Abstract:

Peer tutoring is widely used as one of the most effective practices to improve academic performance, school desertion and other indicators associated with educational quality. In the context of higher education, the peer tutoring is not a new topic, because various studies highlight the importance of the tutor in the trajectory and training of university students. However, the recent pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its repercussions in the educational field are unprecedented in the history of humanity. Indeed, the abrupt closure of schools and the rapid spread of online classes in higher education due to the pandemic have created new challenges to counteract the collateral and negative effects on the academic performance of students. Previous experiences on emergency situations have shown that, in the face of infectious disease outbreaks, the use of technological tools allows students to continue their studies from home, without having to put their physical well-being and cognitive development at risk; by this time, almost nothing or very little is known about the strategies and technological tools used to support remotely in the academic trajectory of the students through peer tutoring.

On this basis, the present study aimed to explore on the one hand the benefits of the use of ICT in a university peer tutoring program and, on the other hand, to identify the benefits of remote tutoring on the training processes of students during COVID-19.

The results point out, firstly, that the technological tools used within the peer tutoring program improved the planning, monitoring and evaluation of the activities carried out by the tutors; additionally, the results also highlight how the tutors adjusted the type of tools and their uses according to the educational and training needs expressed by the students to keep them engaged during the pandemic.

Keywords:

Peer tutoring, remote educational help, higher education, emergency education, covid-19.