Comparing Face-to-Face, Emergency Remote Teaching and Smart Classroom: A Qualitative Exploratory Research Based on Students’ Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted traditional face-to-face teaching worldwide and forced education institutions to adopt new, online teaching formats to enable students to continue with their studies. This research focuses on students’ perceptions of three teaching different modalities: face-to-face (F2F), Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) and Smart Classroom (SC), which were implemented in response to the restrictions enforced to combat the spread of COVID-19. A qualitative study based on two user experience techniques, Pocket Bipolar Laddering and Emotional Appraisal, was carried out on a group of second-year ICT engineering university students at La Salle Campus Barcelona. The former technique consists in identifying a maximum of three positive and three negative salient items, while the latter is intended to rate pairs of opposite feelings. In the SC format, saving time on travel to university was considered an advantage of online learning, while disadvantages included less effective instructor–student interaction, distractions when off-campus and teamwork issues. These shortcomings can be addressed by specific online teaching training to develop a more active form of learning and foment student participation. However, both ERT and SC modalities were considered effective solutions to cope with the social and mobility restrictions imposed during the pandemic.

Engaging ICT Engineering Undergraduates in a Management Subject through First Day of Class Activities: An Empirical Study

“…The main inputs of this design of each subject are the definition of content and methodologies along with the needs of academic staff and infrastructures. At this level should also be included the Smart Classroom (SC) [82,83], a technology that offers new teaching and learning possibilities and that was deployed in most of classrooms and laboratories in September 2020 at La Salle URL. Once classes begin, a review and update mechanism must be established.…”

“…Moreover, in the case of implementing some students' opinions, engagement can increase since they perceive that their ideas have been valued and applied [41]. Another option that may enhance engagement is to promote the use of new technologies by students [95], and once again, asking students about how they perceive their experience using technology [82] may be crucial. Finally, promoting peer-to-peer interaction also may increase engagement [96].…”

A Qualitative Approach to Help Adjust the Design of Management Subjects in ICT Engineering Undergraduate Programs through User Experience in a Smart Classroom Context

“…Regarding the students, they switched to remote learning which allowed them to maintain their educational training despite mobility restrictions. However, different challenges arose when attending classes off campus, such as distractions or less effective student-instructor and student-student interactions [9]. In addition, different research works have reported issues in other areas, such as their wellbeing [49], learning capabilities or engagement levels [50].…”

“…The pedagogical system of La Salle URL evolved from an ERT solution implemented at the beginning of the second semester of 2019-2020 academic year to a SC deployment before the start of the 2020-2021 academic year [9]. In other words, it implied moving from a tactical solution (ERT) to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, to a strategical approach based on the SC format.…”

“…A specific element to analyze was the experience that students had had once used the Smart Classroom (SC) technology in the context of the subject. SC consists of a technological solution adopted by La Salle URL (Universitat Ramon Llull) to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic [8] that according to a previous research study was positively valued by students [9]. The subject 'Information Systems', taught exclusively on the ICT Management Engineering program, one of the seven ICT engineering programs of the Institution, was chosen as a pilot experience subject for this work since it combines technological and management topics.…”