Abstract:

With this article we intend to present a study of how the adaptation of teaching practices from an face-to-face environment to a Distance Education environment occurred. The research was conducted through a case study at a Portuguese university, where students have to complete 6 ECTs in transversal curricular units, the so-called soft skills as a complement to their degree.

Teaching and learning practices have undergone several transformations in the last decades, especially with technological resources, but with the pandemic situation, Distance Learning gains space, given this context, we understand the need to understand students' perception of the importance of soft skills in their academic and professional life, in a reality of uncertainty about the future and in a model that had to be adapted in the space of a week from face-to-face to distance learning and hybrid model (face-to-face and distance learning). The objective of this study was to verify how the strategies of teaching and learning practices were adapted from a face-to-face teaching environment to a distance one, following a logic of cross-analysis based on three units of analysis adopted: the face-to-face modality; semi-face-to-face: it takes place partly in the classroom and partly at a distance; distance learning, carried out through the use of technological resources.

It is possible to find in the literature several works discussing the differences, similarities and practical implications and adaptation strategies in the context of learning. But in this case we wanted to understand the needs and perceptions of the students and the impact of this process, so together with the three units of analysis already mentioned, we ask them to make a critical comment about the curricular units that they chose to attend in their final works. Bidirectional communication, in the distance learning process, establishing relationships between pedagogical content, stimulating creativity, critical capacity, virtual work groups and debates, were pointed out as the main positive points in the profile of teachers who teach soft skills, as well as ability to give them attention and support. Although they mostly prefer face-to-face teaching, they valued the effort and dedication of teachers in this atypical context.

Keywords:

Soft Skills, face-to-face learning, distance learning.