Interaction in online classes during Covid-19: the experiences of newly-arrived migrant students

Abstract

Background:In order to continue educational provision during the COVID-19 pandemic, many education systems switched to some form of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in 2020. Research suggests that this may have disproportionately affected students from underprivileged communities. In this context there is, therefore, a pressing need to consider how ERT may have impacted learners who are likely to be most affected by educational inequalities, including newly arrived migrant students (NAMS).Purpose: As studies have highlighted the particular importance of interaction for effective distance learning, the research aimed to examine how NAMS in Flemish secondary schools experienced interaction with learning content, teachers and fellow students in online classes during ERT.Methods: A total of 6 semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 23 NAMS from 6 secondary schools in Belgium. The interviews were centred on questions about participants' experiences with online interaction and participation. All focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim, after which transcriptions were coded and analysed qualitatively. Findings:The analysis revealed that, during ERT, participants reported experiencing a higher amount of learner-content interaction, mainly consisting of self-study material and tasks. Participants also indicated a lack of learner-teacher interaction, which was attributed to the shortage of speaking opportunities and students' decreased inclination to interact with instructors. In addition, most participants reportedly experienced few opportunities for learner-learner interaction during online classes. Conclusions:Study findings provided insight into the NAMS' experiences of being suddenly and unexpectedly compelled to be autonomous learners during ERT. Students' reports suggest that the quality of learner-content interaction may have been compromised by limited learner-teacher interaction in the ERT situation. This draws attention more generally to the importance of interactive learning in the support of NAMS, and the need for educators to be empowered to develop interactivity-rich remote learning environments.

Transition from Online to Face-to-Face Education after COVID-19: The Benefits of Online Education from Students’ Perspective

“…Regardless of how the students receive the informational content, in the online environment, the process is based on the interaction with peers, teachers, and the informational content provided by them [87]. Numerous studies have investigated the obstacles faced by teachers in interacting with students in the online environment, e.g., their low technological literacy, lack of knowledge of the psychological implications of using technology in teaching, and the absence of digital resources [88,89]. The present analysis points out several positive aspects of the interaction with teachers, such as the facilities offered by technology in teaching and online communication (Zoom, virtual platform, etc.…”

Online Instruction in Relation to Student Satisfaction in Higher Education at Tribhuvan University, Nepal

“…Participants have fewer opportunities to communicate with the teacher, which does not support active participation. Seynhaeve et al,(2022) found that most of all, there are limited opportunities for learner-centred interaction during the online mode of instruction. However, Choi et al,(2021) assert that interaction opportunities for teachers and students are key factors of academic success.…”

‘It’s kind of like a middle ground’: students’ strategic management of silence in multicultural group work

“…Research on interaction in online classes highlights silence as one of the obstacles for online teaching and learning (e.g. Seynhaeve et al, 2022;Saraç & Doğan, 2022), as instructors report a tendency among students to mute themselves during online lessons. Given the increasing popularisation of online teaching platforms in the digital and post-pandemic age, it is important that more research into the interaction in online classrooms is conducted so that the nature of silence in online institutional talk can be better understood.…”

“…However, several studies have highlighted that learner-leaner interaction is largely missing in online synchronous learning environment (e.g. Rautela et al, 2022;Seynhaeve et al, 2022;Cheung, 2023). For instance, in their study exploring migrant students' experiences of online interaction during ERT, Seynhaeve et al (2022) found that most participants reported a lack of opportunities for learner-learner interaction in online classes due to technological difficulties and the tutor's lesson design.…”

“…Rautela et al, 2022;Seynhaeve et al, 2022;Cheung, 2023). For instance, in their study exploring migrant students' experiences of online interaction during ERT, Seynhaeve et al (2022) found that most participants reported a lack of opportunities for learner-learner interaction in online classes due to technological difficulties and the tutor's lesson design. The participants also reported that teacher-learner interaction was limited because of a drop in the students' willingness to interact.…”