Digital Transformation of Universities: The Influence of COVID-19 and Students’ Perception

Abstract

On account of the disruptive nature of the COVID-19 disease, the present paper aims to analyze the main repercussions of the pandemic over the field of education. The objective is twofold: (1) To describe the process of digitalization and digital transformation of educational institutions, (2) To analyze student’s insight regarding the implementation of hybrid methodologies of learning and identify potential differences in perception across university degrees. A structured literature review on the resonance of the COVID-19 pandemic over education is performed. From this, the concept of the Digital Divide is risen to prominence, as education digitalization has managed to broaden global social inequalities. In this context the prevailing E-learning methodologies are detailed, outlining the differences between asynchronous and synchronous format. The topic of Blended Learning is put forward, detailing the diverse hybrid education models present in the actual paradigm of education. In order to analyze and measure the perception of students regarding education digitalization, a survey based on validated scales is conducted among 305 university students in Spain. A statistical analysis reveals that the most frequently implemented teaching model within the COVID-19 scenario is the mixture of in-person and synchronous remote lessons. In addition to this, overall satisfaction, perception of workload and confidence in the professional future differs across branches of study. Finally, several implications for educational framework are presented.