Emergency Remote Instruction during the COVID-19 Pandemic Reshapes Collaborative Learning in General Chemistry

Abstract

The spring of 2020 saw the spread of COVID-19 throughout the world, and in response many colleges and universities moved to emergency remote instruction. Herein is described how an introductory chemistry course that prioritizes active learning and collaboration was adapted for emergency remote learning. Instructors used both asynchronous and synchronous instruction and continued with revised group activities. A Distance Learning Pod allowed students in distant time zones to work collaboratively even when they could not participate in synchronous instruction. Rates of submitted work paralleled how heavily that work factored into the student’s final grade. Equity, for example in access to technology and disparate student living conditions, remains a critical concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.