The Effects of Online Science Learning Environments on Undergraduates with Depression

Abstract

Depression is one of the top undergraduate mental health concerns and disproportionately affects students who are underrepresented in science. As such, understanding how different science learning environments, such as online education, affect students with depression is integral to creating a more diverse and inclusive scientific community. However, no studies have examined how the online science learning environment affects students with depression. In this study, we investigated how the online learning environment affects depressive symptoms in undergraduates, as well as how students’ depression affects their experience learning online. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 25 undergraduates with depression pursuing a fully online Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences at a large research‐intensive institution in the United States. We probed how, if at all, aspects of online science courses affected students' depressive symptoms and examined how students’ depression affected their experiences in online science learning environments. Specifically, we explored how depression affected students' attention and memory, language, executive function, problem solving, as well as their reasoning and social function when they were engaged in online learning. Using inductive and deductive coding, we found that social isolation, lack of communication with instructors, difficulty accessing help, and the fast pace of online science courses exacerbated some symptoms of students' depression. Conversely, the flexibility of completing coursework when and where students wanted and a reduced fear of being negatively evaluated by others in class helped alleviate some students’ symptoms of depression. Primarily, we found that students’ depression could make learning more challenging by making problem solving and written communication more difficult. This study provides insight into how instructors can create more inclusive online learning environments for students with depression.