The relevance of interaction in virtual learning environments during COVID-19

Abstract

The pandemic context has generated greater challenges for the articulation of the interaction processes that characterize our Learning Ecologies. At the level of higher education, this problem has been especially relevant due to the difficulties of restructuring learning and to the feeling of isolation that has been generated due to the forced migration of face-to-face teaching processes to virtual environments. This contribution analyzes a pedagogical and technological proposal for the design of CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) which underlie the need to structure cognitive, social and organizational interactions that converge in a successful training framework. The purpose of the study is to understand the aspects that must be considered in the interaction for the expected learning to take place and to analyze the perceptions of the students in relation to the types of interaction that occur in the collaborative learning process. The study follows a non-experimental quantitative methodology, through a questionnaire, and had the participation of 106 students from 5 undergraduate subjects that implement CSCL. The results show that students associate cognitive, social and organizational interaction with motivation and improvement of academic performance, highlighting the development of skills to collaborate in the future and valuing the feelings of belonging to the learning community linked to the experience.