DISTANCE LEARNING: MINDSET, MOTIVATION, AND ADAPTATION IN THE COVID ERA

Brant Von Goble

doi:10.46827/ejoe.v7i1.4130

Abstract

The year 2020 saw a large and rapid COVID-related transition to distance learning, including in countries and institutions that have traditionally been averse to non-traditional instruction delivery options. The effects of this shift have been evaluated in numerous papers; however, most have addressed changes in the educational operation and mindset of students in the developed world. This article examines the self-reported performance and satisfaction of two cohorts of college students in China, the first (Cohort I) recruited from two of the researcher’s courses—Educational Research and Issues in Bicultural Education—both taught at Jilin International Studies University, and consisting of a total of 105 participants out of a possible 137 (76.64% response rate). The second cohort (Cohort II) consisted of 28 participants from higher educational institutions throughout China, collected by way of the snowball sampling method with the assistance of one of the researcher’s students. Participants were given a multi-construct electronic survey of 30 questions. They then submitted these completed surveys as DOCX files by email or by the Tencent WeChat messenger program. These results were compiled and analyzed in Microsoft Excel, using simple statistical methods and percentages. Results for each cohort differed markedly, with considerable overlap of key constructs. Students in Cohort I demonstrated considerably higher levels of satisfaction with distance education and their physically isolated living and study conditions than did those in Cohort II; however, both groups reported generally positive or neutral experiences in distance learning both in absolute terms and relative to their in-person learning experiences. Possible reasons for the differences in these responses and the suggestions for expanding and improving distance learning in China are presented herein. Article visualizations:<img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0944/a.php" alt="Hit counter" />

Highlights

In 2020, distance education experienced a sudden and unparalleled growth as a result of COVID control measures (Li & Lalani, 2020)
The effects of the sudden changeover from in-person to distance education have been the subject of considerable debate and research; effects particular to traditional-age college students (18-23) in China have been less thoroughly examined
Research into the effectiveness of distance learning relative to inperson instruction has yielded contradictory results, with some studies suggesting that online learning yields inferior learning and comprehension (Figlio et al, 2010; Alpert et al, 2016; Cellini & Grueso, 2021) and others suggesting that online learning is either equivalent or superior to in-class instruction (Ni, 2013)

Summary

Introduction

In 2020, distance education experienced a sudden and unparalleled growth as a result of COVID control measures (Li & Lalani, 2020). No such remote/emergency versus planned online learning distinction was made While this distinction might have been relevant in 2020, it is likely no longer relevant to the research at hand, which was conducted in December of 2021, after teachers and institutions had more than a year to adapt to the unique requirements of online instruction. Said another way, if the distance/remote learning investigated is the product of an emergency, said emergency is either a permanent one or one of such long duration that it has ceased to be an emergency in anything but name. The fourth generation—the present generation—is defined by computer-mediated instruction, flexibility of content delivery, and the potential for direct interaction with students through technologies readily available to them (tablet computers, smartphones, etc.), with greater opportunities for customized and personalized instruction

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