The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Learning Quality and Practices in Higher Education—Using Deep and Surface Approaches

Abstract

This paper explores the student learning experience using technology as an e-learning tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article utilized qualitative methods to examine the quality of student learning using deep and surface approaches to understand what influences student engagement with technology. Interviews were conducted with 21 students from various academic majors using deductive content analysis to evaluate their responses. The findings show that technology increased student engagement with class discussion, and students became more informed about lecture material. It is noteworthy that there were some variations in the students’ interpretation of the learning experience with technology, indicating a gap in the quality of learning. Notably, there was an improvement in grades compared to the last online session and the face-to-face learning experience prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were fewer missing quizzes and late assignments. These outcomes may be used to enhance teaching strategies and problem solving within teaching and learning to develop a new mode of delivery. In addition, these findings are important for the future of education in a post-pandemic world.

How to Keep University Active during COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from Slovakia

“…During the teaching process, it is possible to observe several phases: motivational (preparation of students for active learning), exposure (initial acquaintance of students with the new curriculum), fixation (initial repetition and confirmation of the curriculum), and diagnostic (testing of acquired knowledge, skills, and habits). Research on the impact of a pandemic on education is currently addressed by several authors and institutions within their conditions, for example [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

Measuring the Impact of the Pandemic on Female and Male Students’ Learning in a Society in Transition: A Must for Sustainable Education

“…As the study takes place in a society in transition from a patriarchal order based on tribal networks [36] to one in which gender equity is gradually being inserted into its social fabric, education system, and workforce [18,[37][38][39], gender is examined to assess whether it differentiates students' responses to online instruction. In this socio-cultural context, women's newly acquired rights and opportunities may make them more determined to seek academic success [40], thereby expressing no diminished enrollment and learning or even growth. Alternatively, unforeseeable changes requiring a return to home confinement may make women less likely to adapt well to online instruction [41], thereby curtailing their enrollment and learning.…”

What’s in Your Culture? Embracing Stability and the New Digital Age in Moving Colleges of Health Professions Virtually during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Experiential Narrative Review

“…The lab sessions and lectures were delivered in a hybrid format with students spending half of their time online. It has been shown that during COVID-19, students felt disconnected from their peers and experienced loneliness [93]. As a result, it was important to create ample opportunities for students to engage with each other and practice their hands-on skills in a safe way.…”