COVID-19 Induced Transition from Classroom to Online Mid Semester: Case Study on Faculty and Students’ Preferences and Opinions

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty and students’ reactions to the COVID-19 emergency move to online classes. The goal was to better inform instructional strategies to be used in similar circumstances and to inform best practices in online pedagogy. Method: Online surveys were administered to students and faculty near the end of the semester to evaluate different aspects of the transition. Classes included in the study were scheduled as full-semester, on-campus classes but made an emergency switch to online post-spring break, after eight weeks. Results: Students’ and faculty’s comfort levels at the time of the switch depended on the amount of prior experience they had in online teaching and learning. Individual students and faculty experienced varying degrees of ease of adjustment to the switch in format from in-class to online. Faculty had to adapt quickly to determine the best way to replicate the in-class experience. Many faculty would depend on familiarity with technology and creativity with its usage. To varying degrees, comfort level improved as the semester progressed for both faculty and students. Still, a majority of students expressed less interest than before in taking online classes. Conclusions: The level of preparedness of faculty and students determined the outcome of this natural experiment. The adjustment was easier for those with prior experience with the online format and/or for those who felt comfortable with the format. Implication for Practice: As faculty and students prepare to return to the classroom, consideration can be given to best practices in online pedagogy to support students and faculty. Our findings point to the need for institutional preparedness for unforeseen circumstances.

Reading Format Attitudes in the Time of COVID

“…Thus, through no fault of their own, they were unprepared to engage with the online texts as they would with print. This would be consistent with Roy and Covelli's (2021) findings cited above.…”

“…The researchers found that majorities were open to hybrid learning models, however. Roy and Covelli (2021) found that the ease of adjustment was dependent on students' pre-pandemic comfort levels and experience using digital learning, but overall, students expressed less interest in online classes. Students in India were more receptive to digital learning during the pandemic, citing its flexibility and convenience ( Muthuprasad, Aiswarya, Aditya, & Jha, 2021 ).…”

Psychological Distress Among Chinese College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Does Attitude Toward Online Courses Matter?

“…As mentioned in the introduction section, the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in China occurred in the winter vacation, and the higher education system had a few weeks to get prepared for the upcoming full semester of online courses. However, in many other countries such as the United States, school closure and the onsite-to-online transition came at the halfway point of the semester (Roy and Covelli, 2021). In such circumstances, students may be especially shocked by the abrupt shift in the model of teaching and learning.…”

Exploring study profiles of Computer Science students with Social Network Analysis

“…Another affected community was 'Team players', who highly valued interacting with their peers; during the pandemic, their interactions were limited due to the pandemic restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. Recent studies on the effects of the pandemic in education provide insights into how the new normality in Higher Education will be [35,36,37,3]. On one side, the use of the technology and the transition to hybrid learning are expected to be present in the new normality of higher education [36].…”