Diagnostic assessment to implement innovative teaching derived from the pandemic COVID-19

Abstract

The objective of this research report was to collect information through a diagnostic assessment on the conditions in which a group of university students spent their school semester during the COVID-19 contingency in 2021. It was carried out a descriptive, non-randomized study, with the application of questionnaires to 71 students (46 women and 25 men) of the Research Methodology course of the Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa city in the year 2021. University students answered 23 questions that explored the use and access to the Internet to take online classes, their level of satisfaction with the emerging virtual education, the general family situation, and their communication with the people around them. The descriptive statistics of data reveals that significant percentages of the students experienced socioeconomic limitations which lead a poor academic performance autoreference, motivated by lack of concentration, disorganization, health problems, less social interaction, and many distractions. In addition, the importance of a well-being environment on executive functions and the brain structures involved is discussed. It is concluded that it is necessary to pause, to ponder, and to make appropriate adjustments to reduce the impact of emerging virtual education. Although we have returned to face-to-face teaching, the successful experiences of that pandemic year must be resumed, but also innovate teaching to stablish solid bases to reduce the educational backwardness.