Emotions and Affects in Virtual Education: Inequality and Frameworks of Experience During and After the Pandemic

Abstract

The abrupt transition from in-person to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies and reshaped the educational experiences of students and teachers. This study analyzes the frameworks of experience, as well as the emotions and affects associated with learning and teaching in online educational contexts at the upper secondary and higher education levels in Mexican universities in the state of Puebla. It is worth noting that the public university in the aforementioned state includes high schools within its university system. Using a qualitative approach grounded in digital ethnography, two intervention experiences were developed: the collection of audio recordings from university students at various public and private institutions and written reflections from teachers participating in a professional development course, recorded in a digital environment designed for this purpose. The results show a close relationship between emotional state and the evaluation of online learning; however, a situated analysis reveals that these evaluations are shaped by conditions of material and technological inequality (connectivity, devices, digital skills, economic stability). The paper discusses the need to incorporate the affective dimension into the analysis of technology-mediated education and into the construction of post-pandemic scenarios oriented toward well-being and educational equality.