Postpandemic virtual tutorials: implications for the learning of occupational therapy students who are doing their professional practices

Abstract

Introduction: The effects of virtualization on the learning of higher education students are still uncertain, during the year 2022 face-to-face activities returned and others remained in the online format. The latter is the subject of this study. Objective: To identify the scope and challenges of synchronous virtual tutorials, carried out in the post-pandemic period, based on the experience and the opinion of occupational therapy professors, and students from a Chilean university. Methodology: A mixed methodology is used; information is produced through a focus group with 11 professors and through a questionnaire answered by 76 students. Analysis of the thematic content of the qualitative data and descriptive statistics of the quantitative data is carried out. For the integration of the information produced, data triangulation is used. Results: Synchronous virtual tutorials are useful for the acquisition of various types of learning such as the ability to articulate theory with practice. They are space that favors emotional support, offers mutual support to students, and allows the development of social thinking, reflection, and situated. Simultaneously, the findings show the preference by the students for individual learning over the need to produce learning and knowledge collaboratively in post-pandemic times. Conclusions: It is suggested to have a significant number and variety of methodologies in synchronous virtual tutorials and that these consider the contexts in which professional practice is carried out.