COVID-19 and the abrupt shift to remote learning: Impact on grades and perceived learning for undergraduate biology students

Abstract

Institutions across the world transitioned abruptly to remote learning in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid transition to remote learning has generally been predicted to negatively affect students, particularly those marginalized due to their race, socioeconomic class, or gender identity. In this study, we examined the impact of this transition in the Spring 2020 semester on the grades of students enrolled in the in-person biology program at a large university in Southwestern United States as compared to the grades earned by students in the fully online biology program at the same institution. We also surveyed in-person instructors to understand changes in assessment practices as a result of the transition to remote learning during the pandemic. Finally, we surveyed students in the in-person program to learn about their perceptions of the impacts of this transition. We found that both online and in-person students received a similar small increase in grades in Spring 2020 compared to Spring 2018 and 2019. We also found no evidence of disproportionately negative impacts on grades received by students marginalized due to their race, socioeconomic class, or gender in either modality. Focusing on in-person courses, we documented that instructors made changes to their courses when they transitioned to remote learning, which may have offset some of the potential negative impacts on course grades. However, despite receiving higher grades, in-person students reported negative impacts on their learning, interactions with peers and instructors, feeling part of the campus community, and career preparation. Women reported a more negative impact on their learning and career preparation compared to men. This work provides insights into students’ perceptions of how they were disadvantaged as a result of the transition to remote instruction and illuminates potential actions that instructors can take to create more inclusive education moving forward.

Undergraduate Biology Students Received Higher Grades During COVID-19 but Perceived Negative Effects on Learning

“…Lastly, we want to thank the instructors and undergraduate researchers who participated in our think-aloud interviews to establish cognitive validity of our survey instruments. A version of this manuscript previously appeared online in the form of a preprint (Supriya et al, 2021).…”

Aspects of Large-Enrollment Online College Science Courses That Exacerbate and Alleviate Student Anxiety

“…Cavanaugh and Jacquemin, 2015), while one found that students received higher grades in in-person courses (Mead et al, 2020). Yet notably, in a large-scale study of more than 25,000 student-course enrollments at the institution where our study was conducted, researchers found that when in-person students were enrolled in online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic (as they were in the current study), students perceived that they learned less in online courses, despite receiv-ing higher grades (Supriya et al, 2021). Regardless of whether students actually learn more in online versus in-person science courses, providing students with information about how to self-regulate and improve their motivation, and subsequently reduce their anxiety, may help them adjust to online learning.…”

“…, 2020 ). Yet notably, in a large-scale study of more than 25,000 student-course enrollments at the institution where our study was conducted, researchers found that when in-person students were enrolled in online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic (as they were in the current study), students perceived that they learned less in online courses, despite receiving higher grades ( Supriya et al. , 2021 ).…”

Why Students Struggle in Undergraduate Biology: Sources and Solutions

“…, 2021 ), and developed social relationships with both peers and instructors ( Smoyer et al. , 2020 ; Supriya et al. , 2021 ; Wut and Xu, 2021 ).…”

“…, 2021 ; Wut and Xu, 2021 ). The transition to remote learning also created practical challenges for faculty, many of whom resorted to asynchronous online videos or a combination of asynchronous and synchronous work, with little to no instructor–student interaction ( Supriya et al. , 2021 ; Wolinsky, 2021 ).…”