Sustainability of the Spanish university system during the pandemic caused by COVID-19

ABSTRACT

During the home confinement caused by COVID-19, universities closed and all teaching became virtual, testing the sustainability of the education system. A total of 3080 Spanish university students participated in a survey to analyse how they have adapted to this situation, whether there has been a digital divide and how they have followed training activities. The results reveal that households have had to invest in ICT equipment and universities have offered support to vulnerable students. Students were not prepared for this change, found it difficult to follow the course online, spent more hours per day studying and achieved lower academic performance. Higher education institutions must ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education that reduces the digital divide, promoting sustainable activities.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainability
• higher education
• COVID-19
• e-learning
• vulnerability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).