Transición de laboratorios presenciales a virtuales: impacto de una experiencia en un curso de Fisiología
In-person laboratories are a fundamental part of the physiology courses at Universidad del Valle; however, we were not prepared to run them virtually. Given the impact of COVID-19 on education, we were forced to face the challenge of making quick adaptations to continue offering a high-impact learning experience. As the virtual modality of the laboratories is a new scenario, it is necessary to research the impact of its implementation, the evaluation of the students, and the probable gaps in the process. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact that the implementation of laboratory experiences in a virtual environment had on students of a physiology course at the Universidad del Valle and to identify how can its development be improved. A total of 35 students participated in this research that was conducted utilizing a survey that questioned the opinions and asked to evaluate the labs in the virtual modality. The results showed a fluctuation between regular and excellent when they were asked to evaluate their experience. Nonetheless, most of them indicated that in the subjects in which the laboratory was developed, they had advantages in comparison to those subjects in which there was not an associated laboratory. On the other hand, they made suggestions for improvement and emphasize that in the case that we were to be continuing with technology-assisted activities it would be important to incorporate virtual laboratories in physiology classes. Additionally, they gave opinions about the advantages of the face-to-face laboratories and suggest a greater accompaniment of the professor in the virtual laboratories.