[version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations]
No competing interests were disclosed.
The use of active methodologies in virtual environments has gained prominence in Latin American higher education, particularly following the expansion of remote learning. However, there is still limited comparative evidence on how students perceive their implementation in different contexts.
An exploratory qualitative study with a comparative focus was conducted. Fourteen first-year university students participated, seven from Peru and seven from Chile, selected through purposive sampling. Data collection was carried out via semi-structured interviews. The analysis was conducted using the Reflective Thematic Analysis approach, following the six phases proposed by Braun and Clarke.
Four main themes were identified: (1) virtual platforms and ways of engaging with them, (2) perceived benefits of virtual learning, (3) challenges and tensions in the learning experience, and (4) students’ recommendations for improving technology-mediated teaching. Participants particularly valued flexibility, autonomy and permanent access to materials, especially when active methodologies such as the flipped classroom, gamification and collaborative work were integrated. However, they also highlighted limitations related to connectivity issues, gaps in digital skills and non-pedagogical uses of the platforms.
Active methodologies supported by virtual platforms can foster meaningful learning and student engagement, provided they are accompanied by adequate infrastructure, ongoing teacher training and institutional policies aimed at technological equity. The findings provide contextualized evidence for the design of active teaching strategies in Latin American higher education, beyond the context of emergency remote learning.
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically transformed higher education worldwide, forcing an accelerated migration toward remote teaching and the massive adoption of virtual learning platforms such as Learning Management Systems (LMS), including Moodle, Canvas, Google Meet, and Zoom. This transition—initially conceived as “emergency remote teaching”—allowed pedagogical continuity; however, it also revealed significant shortcomings in technological infrastructure, teacher training, and institutional design, particularly in countries with greater socioeconomic inequalities. Several studies have documented how these tensions became evident in Ibero-American university education, where the digital divide and limited experience in online teaching conditioned the quality of learning experiences (
Recent literature identifies the flipped classroom, project-based learning, gamification, and online collaborative activities as strategies particularly suitable for integration into virtual environments, insofar as they leverage the potential of digital resources and foster meaningful interaction, both synchronous and asynchronous (
Likewise, there is a scarcity of qualitative comparative studies that simultaneously analyze the experiences of students from different countries in the region. Chile has positioned itself as one of the countries with the highest scientific production on active methodologies in Ibero-America, with documented experiences in health programs and other disciplines reporting transformations in learning strategies and student engagement in virtual environments (
Given this panorama, the present study aims to provide comparative qualitative evidence on the perceptions of university students in Chile and Peru regarding active methodologies implemented in virtual platforms. An interpretive approach based on Reflexive Thematic Analysis (
The study follows an interpretive qualitative approach aimed at understanding the meanings that students attribute to active methodologies implemented in virtual platforms. The research was designed as an exploratory comparative study, with the purpose of identifying similarities and contrasts between the perceptions of university students in Peru and Chile.
The sample consisted of fourteen first-year university students from Peru and Chile, seven participants from each country, selected through purposive sampling. Efforts were made to ensure diversity in terms of major, gender, and type of institution, public and private, based on the common criterion of having taken courses that used active methodologies in virtual learning environments. Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 22 years, with representation from fields such as Engineering, Psychology, Education, Medicine, and Law.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually, with an approximate duration of 30–45 minutes. The interview guide included open-ended questions aimed at exploring experiences, perceptions, difficulties, and suggestions for improvement related to the use of active methodologies in virtual platforms. The instrument was subjected to expert judgment validation and a pilot test with students who were not part of the final sample, which allowed for adjustments to the wording and sequence of the questions.
Prior to signing the informed consent, the interviews were recorded (audio or videoconference, depending on the case), then transcribed verbatim, and all identifying information was removed to ensure participant anonymity, with pseudonyms assigned accordingly. The study received approval from an institutional ethics committee and adhered to the principles of confidentiality and respect for the dignity of the participants.
Data analysis was conducted following the six phases of Reflexive Thematic Analysis proposed by
The criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability proposed by
The reflexive thematic analysis allowed the identification of four main themes within the students’ narratives: (1) uses and functionalities of virtual platforms, (2) perceived advantages of active virtual learning, (3) challenges and tensions in the formative experience, and (4) student proposals to improve technology-mediated teaching. A comparison was also made between the perceptions of Chilean and Peruvian students.
Participants reported using a wide range of platforms and tools: Moodle, Canvas, and institutional LMS for course management; Google Meet and Zoom for synchronous classes; and complementary applications such as Discord, WhatsApp, Canva, or Complete Anatomy. While Moodle and Canvas were valued for their structure and capacity to integrate resources and activities, several students, especially in Peru, noted that many instructors used them primarily as file repositories.
“We used Moodle, but at first some professors only uploaded documents. Over time, some started adding forums, quizzes, and videos, and that made it more interesting.” (Student, Peru).
“At my university we use Canvas; each course has its own well-organized space, and that helps you not get lost with assignments.” (Student, Chile).
Overall, students highlighted scheduling flexibility, the ability to rewatch recorded classes, and permanent access to materials as central benefits of virtual learning. These conditions supported self-management of study time and the balancing of academic and personal responsibilities. When platforms were combined with active methodologies such as flipped classroom, online collaborative projects, or gamified activities, participants described more dynamic and meaningful learning experiences (
“Being able to watch the class again helped me a lot, especially when the topic was difficult or when the connection failed.” (Student, Chile).
“Online group projects forced us to organize ourselves better; we used Google Docs and Canva, and that made everyone participate.” (Student, Peru).
Alongside the advantages, multiple difficulties emerged. The most recurrent one was unstable internet connectivity, especially in rural areas or areas with fewer resources, which affected attendance in synchronous classes and timely submission of assignments. Students also pointed to the lack of technological and pedagogical training among some instructors, who reproduced traditional lecture-based practices online with limited interaction. Additionally, they mentioned challenges related to time management and distractions inherent to studying at home.
“Sometimes I had to go to a relative’s house to get better signal, because at home the connection dropped all the time.” (Student, Peru).
“Some professors kept doing the same things as in the classroom, just on Zoom. That made the classes very heavy, and it was hard to concentrate.” (Student, Chile).
Based on their experience, students offered several recommendations. First, they emphasized the need for teacher training programs focused on the pedagogical use of virtual platforms and the design of active learning activities and coherent assessments. They also requested increased institutional technical support, standardization in the organization of virtual courses, and expanded connectivity through agreements with service providers or targeted support for students in vulnerable situations. Finally, they stressed the importance of increasing opportunities for synchronous interaction to address questions, receive feedback, and strengthen the sense of community.
The comparison between both countries revealed common patterns and differences associated with contextual conditions. In terms of similarities, both Chilean and Peruvian students valued the flexibility of virtual learning and criticized the limited use of platforms when they were reduced to mere repositories of materials. In both contexts, the presence of well-planned active methodologies was associated with higher levels of motivation and participation.
Differences were primarily linked to structural aspects. Peruvian students more frequently mentioned connectivity problems, lack of adequate devices, and the need for institutional support to sustain the virtual learning experience. Chilean students, on the other hand, emphasized the quality of pedagogical design and their desire for more interactive and less lecture-based activities. These divergences suggest that improvement policies must consider not only technological equity but also teacher training and instructional design.
The results obtained confirm that virtual platforms, when integrated with active learning methodologies, can become conducive environments for promoting autonomy, engagement, and student participation in higher education. The positive appreciation of flexibility, permanent access to materials, and the ability to rewatch recorded classes aligns with findings that highlight the potential of virtual environments to support self-regulation and adaptation of learning pace (
However, the narratives also highlight structural tensions that shape the effectiveness of these strategies. Inequality in access to the internet and digital devices disproportionately affects students from rural or low-resource contexts, limiting their ability to participate in synchronous activities and fully benefit from the resources available on the platforms, as reported in other studies on the digital divide and higher education in the region (
From a methodological standpoint, the use of Reflexive Thematic Analysis made it possible to capture the complexity of students’ experiences and reveal contextual differences between Chile and Peru that would be difficult to observe through exclusively quantitative designs. The reflexive nature of the approach also facilitated the problematization of the researchers’ own positions and the conceptual frameworks used, in line with recent recommendations on good practices in thematic analysis (
Overall, the findings suggest that debates on the quality of higher education in virtual environments cannot be reduced to the availability of technology or the mere adoption of active methodologies. It is essential to consider how these methodologies are appropriated by instructors and students within contexts marked by unequal access, diverse institutional cultures, and varying histories of ICT use.
This study showed that university students in Peru and Chile perceive the integration of active methodologies in virtual platforms positively. Flexibility, the ability to review content, and the implementation of activities such as flipped classroom, collaborative projects, and gamified experiences were associated with greater engagement and more meaningful learning.
Likewise, persistent challenges were identified related to connectivity, digital literacy, and insufficient teacher training in the pedagogical use of platforms, with greater impact in vulnerable contexts. These tensions demonstrate that, in order to fully leverage the potential of active methodologies in virtual environments, it is essential to simultaneously address technological, pedagogical, and institutional dimensions.
Based on these student perceptions, the following recommendations are proposed:
Ongoing teacher training in the design of active learning experiences in virtual platforms, including formative assessment strategies and timely feedback.
Institutional policies for technological equity, aimed at improving connectivity and access to devices for students from rural and low-resource contexts.
Standardization and improvement of virtual course design, promoting navigable environments, coherence across sections, and systematic use of interactive resources.
Student participation in the design and evaluation of virtual courses, incorporating their experiences and suggestions into continuous improvement processes.
Future research could expand the sample to other educational levels and explore the experiences of specific groups such as students with disabilities or students belonging to Indigenous communities, as well as incorporate the teacher perspective and the analysis of data generated within virtual platforms. This would support more comprehensive understandings and the development of educational policies responsive to the diversity of higher education contexts in Latin America.
During the preparation of this work the authors used ChatGPT in order to improve English writing and check spelling mistakes within English grammar. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and took full responsibility for the content of the publication.
The project was approved by Resolution 429–2025 CIEI-UCSM, issued on November 24, 2025, by the Universidad Católica de Santa María. Participants were informed about the purpose of the study, and those who agreed to participate signed an informed consent form, granting approval for the interview to be conducted and for their comments to be made public. However, the confidentiality of each interviewee’s data was always protected, and their anonymity was always maintained.
Zenodo. Active methodologies and virtual platforms in higher education: a comparative qualitative study of student perceptions in Peru and Chile Vr.1.
This project contains the following underlying data:
Anonymised interview transcripts - In Spanish.zip
Zenodo. Active methodologies and virtual platforms in higher education: a comparative qualitative study of student perceptions in Peru and Chile Vr.1.
This project contains the following extended data:
30956-R-2024.pdf DICTAMEN FAVORABLE 429–2025.pdf
Data are available under the terms of the
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the participants who voluntarily decided to take part in the study. This work is a summarized version of the research entitled ‘Metodologías activas de aprendizaje a través de plataformas virtuales: una percepción de los estudiantes universitarios de Chile y Perú’.
Although the manuscript addresses a relevant and timely topic in higher education, several aspects could be strengthened to enhance its scientific rigor. The literature review remains largely descriptive and is not grounded in a robust theoretical framework capable of supporting the interpretation of the findings. Research questions are not explicitly articulated, and the study’s scientific contribution is not sufficiently highlighted. From a methodological perspective, the sample of fourteen students (seven from each country) appears limited to support an international comparative analysis, while the thematic analysis process lacks transparency regarding coding procedures and evidence of data saturation. Furthermore, the discussion remains predominantly descriptive and does not lead to a substantial theoretical or conceptual contribution. In its current form, the manuscript may be suitable for a generalist or emerging journal; however, it would require major revisions to meet the standards typically expected.
- Lack of a strong theoretical framework.
- Absence of explicit research questions.
- Limited sample size for an international comparative study.
- Insufficient evidence of thematic saturation.
- Superficial comparative analysis between Peru and Chile.
- Weak discussion and theoretical contribution
Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?
Partly
If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?
Partly
Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?
Partly
Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?
Yes
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?
Partly
Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?
Partly
Reviewer Expertise:
Higher Education, Educational Technology, E-learning, Active Learning Methodologies, Digital Learning, Qualitative Research Methods, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and Innovation in Education
We confirm that we have read this submission and believe that we have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however we have significant reservations, as outlined above.