Covid-19 and Online Teaching: Impact on Academic Results in the Subjects of Architectural Graphic Expression at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena

Abstract

The health crisis resulting from the pandemic (COVID-19) led to a hasty adaptation of the university towards teaching methodologies based on online experiences. As a result, teaching and assessment methods were adapted according to different formulas. Teaching in Architecture, where drawing is a fundamental tool in communication, required a particular adaptation given the specificity of the competences and learning outcomes in this type of teaching. The aim of this communication is to analyse the students’ academic results after the pandemic period (academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21) with online and blended learning teaching and assessment respectively, and to contrast them with those of previous academic years, developed with traditional face-to-face teaching and assessment methodologies. The focus is on the basic courses of the Area of Architectural Graphic Expression of the Bachelor Degree in Fundamentals of Architecture at the School of Architecture and Building of the Technical University of Cartagena. The conclusions address statistical data relating to the student performance rate and provide an overview of the effect that virtual teaching and assessment have had on academic results. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.