Before undertaking any interventions I thought it important to find out what the impact of nearly a year of online learning experience has had so far on the students. This is in order to establish where the baseline state is, as otherwise it would be impossible to analyse an impact of my interventions.
I emailed my students a list of prompt questions and got them to think about their experience of online learning environments during the past year. I on purpose phrased and re-phrased various questions and got them the opportunity to answer to some or all of them and to do so in writing or during the semi-structured group interview that followed. I also covered all ethical requirements and consent needed as outlined in my Ethical Enquiry Form on Workflow.
The prompt questions I supplied where:
“In the virtual learning/teaching environment we have since last year:
Do you feel just as connected to your classmates and tutors, or less? What do you feel are the differences between being in a room with your classmates / tutors / lecturers and being in a virtual room? Do you feel less understood, or more? Less heard, or more? Is it easier to talk and contribute or more difficult? Do you feel it is easier to ‘be yourself’ or more difficult? Is it easier to be open, frank and honest, or more difficult? Do you feel more present, with your whole body and mind, in the offline or in the online situation? Can you reflect on what emotions, feelings and physical sensations are linked with this difference (if there is one)?”
Only two out of ten students answered in writing, however there was a lively discussion and a lot of engagement when we met and discussed as a group. Here are some of the key extracts, anonymised:
Student C: In the beginning I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all. I missed the atmosphere. But on the positive side: I travelled and this gave me that freedom. To travel. You can be anywhere. Maybe a mix of both could be good. Online is like a take-away. That’s convenient and practical. But sometimes you want to go to a restaurant. Hold the menu and get the atmosphere.
Student A: Yes. the advantage is that you can be anywhere in the world, that feels much freer. But connection and technical issues can become a problem (this student moved as far as I am aware from London to countryside in Italy, then to Tenerife as a digital nomad, all during the past 8 months)
Student D: during online teaching there’s a bit of a disconnect – in a room one automatically feels more present
Student G: in the beginning enjoyed not having to commute to campus, staying at home for lectures, and tutorials, feeling more free with my own time but then after months I started to feel less involved, …. this feeling started…. I felt I was somehow cut-off from the group
Student D: jumps in , laughing, yeah it sounds mad, I felt, … sometimes after switching of the PC it felt as if the world of the university, all students and everything just disappeared, as if, you know, like after switching off a movie
Student G: nods, yes, and it leaves this sort of anxiety, that, that I lost touch. Hmm… it gives me the feeling that I have to be on my toes, that if I don’t watch out I loose the university, or the university disappears
Student D: yes, I somehow feel more anxious about my progress on the course, or, or, no more like I fear for my place in the university
Student G: hahah, yeah it’s like sorry, your access code has changed and… and … and it feels less real. I haven’t been in the actual building, on campus for months and months and months it ‘s like Does it exist? How sure can I be?
Student A: I find it more difficult to communicate online, as much of our senses are not involved and sometimes there is a lag, so that one keeps interrupting each other, things overlap. Without the whole person in the room…. more difficult to read and understand people and read between the lines… yeah, communication is impacted to some extent.
Student B: at the beginning enjoyed the cosiness and comfort of being at home. But particularly after a longer time: the energy is missing, and I am missing the random chats. And also in an actual classroom I felt more immersed, as I was fully there and no distractions
Student B: for me personally there is an advantage though also in the online communication: In reality I have often struggle to make and hold eye contact. I’m not sure why this is, but I am aware of it and sometimes find this a problem. Online this is now not a problem anymore as with the different camera angles direct eye contact is not really possible anyway, and there is no dilemma who to look at, when speaking, where to turn if you see what I mean