The Importance of Learning Resources for University Students During Emergency Remote Learning

Abstract

Although several studies have evaluated online learning tools and resources, few have investigated how useful they are to students. This topic became even more relevant with “emergency remote learning” due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The present study was conducted at a state educational institution in Mexico that offers five university degrees. The objective was to differentiate the importance of online learning resources by degree and by employment status of the students. This quantitative, relational, cross-sectional study included 969 participants. Jamovi, SPSS, and RStudio were used to calculate descriptive statistics and to perform the Scheirer-Ray-Hare and Friedman tests. The results showed that the most important learning resources are lesson recordings, teacher explanations, instructional materials, and online demonstrations, whereas the least important are exams, videos, homework, and projects. These findings were consistent across the five degrees among students who are employed and those who are not. The results suggest that educational resources should be used according to their importance for student learning.