THE EXPERIENCE WITH ONLINE CLASSES BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN OAXACA

Abstract

In this article we present the results of a survey we carried
out with the participation of students enrolled in the Universidad
Autónoma “Benito Juárez” de Oaxaca. The survey
was intended to collect the experiences that university
students had with the online classes adopted as an alternative
during the quarantine brought about by the COVID-19
pandemic. We were especially interested in the main obstacles
that students faced with the sudden switch to virtual
learning. The themes addressed in the survey include:
access to internet and to devices to connect to the internet,
online platforms and other virtual tools used to access
online classes, the employment situation of students during
the pandemic, the perception of the costs of online classes
compared to in person classes, and the general opinion of
students regarding the attainments with online classes. In
a context of significant social inequality, like that of present-
day Oaxaca state, it is important to have data on the
digital divide that derives from such inequity and, in this
case, on the specific impacts on the way university students faced the sudden shift to virtual education. Therefore,
we present the results of our survey with the intent
of contributing to the understanding of the challenges that
online learning carries, but also to point out the lessons and
opportunities that can be garnered from this experience.