Statistics Students’ Perspectives of Forced Online Learning

Abstract

We describe a study that explored perceptions and experiences of statistics students at universities in the United Kingdom who had to adjust to learning online as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Students from two universities (one research-intensive, the other with a teaching focus), and groups of first- through third-year students from five undergraduate statistics courses were surveyed. The wellbeing of students studying online differed between the two universities, and wellbeing was related to students’ experiences of learning remotely, with more negative wellbeing scores associated with worsening online learning experiences. Students did not feel they interacted as well with their peers or lecturers in an online learning environment compared to in-person learning. This study can inform statistics educators how to better support their students’ learning.