I will teach you here or there, I will try to teach you anywhere: perceived supports and barriers for emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities moved to emergency remote teaching (ERT). This allowed institutions to continue their instruction despite not being in person. However, ERT is not without consequences. For example, students may have inadequate technological supports, such as reliable internet and computers. Students may also have poor learning environments at home and may need to find added employment to support their families. In addition, there are consequences to faculty. It has been shown that female instructors are more disproportionately impacted in terms of mental health issues and increased domestic labor. This research aims to investigate instructors’ and students’ perceptions of their transition to ERT. Specifically, during the transition to ERT at a research-intensive, Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), we wanted to: (1) Identify supports and barriers experienced by instructors and students. (2) Compare instructors’ experiences with the students’ experiences. (3) Explore these supports and barriers within the context of social presence, teaching presence, and/or cognitive presence as well as how these supports and barriers relate to scaffolding in STEM courses. Results Instructors identified twice as many barriers as supports in their teaching during the transition to ERT and identified casual and formal conversations with colleagues as valuable supports. Emerging categories for barriers consisted of academic integrity concerns as well as technological difficulties. Similarly, students identified more barriers than supports in their learning during the transition to ERT. More specifically, students described pre-existing course structure, classroom technology, and community as best supporting their learning. Barriers that challenged student learning included classroom environment, student availability, and student emotion and comfort. Conclusions Together, this research will help us understand supports and barriers to teaching and learning during the transition to ERT. This understanding can help us better plan and prepare for future emergencies, particularly at MSIs, where improved communication and increased access to resources for both students and instructors are key.

Increasing Student Engagement through Course Attributes, Community, and Classroom Technology: Lessons from the Pandemic

“…In the online classroom, students are represented as avatars, text on a screen, and sound bites, potentially leading to students becoming disembodied entities and a weakened of community (30). One student wrote that she "felt cut off and sort of isolated from the class, " while another noted the "impersonalness of lectures" and the "difficulty of following lectures when the pace is not as connected with the students' ability to keep up" (18). While several instructors we interviewed noted the importance of community during ERT, two challenges stand out.…”

“…As part of a research study, we conducted instructor and student surveys and interviews to identify supports and barriers during the transition to ERT (18). We found that course attributes, community, and classroom technology were the most frequent support categories that emerged from the student data and that these ideas mentioned were related to reducing cognitive load and increasing student engagement.…”

Sink or Float: Experiencing Distance Learning Education through the Lens of College Students

“…A study conducted at the University of California, Merced (Donham, Barron, & Alkhouri, 2022) identified supports and barriers that affected both instructors and students they experienced during the emergency remote teaching. The students who participated in the study determined that 1) Tools and support for class content; 2) Mental/emotional support, and 3) Preexisting support were the most challenging in their learning.…”

Correction to: I will teach you here or there, I will try to teach you anywhere: perceived supports and barriers for emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Following publication of the original article (Donham et al, 2022 ), the authors identified an error: The wrong affiliation was listed for Jourjina Subih Alkhouri Incorrect affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. Correct affiliation: Quantitative and Systems Biology Program, University of California, Merced, CA, USA.…”