Technology literacy as a post-COVID-19 survival competence in higher education: A narrative analysis of students experiences and prospects

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionized not only world politics, science, economic fields, and social life, but also education. In Morocco, higher education, which is considered a potential environment for training students academically and professionally, has witnessed inevitable change at the interpersonal level. As the mode of delivery moved from physical, in-person classes to virtual, mostly synchronous interaction, students have found themselves in pressing need to safely, responsibly, appropriately, efficiently, and effectively use technology to learn and communicate. This research paper is thus conducted about technology literacy as a prerequisite necessity to survive in the post-pandemic higher education. Engaging three students from a biology master program belonging to the Faculty of Sciences in Rabat, a narrative method is implemented to explore and analyze their stories and experiences which have been lived in the COVID-19 educational situation, focusing on technological challenges faced and their implications on their learning. The study uses two tools, personal account and narrative interview, coded in a Three-Dimensional Space Structure. The results show that chief challenges lie in familiarity with educational ecology, rhythm control, time management, and technical problem solving. Indicating an indispensable link between technology and learning progress, the study draws on factors of motivation, interaction, and assessment, and exposes the necessary technology skills that students must acquire and learn, along with documenting their visions for promoting new technology-relevant prospects.