Digital Habits of Higher Education Students in the Covid-19 Pandemic Period

Abstract

Education institutions have modified their activities with their students due to the social isolation situation caused by Covid 19 pandemic, adapting their classroom interactions to virtual ones. Within that context, students change their everyday activities including to a greater or lesser extent the use of digital technologies. Within this scenario, ones asks: Were study and playful digital habits impacted during the pandemic? This study was carried out to get acquainted with and to ponder on study and playful digital habits of higher education students during Covid 19 pandemic. One carried out a descriptive research comprising 35 higher education students attending different courses offered at a private university. An on-line questionnaire was applied by means of google forms with nine structured questions. The results showed that most of the students admit the impact of study and playful digital habits. There was an increase of connection time in their digital habits and prevalence of the idea of playfulness connected to the game. Study habits were considered to be challenging concerning virtual classes, mainly in relationship with the on-line time increase and with work accumulation. As far as beneficial study impacts are concerned, students considered that they had more time available to study, more reading material and the possibility of being more concentrated on it. One concluded that, in the case of higher education, one needs to provide on-line practices for adults, so that they may manage their learning process by themselves, continuing their study digital habits after the pandemic.

Keywords: Digital habits. Higher education. Pandemic.