IN THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES: A CRITICAL INCIDENTS TECHNIQUE EXAMINATION OF STUDENT PERCEPTIONS’ OF SATISFYING AND DISSATISFYING LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Higher education has and continues to be sharply disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, our focus is on the pandemic’s impact on higher education, specifically on undergraduate marketing students’ perceptions of learning experiences during the switch from traditional face-to-face learning to online approaches. Understanding student perspectives on which specific aspects of their learning experience were satisfying or dissatisfying offers faculty valuable insight as to how to navigate this (for many) new teaching environment and enhance student experiences and outcomes. Collecting data during spring semester 2020 offers a unique view from students as universities abruptly pivoted from previously face-to-face instruction to online learning. The Critical Incidents Technique was used to capture the voice and perceptions of marketing students. Results are reported and aligned with teaching strategies for faculty to utilize in this new (for many) learning environment, as well as future learning/teaching shifts necessitated by other disruptions in higher education.