Virtualización de las propuestas educativas ante la pandemia COVID-19: experiencias de docentes de educación superior

The research aimed to analyze the experiences of higher education teachers in the educational virtualization process during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying the challenges, adaptation strategies and effects on teaching. A qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was used, based on in-depth interviews with six professors from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Eloy Alfaro Lay University of Manabí, who taught classes in virtual mode. The results showed that the transition to virtuality generated uncertainty, anxiety and work overload in teachers, who had to learn new digital tools without prior preparation. Despite the initial difficulties, many managed to develop coping and adaptation strategies, strengthening their digital and methodological skills. Changes were identified in academic socialization, teacher-student interaction, and access to broader learning communities, although with limitations in the personalization of teaching. The research concluded that, although educational virtualization imposed significant challenges, it also promoted pedagogical innovation and the transformation of teaching practices, although difficulties were evident, such as lack of access to technology, little training and the need for more support for virtual education to work better.