefficient for education, for the development of learning and for the training of the students in question.