Abstract
Declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization in 2020 forced many schools to switch to emergency virtual instruction. This situation provided an opportunity to explore the effectiveness of online learning from students’ perspectives. To discover best practices for online learning, 584 STEM students at California State Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) were surveyed about their Spring and Fall 2020 experiences. Some of the obstacles students faced were adapting to a new lifestyle, feeling disconnected, managing schedule and workload, and overcoming distractions. Despite difficulties, 61% of students benefited from the flexibility, convenience, and increased productivity. The time students normally spent commuting to and parking on campus was instead spent getting more sleep, studying, working extra hours, spending time with family, and practicing self-care. Another major benefit was the increased accessibility to course materials posted online. Major themes from students’ responses were belonging, organization and transparency, and the need for real-world applications. Incorporating these strategies enhance the effectiveness of teaching methods. Responses along with some problem-solving suggestions that can improve the effectiveness of both online and in-person learning are discussed.
Highlights
COVID-19, caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, became a concern in December 2019; on 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization [1] declared it to be a pandemic
During the pandemic there was a hope that the closure was temporary, but as weeks and months passed, it was clear that the emergency online learning would not end soon
Acknowledging that the faculty were under-prepared to teach online [3,4,5], the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFÉ) at Cal Poly Pomona [6] offered workshops and faculty learning communities to prepare for the continuation of virtual learning in Fall 2020, with a focus on effectively using the campus Learning Management System (LMS)
Summary
COVID-19, caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, became a concern in December 2019; on 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization [1] declared it to be a pandemic. Acknowledging that the faculty were under-prepared to teach online [3,4,5], the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFÉ) at Cal Poly Pomona [6] offered workshops and faculty learning communities to prepare for the continuation of virtual learning in Fall 2020, with a focus on effectively using the campus Learning Management System (LMS) This unique situation provided an opportunity to explore the impact and effectiveness of virtual learning from students’ perspectives. In addition to faculty struggling to adjust course curricula and teaching methods, students’ mental health declined These were a few of the many barriers to effective remote learning [5,8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
