Learning first-year mathematics fully online: Were students prepared, how did they respond?

Abstract

This paper reports on empirical results from a study that investigated first-year mathematics students’ preparedness for, and response to, online learning. With the appearance of COVID-19 in 2020, lecturers were forced to make sudden changes to the established face-to-face learning environments, and students were expected to adapt to these changes. The idea of a blended learning environment is not new, and students globally have demanded flexibility in mathematics learning environments for some time. However, the idea of a sudden change in environments, particularly to fully online, was new to most lecturers and students. Key aspects in an online environment are students’ ability to self-regulate their learning, and the availability and accessibility of technological resources. Quantitative data from the self-developed questionnaire were collected early in 2021, at a public university in South Africa, from a large sample over several modules. Results indicate students are partially prepared for learning fully online, with significant effect on performance.