Since 2020, there’s been a growing body of important research into the impact of online learning for educators. But the student voice, which is essential to informing good design and facilitation of online learning, has been largely unexamined. Our Student Online Learning Experiences (SOLE) research project aims to rectify this and give voice to those who are, arguably, at the heart of the COVID-19 education crisis. The study uses data from nearly 1000 survey responses from students across all eight New Zealand universities. Through a combination of online questionnaires, individual and focus group interviews, we explored their experiences of online learning during the pandemic in 2020.
— The Press Newsroom (@PressNewsroom) August 18, 2021
Challenges and benefits
Students are not a homogeneous group and online learning is not the same for everyone. Our research shows that, even in so-called normal times, students face multiple challenges, such as access to technology and online resources, financial hardship, family responsibilities and challenging study environments. The pandemic has exacerbated these challenges. Among the challenges, however, there were some benefits. More than half the students acknowledged not having to travel and having the flexibility to learn at their own pace and place was positive. They also appreciated “being able to access learning materials at any time and the ability to pause and continue” at their own pace. Students also reported they were able to “balance the children, household and study much more effectively”.
— 1News (@1NewsNZ) September 8, 2021
Support and communication key
Though many students felt less motivated and less focused, they became more used to online learning. They discovered they could leverage the good aspects of remote learning when they had the right support or knew where to get help, such as financial assistance, extensions, and disability support. Some students found online learning took them a lot longer to process and engage with. However, most students also said regular updates and clear communication were key to helping them learn online by reducing the sense of isolation and distance.
— The Dominion Post (@DomPost) September 5, 2021
Open-book versus closed-book
Our study also highlighted the need to rethink university assessment practices. In the face of ongoing demands of family, work, and lockdown life, many students found it challenging to sit an exam at a specified time. They preferred time-based assessments (in which students complete an open-book exam or another type of assessment task within a specified time frame), rather than online exams at a fixed time. One respondent questioned whether universities were “assessing students in a way that’s actually effective and beneficial for their learning”. Asked what they would like to see continued in future course design and teaching, a majority preferred open-book exams “that assess the application of knowledge as opposed to a stressful closed-book memory test”. Such an approach might also help minimize problems with cheating and academic integrity in the online environment.
What do students say we should do?
Fundamentally, we need to get to know and consult with the students we work with and understand their needs and circumstances. We need to provide choice and negotiate learning possibilities, including such things as:
design more flexible and inclusive learning experiences (for example, allow students to choose from a selection of times to complete assessments) develop student skills and competency online, provide video tutorials, allow time to experiment and have fun, give feedback and encouragement along the way establish opportunities for students to give and receive self, peer, and teacher feedback foster social learning and social presence online by nurturing relationships and creating opportunities for group interaction provide opportunities to participate in class or online workshops (post-pandemic), maximizing the benefits of blended learning inform students about the full range of support available and clearly communicate priorities for learning.
Better design, better learning
As pandemic conditions become the new normal, educators need to move beyond Zoom, Teams, and video lectures to create inclusive learning environments. Using the Universal Design for Learning framework would be a good place to start. Equity and diversity should be front of mind when we transition to blended, flexible, or online modes of study. As one of our respondents aptly put it, we must Above all, we must listen more closely to those whose lives and learning are most affected by these changes — students. You can read the full SOLE report here. Article by Dilani Gedera, Teaching and Learning Manager, Auckland University of Technology; Ashwini Datt, Curriculum Development Manager, University of Auckland; Cheryl Brown, Associate Professor of e-Learning, University of Canterbury; Dianne Forbes, Senior Lecturer in Digital Learning, University of Waikato, and Maggie Hartnett, Senior Lecturer in Education, Massey University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
