Using 2020 Spring Student Experience Data to Inform Future Course Planning
By: Monica D. Morales-Hernandez, Sherli Koshy-Chenthittayil, Pamela E. Harris, Alicia Prieto Langarica, and Melissa Gutiérrez González
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a pronounced disruption in academic environments. A major change was most colleges and universities transferred to an online learning platform to continue educating students. Our anticipated return in the fall semester calls for us, as instructors, to adequately address the effects of the pandemic on our students in the classroom.
As a start to determining the impact of COVID-19 on student learning, we administered an anonymous survey to undergraduate and postdoctoral students to assess what factors have affected their experience (n=200). Major findings indicate the majority of students were affected by the crisis both mentally and physically. Undergraduate students found that stress due to the pandemic affected their studies, experiences as a college student, and their sense of normalcy and belonging. Postdoctoral students shared similar opinions. Results from the postdoctoral student survey also included reduced access to labs or academic equipment, disrupted travel both domestically and internationally, and increased responsibilities as a caregiver/parent. Undergraduate and postdoctoral students were chosen to compare and contrast their experiences in order to examine if the experiences were similar or different.
Fig 1: Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer so total percentage is not equal to 100.
The goal of this survey was to understand the situation across the student body and look for innovative ways to support our academic communities.
Survey Results
The original survey was published in the blog post, Extending Grading Grace (MAA Math Values Blog, May 14, 2020), by Melissa Gutiérrez González, Pamela E. Harris, Alicia Prieto Langarica, and Ying Tang. A snapshot of the results of their survey is shown in Fig 1.
Fig 2. Findings from the Extending Grading Grace blog post
The data from the original study was bleek. Students were and continue dealing with many additional stressors which negatively affect their academic performance.
The survey was then recreated by Monica Hernandez and Sherli Koshy-Chenthittayil and was administered to undergraduate students in a university in New York and to postdoctoral students in a university in Connecticut.
Undergraduate students
The findings from the survey at the university in New York provide a similar scenario (Fig 3.).
Fig 3. Findings from the sample of undergraduates in New York
As we can see from the results, the three most important factors that affected the academic experience of college students were heightened stress due to COVID-19, mental health challenges due to COVID-19, and economic insecurity. These match the results in Fig 2.
We speculate the reasons for the heightened stress are adapting to an unfamiliar academic environment, working style and facing new challenges in their education. Another feature of Fig 3 is almost 9% of the students surveyed reported contracting COVID-19 and about 18% reported dealing with death related to COVID-19.
Postdoctoral community
The opinions of the postdocs from the university in Connecticut are in Fig 4.
Fig 4. Findings from sample of postdoctoral fellows in Connecticut
As was seen in the previous results, stress has increased due to COVID-19. The major impact on the postdocs has been the reduced access to lab equipment which is very important for students who work in wet labs. Conferences and annual meetings of their professional organizations are where postdocs can showcase their results as well as network for mentors, future job prospects and meet with collaborators. These valuable opportunities have also been affected by the disrupted travel due to COVID-19.
International postdocs are unable to travel home or bring their families over which leads to increased isolation and loneliness. There is also the added fear of their visas/green cards not being processed in time which could lead to them being deported. Another visible impact is the increased challenges as a caregiver/parent. With kids being home from school, postdoctoral fellows now have additional responsibilities and possibly lack of privacy. As a caregiver for elders/dependent adults, they have also lost access to outside help in the form of home care or recreational centers.
Discussion
The United States has been highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and it has not only impacted the physical health of their citizens, but it has also affected the learning experience of thousands of college students. Students found difficulties interacting with professors and classmates through online platforms such as Zoom and Slack, not only for the lack of academic equipment, but also due to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Another challenge was the disruption in the home environment as they were taking classes, doing homework, studying, taking examinations, and socializing in the same space. A couple of students reported that the lack of a structured routine negatively impacted their ability to focus and had difficulties adjusting to online classes.
When campuses shut down and students had to go back home (some international destinations), they experienced flight cancellations or travel bans that made their return more challenging and stressful. Some students missed weeks of schoolwork due to mandatory quarantine measures enacted in their countries. They had to spend the quarantine in hotel rooms with unreliable internet and no contact with their families.
As we approach summer or fall classes, we ask you to plan accordingly to be better prepared for the needs of your students. We need to keep in mind the aftereffects of the challenges the students faced in the spring and also avoid conditions that put them at risk of contracting the illness.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Nikeetha Farfan D’Souza for her input and edits on this letter.