Blended-learning in contexts conditioned by the pandemic: the perceptions of higher education students

Abstract

Due to the epidemiological situation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, many higher education institutions in Portugal were forced to adopt a blended-learning model to make sure that their teaching activities could keep on going from September 2020 onwards. This article describes a study that involved students attending a course unit where both face-to-face and distance learning classes were used during the 1st semester of the 2020/2021 academic year. Following the results obtained from a questionnaire and a focus group, this article presents the students’ perspectives on their experience. 81 students responded to the questionnaire and 10 of them took part in the focus group. Results show that the students’ equipment was suitable enough for them to attend the classes held at a distance, even though most respondents showed a marked preference for face-to-face classes. As for the communication platforms adopted, Moodle was fundamental to the functioning of that given course unit, and Zoom was deemed appropriate for both theoretical and practical classes. Finally, it is worth noting that the activities suggested were appropriate to develop the competencies and skills set out in the syllabus and that students were capable of successfully developing the tasks they were assigned.