Unveiling the dynamics of universities’ emergency remote learning ecosystems: Evidence from four South American countries
The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for the inclusion of information technologies (IT) in the education sector. This transition to emergency remote classes, however, involved a number of challenges for universities to keep operating and maintain education quality during lockdowns and other restrict...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124004327 |
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| author | Christian Fernando Libaque-Saenz Juan Carlos Armijos |
| author_facet | Christian Fernando Libaque-Saenz Juan Carlos Armijos |
| author_sort | Christian Fernando Libaque-Saenz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for the inclusion of information technologies (IT) in the education sector. This transition to emergency remote classes, however, involved a number of challenges for universities to keep operating and maintain education quality during lockdowns and other restrictions on mobility. Although the pandemic is over, recent disease outbreaks such as influenza, Mpox, and other new viruses call for reflection about lessons learned from COVID-19, and whether universities are ready for future similar events. To address this concern, this study proposes a research model based on the activity theory to understand the factors driving students’ learning outcomes and satisfaction with emergency remote classes. In terms of methods, this study follows a post-positivism approach, and used a non-experimental quantitative design based on a survey to statistically make inferences from a sample of students from four South American countries (Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Paraguay) who faced emergency remote classes during the two semesters of 2020. Based on the results, this study: 1) identified the characteristics of an average student of this region and their interaction with the learning platform and other stakeholders; 2) determined an emergency remote classes ecosystem, highlighting the factors driving the learning process in these contexts; and 3) assessed the required balance between the capacities of faculty and academic standards to achieve meaningful learning. These findings may be of interest to universities and policymakers in these countries and in other countries facing similar problems, even for situations at smaller scales than epidemics or pandemics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4e7530bd01d47d09593bc8ea89a2a39 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2590-2911 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4e7530bd01d47d09593bc8ea89a2a392025-08-20T02:09:52ZengElsevierSocial Sciences and Humanities Open2590-29112025-01-011110123510.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101235Unveiling the dynamics of universities’ emergency remote learning ecosystems: Evidence from four South American countriesChristian Fernando Libaque-Saenz0Juan Carlos Armijos1Engineering Department / Research Affiliate, Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies, Universidad del Pacifico, Jr. Sanchez Cerro 2141 Jesús María, Lima, PeruEscuela de Auditoría y Control de Gestión, Universidad Santo Tomás, Av. Ejército Libertador 146, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile; Investigador Asociado, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, Universidad Americana, Asunción, Av Brasilia 1100, Asunción, Paraguay; Corresponding author. Escuela de Auditoría y Control de Gestión, Universidad Santo Tomás, Av. Ejército Libertador 146, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile.The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for the inclusion of information technologies (IT) in the education sector. This transition to emergency remote classes, however, involved a number of challenges for universities to keep operating and maintain education quality during lockdowns and other restrictions on mobility. Although the pandemic is over, recent disease outbreaks such as influenza, Mpox, and other new viruses call for reflection about lessons learned from COVID-19, and whether universities are ready for future similar events. To address this concern, this study proposes a research model based on the activity theory to understand the factors driving students’ learning outcomes and satisfaction with emergency remote classes. In terms of methods, this study follows a post-positivism approach, and used a non-experimental quantitative design based on a survey to statistically make inferences from a sample of students from four South American countries (Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Paraguay) who faced emergency remote classes during the two semesters of 2020. Based on the results, this study: 1) identified the characteristics of an average student of this region and their interaction with the learning platform and other stakeholders; 2) determined an emergency remote classes ecosystem, highlighting the factors driving the learning process in these contexts; and 3) assessed the required balance between the capacities of faculty and academic standards to achieve meaningful learning. These findings may be of interest to universities and policymakers in these countries and in other countries facing similar problems, even for situations at smaller scales than epidemics or pandemics.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124004327Online learningEmergency remote learningLearning ecosystemTechnological challengesPedagogical challengesCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Christian Fernando Libaque-Saenz Juan Carlos Armijos Unveiling the dynamics of universities’ emergency remote learning ecosystems: Evidence from four South American countries Social Sciences and Humanities Open Online learning Emergency remote learning Learning ecosystem Technological challenges Pedagogical challenges COVID-19 |
| title | Unveiling the dynamics of universities’ emergency remote learning ecosystems: Evidence from four South American countries |
| title_full | Unveiling the dynamics of universities’ emergency remote learning ecosystems: Evidence from four South American countries |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the dynamics of universities’ emergency remote learning ecosystems: Evidence from four South American countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the dynamics of universities’ emergency remote learning ecosystems: Evidence from four South American countries |
| title_short | Unveiling the dynamics of universities’ emergency remote learning ecosystems: Evidence from four South American countries |
| title_sort | unveiling the dynamics of universities emergency remote learning ecosystems evidence from four south american countries |
| topic | Online learning Emergency remote learning Learning ecosystem Technological challenges Pedagogical challenges COVID-19 |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124004327 |
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