Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Chemistry Student and Staff Perceptions of their Learning/Teaching Experience

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Leicester introduced a blended teaching model to continue delivery of their undergraduate Chemistry courses in 2020/21. The transition from in-person to blended provided a good opportunity to investigate student engagement in the blended environment, along with the attitudes of faculty members adapting to this mode of delivery. Data from 94 undergraduate students and 13 staff members was collected using surveys, focus groups, and interviews and analyzed using the community of inquiry framework. Analysis of the collected data found that, while some students felt unable to always engage and focus with the remote material, they were pleased with the University's response to the pandemic. Staff members commented on the challenges of gauging student engagement and understanding in synchronous contact sessions because students did not make use of cameras or microphones but praised the array of digital tools available that helped to facilitate some degree of student interaction. This study suggests there is scope for continuation and wider implementation of blended learning environments to provide additional contingency for further disruption to on-campus teaching and to provide new teaching opportunities, and it also presents recommendations as to how to reinforce the community of inquiry presences in blended learning.

vPBL: Developing a Facilitated Remote Approach to Problem Based Learning

A classroom based Problem Based Learning (PBL) activity was adapted to run as a remote activity during the COVID-19 pandemic using an approach described as virtual Problem Based Learning (vPBL). vPBL is based on (i) identification of a suitable learning platform that supports collaborative working in a way that mimics the classroom based activity and provides additional flexibility for teams to work together, and (ii) adaptation of the problem structure to provide additional time for students to work together and additional facilitated support where needed. Student performance and self-reported levels of transferrable skills development in the vPBL activity were as good as they were in the PBL version of the same activity. Furthermore, the transition to vPBL appears to have no negative impact on student learning and development. Although there was evidence to suggest students in the vPBL cohort collaborate between sessions to a similar extent as their colleagues who learnt primarily through interactive online lectures, there was evidence of greater use of some collaborative digital learning tools (audio and video chat and desktop and file sharing) in the vPBL cohort.