Factors Influencing Post-COVID-19 Virtual Education and Its Impact on University Students: Analysis Using Structural Equation Models

Abstract

The transcendence of the COVID-19 pandemic in education has transformed the way students use information and communication technologies (ICT) to take virtual classes since the closure of universities, so this research aims to describe how students in the School of Administrative Sciences at the Autonomous University of Baja California use ICT in times of COVID-19 to take their classes. The results obtained show that ICT management directly and indirectly influences students’ collaborative work, and in a direct way, the responsible use of ICT in the teaching–learning process. It also includes a construct validation of the ICT factor in the teaching–learning process and COVID-19 by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), an analysis procedure in structural equation modeling (SEM).

1. Introduction

In the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world since the first case appeared in 2019, first in the city of Wuhan, China, and later in Europe, until finally reaching Latin America (Baloch et al. 2020). This pandemic has had impacts on various sectors of society, including the economic, social, health, family and education sectors, in the new normality that has left COVID-19, starting from the adaptation of the teaching–learning process to virtual modality. However, this process of adaptation to virtual classes by students generated some unexpected situations, forcing them to adapt to the use of technologies to cope with a new way of learning (Bustinza 2022). In this context, considering the implications of the pandemic in the educational sector, where ICTs have become very relevant, the use of technology at different levels of education was something significant to continue with the learning processes of students. As mentioned by Donlon et al. (2022) in his study, the pandemic had an impact worldwide, and in the case of Ireland it was no exception: the Irish government closed educational institutions throughout the country, where teachers and students, with very little preparation in the use of technological tools to carry out their classes, continued their teaching and learning process online. The authors of this article conceptualized and developed the Online Teaching Program (TOP), a multifaceted initiative that introduced student-teachers to both the theory and practice of synchronous and asynchronous online teaching. However, according to Rosales and Cárdenas (2021), this also originated a reality for students adapting to virtual classes, which resulted in adapting to the different technologies available to them to take classes. On the other hand, the difficulties detected by the students have been, among others, adaptability to ICT, Internet connectivity, and technological infrastructure.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the education sector worldwide, making virtual education an option for continuing to provide education to students in a safe and effective manner. This educational landscape, according to Flores and Swennen (2020), was affected by the rapid and widespread introduction of pandemic restrictions. However, this mode of education has also presented some challenges and has affected university students differently. Virtual education has caused a change in the way students learn, starting from the lack of face-to-face interaction and the reliance on technology, which can be an obstacle for some students who prefer a more traditional teaching environment. In addition, a lack of motivation and difficulty in concentrating can negatively affect students’ learning objectives.

In this context, according to Egan and Tiernan (2023), post-primary education teachers and students left the comfort of their physical classrooms and, with little or no preparation, began the teaching and learning process. The study’s results illustrate teachers’ perceptions of the transition to online teaching as well as students’ challenges with online learning. Based on the above, for university students, the scenario was not entirely negative: virtual education has also had some advantages for university students. For example, it allows them to adjust their study schedule to their daily responsibilities and gives them the flexibility to access information anytime, anywhere. In addition, it gives them the opportunity to participate in online discussions and projects with fellow students from all over the world, broadening their global vision and understanding. In terms of its impact, virtual education has affected university students differently. Some students have had difficulty adapting to this new teaching method, while others have found it more comfortable and effective. Rami et al. (2021) in his study, where he performed an evaluation of a response developed for the professional, specifically the Master of Education (PME) Program at Dublin City University, mentions the impact of the module on the teaching experience of online teaching during COVID-19 and on the future application of acquired knowledge and skills. In terms of academic performance, some students have experienced a decrease in their performance; the learning process had to be carried out remotely out of emergency through technological platforms such as Blackboard, Google Meet, Teams, Zoom, Classroom, Moodle, or even through messages via WhatsApp/Telegram or through social networks such as Facebook to continue with classes (Calle 2021; Quintero and Judith 2021). In this sense, according to Sandoval (2020), ICTs allow teachers to identify their skills in the use of technology and how it should be used in the teaching process. The use of ICT and academic strategy are important for seeking a significant impact on the student’s educational process. For Adedoyin and Soykan (2023), in response to the crisis, challenges and opportunities, it is evident that online learning is different from emergency remote teaching; online learning will be more sustainable, while instructional activities will become more hybrid, given that the challenges experienced during this pandemic are well explored and transformed into opportunities.

The integration of ICT in the classroom, according to Barráez (2020), has enriched student learning, being a challenge for teachers, considering the speed with which it was necessary to carry out virtual classes and the little or no training in the use of the available platforms to perform their work efficiently. Singh and Thurman (2019), in their study, mention that online learning has evolved with the evolution of technology in the last three decades. The use of ICTs in the teaching–learning process helps to create new innovative teaching techniques, such as complex problem solving, as well as the personalization of the learning process, improving students’ perception and understanding. The integration of ICT in the teaching and learning process offers more opportunities for teachers and students to work better in a globalized digital era (Lawrence and Tar 2018). It is worth highlighting the work developed by Van Laar et al. (2017), where they analyzed the 21st century skills in relation to digital skills, in addition to providing a framework for the present century, with conceptual dimensions and operational components aimed at working knowledge. PAccording to Carrillo and Flores (2020) in their study on online teaching and learning practices in teacher training, the need for a comprehensive vision of online education pedagogy that integrates technology to support teaching and learning is highlighted.

According to Hillmayr et al. (2020) the impact of digital tools on the learning of mathematics has a positive effect on the development of skills and competencies of students, inciting students to the knowledge and use of technologies for their own benefit, being forced to use ICT and adapt to the new normality derived from COVID-19 (Finquelievich and Odena 2022). In this context, ICTs have an important and dynamic impact on the way students learn, making them a fundamental pillar in the COVID-19 pandemic, helping students to develop their digital competencies in order to be used for the achievement of academic and personal activities, in a dynamic environment that demands skills and ingenuity in the use of information technologies where higher education institutions are facing situations such as teacher training for the delivery of class subjects (Poultsakis et al. 2021).

The teaching and learning processes occurs with the use of information and communication means and technologies, with students and teachers developing educational activities in different places or times, according to Singh and Thurman (2019); in this sense, teachers and students are in a situation of adaptation to this new method of teaching and transmitting knowledge in a different way than the traditional: on the one hand, the lack of experience and training in the use of technological platforms by teachers to help them to make the online learning of students is optimal, and on the other hand, students seek—by any means, technologically speaking—to meet academic activities, in a context that, from the ICT tools available today, more than ever gain significant relevance in the educational environment, with a complete transformation in the field of education, making it necessary to resort to the use of smartphones of students, considering some limitations such as lack of mobile data, internet or poor connectivity of these, coupled with the lack of skill in the use of digital tools, considering as Zoom, Meet, Moodle or Teams.

The teaching–learning process, according to Tamsah et al. (2021), requires that teachers can contribute creativity, develop creativity and use creative methods and the simplification of materials, which leads to the better quality of the teacher, starting from the fact that he/she is an agent of change who promotes strategies that help students to generate their own knowledge through the use of ICT, which contributes to the achievement of academic objectives, starting from strengthening pedagogical aspects and specialization in teaching, through specific competencies that help to define a specific profile in the discipline, in addition to seeking and applying instructional models that contribute to developing the digital competencies necessary for their teaching work. Also, in the study conducted by Roque-Hernández et al. (2023), the findings show that the interactive communication tool has a positive impact on the perceived presence of the instructor, which also positively impacts the commitment and satisfaction of the students. Both the interactive communication tool and the instructor play important roles in the online learning process because they positively influence student engagement and satisfaction.

In a study by Saad and Sankaran (2020), they mention that the incorporation of ICT and digital tools in the educational sector has improved interaction and collaboration among students, generating greater effectiveness in academic results. In addition, technology has also provided students with access to online educational materials, such as videos, tutorials and reading materials. Kidd and Murray (2020), in their study on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on teacher education in England, they mention that the creation of online communities among students based the educators showed pedagogical agility. However, the proper management of ICT and digital tools in education is crucial to ensure its success. Many schools and universities lack adequate infrastructure and training to properly integrate technology into their curriculum. In addition to considering measures to preserve data confidentiality and student privacy, which are important aspects to consider when using ICT and digital tools in education, it is important to keep in mind that technology helps to plan work and search for ideas, but this does not solve all the problems of education, where technology should be used in a complementary and balanced way with other teaching strategies, such as face-to-face teaching and personalized feedback. Fuentes-Abeledo et al. (2020), in their study on teacher training and learning to teach, show that it is necessary to clearly establish the obligations of the institutions that collaborate in the practice, defining the roles of the participants and ensuring that this experience promotes adequate learning.

In this sense, it starts from the responsible use of ICTs and the impact they have on collaborative work, tools that serve as support in the teaching–learning process, as long as they are used in a conscious and appropriate manner. The responsible use of ICTs implies awareness of protecting privacy and online security, which are important aspects in the digital era, as well as protecting intellectual property. It is important to avoid distraction and abuse of technologies, as they can negatively affect school performance and concentration; Chu and Li (2022) demonstrate that college students participated in physical activity significantly less in the online learning period compared to the in-class learning period. In their study, they aimed to understand the potential impact of online learning on physical and mental health.

On the other hand, collaborative work allows students to work together on projects and tasks, contributing ideas to solve problems together. This approach can improve the understanding of concepts and increase motivation and interest in learning. ICT and collaborative work are complementary and can be used together to achieve more effective education. For example, virtual platforms are an ideal complement to collaborate and share information among students remotely, which expands the possibilities for teamwork.

Hence, digital tools for online learning and the popularity of smartphones and tablets have led to an increase in their use for student learning. These applications offer great flexibility and accessibility for students, allowing them to learn anytime, anywhere. In addition, many of these apps are free or available at a low cost, making them accessible to a wide range of learners. Some of the most popular apps for online learning are Duolingo, which is an online language learning app that uses a gamified approach to motivate students; or Kahoot!, which is a quiz game app that allows teachers to create and share educational games with their students. There is also Quizlet, which is an online learning app that allows students to create and practice flashcards and quiz games, as well as others like Coursera, which is an online platform that offers online courses from a wide variety of institutions and universities around the world. These mobile applications allow students to learn independently and with more flexibility to complement classroom learning. In addition, many of them offer a gamified approach and real-time progress tracking, which motivates students to keep learning. However, it is important to keep in mind that the use of mobile applications for online classes is not suitable for all students and can present challenges, such as dependence on technology and distraction by the presence of other applications and notifications on the mobile device.

The objective of this research was to analyze the use of ICT as learning tools in times of COVID-19 and post-COVID in students of the School of Administrative Sciences (FCA) of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California. Starting from a quantitative analysis, at a descriptive level with a non-experimental design, taking into account what was established by Hernández et al. (2014), to collect the information, an instrument was made using Google Forms, composed of 20 questions on a Likert-type scale, made up of five options, where 1 = Never; 2 = Almost never; 3 = Sometimes; 4 = Almost always; 5 = Always, giving the value of 1 to “Never” and the highest value of 5 to “Always”; the study universe (Otzen and Manterola 2017) was limited to 253 students of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences between the second and sixth semester. Considering the small population (Hernández and Carpio 2019), a non-probabilistic sampling was applied, where the sample corresponds to the entire population under study. See

Table 1. Population distribution.

Period 2022-1 Semester	Male	Female	Total of Students
II	19	28	47
III	24	31	55
IV	18	25	43
V	21	35	56
VI	27	25	52
Total	109	144	253

.

2. Methodology

An analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out; the students in the study were selected through a non-probabilistic sampling, composed of 253 students who attended the 2022-1 semester. Those who did not complete the questionnaire properly were not considered for this sampling. The post-COVID 19 effect on their academic activities was validated on a 6-item scale for the university students of the courses under study. The instrument was elaborated based on the study conducted by (Mejía et al. 2021) following the Likert-type scale with the following responses: strongly disagree, disagree, indifferent, agree and strongly agree.

The descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis) of the dimensions of ICT management (1), digital tools (2), ICT management (3), collaborative work (4) and responsible use of ICT (5) were analyzed, making analysis tables of the data obtained, as well as frequency tables and correlations between the questions, finding very significant data in the use of information and communication technologies after the transition from traditional education to distance education in the COVID-19 pandemic. A pilot test was conducted randomly on a sample of 30 students who were not part of the study sample; then, to analyze the statistical processes, the statistical software SPSS version 24 was used. Subsequently the Cronbach’s alpha method was applied to verify the internal consistency of the instrument as well as its respective confidence intervals, resulting in a value of 0.954, so the instrument is considered to be highly reliable; see

Table 2. Instrument reliability.

Cronbach’s Alpha	Number of Items
0.954	30

.

For the design of this study, the variable of ICT in the teaching–learning process and COVID-19, composed of five dimensions and each with a defined number of items, was considered. ICT management (MTIC)—4 items; digital tools (HD)—3 items; ICT management for education (GTIC)—4 items; collaborative work through ICT (TCTIC)—5 items; and responsible use of ICT (URTIC)—4 items; see

Table 3. Matrix of the study variable.

Variable	Dimension	No.	Items	1	2	3	4	5
ICT in the teaching-learning process and COVID-19	ICT Management (GTIC acronyms in Spanish)	1	Were you satisfied with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in virtual classes during COVID-19?
		2	Do you check websites for information on COVID-19 developments?
		3	Does the teacher use interactive digital teaching materials in the classroom?
		4	Do you consider that the use of ICT will improve the classes?
	Digital Tools (HD)	5	Are the teachers who teach virtual classes proficient/master the technological tools used in class?
		6	Do you use the right equipment for virtual classes?
		7	Has it been a problem to manage the technological tools for virtual classes?
	Management of ICT for Education (GTIC acronyms in Spanish)	8	How often do you have virtual meetings to perform tasks?
		9	Have you established online communication with classmates for any academic activity?
		10	Do you comply with synchronous and asynchronous learning activities?
		11	Do you consider that the ICT used in your virtual classes help you to fulfill your academic activities?
	Collaborative work through ICTs (TCTIC acronyms in Spanish)	12	Are there WhatsApp/Telegram groups to share academic information?
		13	Do you make use of ICT to carry out work assigned by teachers?
		14	Do you feel satisfied with the use of virtual platforms used at the University?
		15	Do you consider that the teacher establishes environments conducive to learning using ICT?
		16	In your opinion, does making use of ICT facilitate classroom learning?
	Responsible use of ICT (URTIC acronyms in Spanish)	17	Do you make use of social networks for virtual classes?
		18	Does the teacher establish rules for the use of telephones or computers in virtual classes?
		19	Does the teacher use educational mobile applications?
		20	Does the teacher teach the proper use of technology and management of the information it provides?

.

3. Results

The main findings are presented from the data collected from teachers and students through the instrument (Google Form). The data revealed professional learning opportunities, the teachers taught their classes on different technological platforms post-pandemic, and they also improved their teaching and learning practices with technology, since the students found themselves with the need to move to new platforms to continue learning in an efficient way virtually, in addition to overcoming in a positive way the challenges of online teaching and learning in the teaching–learning process.

Due to the above, based on the analysis of the data of the students of the FCA of the UABC, in the educational programs Bachelor of Business Administration (LAE), Bachelor of Business Intelligence (LIN) and Common Core (TC), one can note that in the LAE educational program, there is a higher percentage of women, with 86.8% compared to men with 13.2%. The majority of the people in the three educational programs are women; see

Table 4. Sample profile.

Educational Program	Gender	Age	Disability
L.I.N.	72.8% Female	62.4% > 17 < 19 years	1% Hearing
		23.1% between 20 and 22 years	0.3% Motor
	27.2% Male	13.3% between 23 and 25 years	16.4% Visual
		1.2% more than 25 years	82.3% None
L.A.E.	86.8% Female	14.4% between 17 and 19 years	0.4% Hearing
		61.3% between 20 and 22 years	1.2% Motor
	13.2% Male	12.1% between 23 and 25 years	8.2% Visual
		2.2% more than 25 years	90.2% None
T.C.	57.4% Female	68.4% between 17 and 19 years	0.6% Hearing
		22.1% between 20 and 22 years	0.5% Motor
	42.6% Male	0.3% between 23 and 25 years	7.1% Visual
		0.2% more than 25 years	91.8% None
TOTAL	68.4% Female	41.1% between 17 and 19 years	0.9% Hearing
		16.2% between 20 and 22 years	0.8% Motor
	22.6% Male	22.6% between 23 and 25 years	8.7% Visual
		1.2% more than 25 years	89.6% None

.

The five dimensions, ICT management, digital tools, ICT management for education, collaborative work through ICT and responsible use of ICT, show the mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis, as shown in

Table 5. Descriptive statistics of the dimensions.

Dimension M a		DE b	As c	K d	Inter-Dimension Correlation
					1	2	3	4	5
1	2.248	1.469	−0.291	−1.271	1
2	2.540	1.529	−0.721	−1.353	0.895	1
3	2.382	1.492	−0.498	−1.382	0.791	0.871	1
4	2.163	1.510	−0.672	−1.494	0.725	0.774	0.987	1
5	2.571	1.490	−0.629	−0.992	0.624	0.762	0.586	0.531	1

^a Mean; ^b standard deviation; ^c Aiken V coefficient; ^d 95% confidence interval.

, where it can be seen that dimension 5 (responsible use of ICT) has the highest average score (M = 2.57) and dimension 4 (collaborative work through ICT) has the lowest (M =2.16). Regarding variability, dimension 2, corresponding to digital tools (SD = 1.52), shows the greatest dispersion. The skewness and kurtosis values of the scale dimensions do not exceed the range > ± 1.5, indicating that the variables follow a normal distribution. Likewise, the correlations between the dimensions were significant (>0.30).

Despite the normal distribution of the five dimensions, it was decided to perform a CFA by structuring an initial confirmatory model of five factors without eliminating any of the aforementioned items. Considering the normal distribution of the five dimensions, the maximum likelihood (ML) method was chosen to perform the CFA. The ML poses the initial confirmatory model shown in Figure 1; the model shows the structure of the variable ICT in the teaching–learning process and COVID-19, configured by five factors: ICT management, digital tools, ICT management for education, collaborative work through ICT and responsible use of ICT, so this model a characteristic is that the factors do not show any relationship between them, a circumstance similar to the orthogonal rotation in traditional factor analysis. Nor is there an underlying structure to these factors or second-order factors. According to Rodriguez-Santero et al. (2020), the score of each subject from the point of view of the CFA on each item is generated by an unobserved variable (latent factor) that explains the variability of the scores on the item. The latent factor will never fully satisfactorily explain the variability of item responses. This part not explained by the factor is called measurement error (E).

In Figure 2, the modified model with covariances reflects the factor loadings between the dimensions; values higher than 0.50 in their variance or very close to this value are observed, with the exception of item 03 of the ICT management factor (MTIC03), which is the lowest. In the 20 items of the factors analyzed, the relationship established in the different factor loadings is significant in all cases (p = 0.000), with a high covariance (0.72) with respect to the factor of ICT management in education (GTIC).

Differently to multiple regression models, structural equation models allow for the inclusion of latent and observable variables. Latent variables cannot be measured directly and are inferred from observable variables, which are their indicators. The observable variables, on the other hand, are quantified from measures obtained from questionnaires, surveys, etc. A diagnosis of the model’s goodness of fit was carried out, for the acceptance and rejection of the model, based on the interpretation of the incremental measures of fit such as the normalized fit index (NFI), as well as the comparative fit index (CFI). In both cases, the comparison is made with the statistic, considering that its value should range between 0 and 1, where 1 is the perfect fit. In the model analyzed, the indexes are close to unity (CFI = 0.917; IFI = 0.920; NFI = 0.853), and therefore, the model is considered to be adequate to the reality observed in the study. These data are complemented with the RMSEA parsimony index, which, with a value of 0.056, is optimal, according to Hu and Bentler (1999), making the model fit acceptable (see

Table 6. Adjustment of statistical modes to explain ICT in the teaching–learning process and post-COVID-19.

	Absolute Adjustment Indexes							Incremental Adjustment Indexes
Factor	χ2	gl a	χ2/gl a	GFI b	AGFI c	RMR d	RMSEA e	NFI f	TLI g	CFI h	IFI i
1	231,162	22	9863	0728	0682	3624	0184	0692	0618	0783	0786
2	428,710	26	8936	0793	0703	2892	0176	0754	0684	0821	0827
3	319,382	38	9562	0851	0677	3549	0169	0785	0696	0834	0838
4	174,284	17	6291	0878	0659	1436	0135	0762	0665	0836	0839
5	12,596	5	1637	0892	0817	1683	0058	0842	0787	0885	0887
With latent variables	126,117	43	2839	0865	0783	0672	0082	0804	0718	0843	0845

^a df: degrees of freedom. ^b GFI: goodness of fit index. ^c AGFI: adjusted goodness of fit index. ^d RMR: root mean square residual. ^e RMSEA: root mean square error of approximation. ^f NFI: normed fit index. ^g TLI: Tucker–Lewis coefficient. ^h CFI: comparative fit index. ⁱ IFI: incremental fit index.

).

Table 7. Correlation and significance level of the dimensions of ICT management, digital tools, ICT and education management, collaborative work and responsible use of ICT in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

			ICT Management	Digital Tools	ICT and Education Management	Collaborative Work and ICT	Responsible Use of ICT
	ICT Management	Correlation coefficient	1.000	0.718 **	0.621 **	0.834 **	0.819 **
		Sig. (bilateral) N	253	0.000 253	0.000 253	0.000 253	0.000 253
	Digital Tools	Correlation coefficient	0.718 **	1.000	0.893 **	0.959 **	0.973 **
		Sig. (bilateral) N	0.000 253	253	0.000 253	0.000 253	0.000 253
Spearman’s Rho	ICT and Education Management	Correlation coefficient	0.621 **	0.893 **	1.000	0.694 **	0.786 **
		Sig. (bilateral) N	0.000 253	0.000 253	253	0.000 253	0.000 253
	Collaborative Work and ICT	Correlation coefficient	0.834 **	0.959 **	0.694 **	1.000	0.875 **
		Sig. (bilateral) N	0.000 253	0.000 253	0.000 253	253	0.000 253
	Responsible use of ICT	Correlation coefficient	0.819 **	0.973 **	0.786 **	0.875 **	1.000
		Sig. (bilateral)	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
		N	253	253	253	253	253

** Significant correlation, level 0.01 (bilateral).

shows the positive and high relationship identified between ICT management and digital tools (Spearman’s rho = 0.718, p-value < 0.05). It should be noted that there is a moderate and direct relationship between the dimensions of ICT management and education and ICT management (Spearman’s rho = 0.621, p-value < 0.05); followed by a direct and high relationship between the dimensions of collaborative work and ICT management (Spearman’s rho = 0.834, p-value < 0.05); finally, it was determined that there was a high and moderate link between the dimensions of responsible use of ICT and ICT management (Spearman’s rho = 0.819, p-value < 0.05). Likewise, strong and direct relationships were observed between digital tools and ICT management and education (Spearman’s rho = 0.893). The same happened with the relationship between digital tools and collaborative work and ICT (Spearman’s Rho = 0.959) and the relationship between digital tools and responsible use of ICT (Spearman’s Rho = 973), with the p value for all cases being < 0.05, establishing that the relationship between the variable and the dimensions was significant.

The model presented confirms the results obtained of the positive and strong relationship of the ICT and digital tool management dimensions on the teaching–learning process, and of the collaborative work through ICT, as well as the impact of the responsible use of ICT on the management of ICT in the teaching–learning process of university students. The observable variables of the model (χ²/gl = 9.56; GFI (fit index) = 0.851; AGFI (adjusted fit index) = 0.677; RMSEA (root mean square error of approximation) = 0.058 of factor 5; IFI (incremental fit index) = 0.887 of the same factor) observe that the model with latent variables has better fit (χ²/gl = 2.83; GFI = 0.865; AGFI = 0.783; RMSEA = 0.082, IFI = 0.845). Therefore, in both cases, the model fit is adequate.

The discriminant validity statistics of the five dimensions are shown in

Table 8. Bivariate correlations of all 5 dimensions.

		[MTIC]	[HD]	[GTIC]	[TCTIC]	[URTIC]
ICT Management	[MTIC]	0.862	0.425	0.576	0.582	0.355
Digital Tools	[HD]	0.481	0.796	0.638	0.394	0.429
ICT management for education	[GTIC]	0.537	0.326	0.823	0.263	0.448
Collaborative work through ICT	[TCTIC]	0.275	0.419	0.274	0.785	0.384
Responsible use of ICT	[URTIC]	0.324	0.346	0.319	0.451	0.841

(latent constructs), from the data of 253 surveys. It can be observed that the values of the main diagonal are greater than the values of the bivariate correlation (matrix values below the main diagonal). In addition, the values below the main diagonal are less than 0.9. Therefore, the measurement model presents adequate discriminant validity of its latent constructs and facilitates the estimation of the structural model.

Based on the previous results, it is recognized that studying at home brings complications regarding the lack of connectivity, infrastructure and training in the use of technological platforms, Also, educational activities and the use of online digital tools have revolutionized practically all educational environments since the pandemic. Likewise, the dimensions of digital tools and collaborative work directly impact the activities of the students’ teaching–learning process. Online learning research during COVID-19 is an active field of study focusing on generating, developing, implementing and assessing novel models and approaches to help in the war against the coronavirus (Konstantopoulou et al. 2022). Finally, in the responsible use of ICT, students consider being in the best position to rely on technology to carry out their virtual classes. Therefore, the results invite us to discuss the importance of training teachers and students in a virtual modality, based on the use of new technological tools that help the teaching–learning process to be of high quality.

4. Conclusions

The discussion of the aforementioned showed that online learning and teaching at the Autonomous University of Baja California required improvements, especially in the quality of interaction and instruction from the use of digital platforms as tools that support the learning of students. Although the respondents are satisfied with the instructor, the course management and also with the technological dimension, some improvements should be implemented to improve online teaching and learning for students at the university under study. In general, students are coping with the work from the home period, but there is dissatisfaction with certain elements. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate a theoretical model proposed for the multidimensional perfectionism scale. This theoretical model assumes that the 20 items of the scale can be grouped into five dimensions or latent variables representing different aspects of perfectionism. In this case, it was used to assess whether the 20 items of the scale are indeed grouped into the five dimensions proposed in the theoretical model. The study used an advanced statistical modeling technique (SEM) and a specific factor analysis technique (confirmatory factor analysis) to validate a proposed theoretical model for the multidimensional perfectionism scale. This implies that the 20 items of the scale were found to effectively measure the five dimensions of perfectionism proposed in the theoretical model.

Proper management of ICT and digital tools are important pillars in the digital age and distance education. While technology has a transformative effect on education, it is also important to address the challenges of infrastructure, data security and balance with other teaching strategies. It is important for schools and universities to carefully evaluate their management of ICT and digital tools, which will help virtual education have a significant impact on university students. Although it has provided more flexibility and access to educational resources, it has also presented challenges in terms of motivation and interaction. It is important that universities carefully evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of virtual education and provide support to students to ensure their academic and professional success. The responsible use of ICTs and collaborative work are valuable tools for education, and when used appropriately, can enhance the teaching and learning process, fostering understanding and motivation, as well as collaboration among students.

This document highlights the serious measures that all universities must take and make their courses interesting and innovative for international students to continue their studies. Universities should also consider implementing online teaching as a new method for teaching and learning processes in the future.

Innovative educational practices, such as project-based learning and gamification, have changed the way teachers interact with students. Instead of teaching in a traditional way, teachers now use more interactive and participatory methods for students to achieve their academic activities in an effective way. In addition, the use of ICT in learning environments has transformed the way teachers provide support and feedback to students. Teachers can apply innovative educational practices, through digital tools, in the development of student activities and provide feedback in real time, strengthening their learning, through working closely with students to perform creative practices that help make student learning effective and meaningful.

To highlight, a few recommendations for increasing e-learning use are to review current programs, set clear goals and expected outcomes of the program, set learning methods and activities, define the organization and presentation of activities, define learning material for every activity, select appropriate assessment models, identify skills and other requirements for access and set requirements related to resources and infrastructure.

Also, the continued need to prepare students and teachers for emergency situations and develop good strategies for using ICTs in the teaching–learning process should be highlighted. These are areas that present opportunities for the university’s administrative sciences faculty to integrate more content into the curriculum.