D@L Classes Under COVID-19: The Video Analysis in Higher Education with WebQDA

Abstract

The study of Higher Education was remotely at a time when professors and students were psychologically fragile and where the distance learning (D@L) theme was not dominated by academia, in the first wave of pandemic COVID-19 in Portugal. Given the object of study, we opted for a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study. The webQDA software was used to analyze videos of recorded distance learning classes on a digital platform of four curricular units, from three Portuguese Higher Education Institutions: two private and one public, from the North of Portugal. The main goal is to identify which teaching and learning strategies professors use in distance learning classes. The results were included in five categories: fundamentals, deductions, examples, challenges, and problems. It was found that the majority of professors used traditional teaching strategies, and a small minority used student-centered learning strategies. The implementation of active learning strategies is one of the most effective solutions to: actively engage students in their learning processes and to contribute to more creative students. We need to continually prepare for the future—or “futures,” as several “futures” are likely, depending on the actions.