Minoritized students' experiences with pandemic-era remote learning inform ways of expanding access

COVID-19 increased problems of access for students, particularly for students who experience diverse dimensions of minoritization in the university (e.g., first generation [FG] to college, students of color, low-income). Here, access refers to institutional policies and practices that offer equitable learning and educational opportunities. To date, limited research has focused on how minoritized students grappled with challenges of access during their day-to-day experiences of pandemic-era remote learning. The present study fills this gap by documenting how minoritized undergraduate students navigated challenges related to access and how, in community with others, they leveraged strengths to expand opportunities for access. Fifteen undergraduate seniors-the majority of whom identified as FG, low-income, and/or students of color-participated in in-depth interviews during their first term of pandemic-era remote learning. The results illustrated how remote learning both limited and broadened four areas of access: learning space, learning materials, course participation, and social connections and community. We documented how flexible and collaborative practices with instructors, peers, and family provided a powerful approach to strengthening access to learning across all four areas. The results provide critical insights, as shared by students themselves, on how institutions of higher education can reduce longstanding and new inequities and invest in strategies for expanding access. Such insights are timely for continued learning in remote instruction and for consideration of long-term practices as we shift back to forms of in-person learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Remote online learning outcomes in introductory psychology during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study investigated factors contributing to Introductory Psychology students' success in remote online learning during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Building on the composite persistence model, we used learning outcomes assessment data to examine student characteristics (demographics), skills, and internal and external factors as predictors of performance of diverse students (N = 1,270) enrolled at an open-enrollment, Hispanic-serving institution in Fall 2020. In keeping with prepandemic national trends, Hispanic/Latinx and Black/African American students performed worse across outcomes (pass/fail, homework submission, quiz scores, and test grades), as did males on most outcomes. Reading comprehension skill predicted all outcomes over and above student characteristics. For internal factors, greater perceived difficulty of transitioning to online learning adversely impacted most outcomes. Self-reported digital multitasking was unrelated to outcomes;only 25% of students identified difficulties with attention and motivation as a learning challenge. For external factors, the use of handheld devices to complete homework was associated with worse outcomes. About half (49%) identified digital access as a challenge, though identifying this challenge was unrelated to outcomes. Additionally, students in larger sections (>= 119 students) performed worse. Students who noted specific challenges (e.g., digital access, disruptive environments) at the start of the semester tended to be from demographic groups (e.g., females) with better outcomes. Cumulatively, these factors accounted for only 10.4%-16.5% of variance in course outcomes, suggesting that other factors beyond the present study's scope (e.g., student, family, and community mental and physical health) may have also impacted learning during the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 and community band participation: Impacts and the road forward

The purpose of this study was to survey members of New Horizons International Music Association (NHIMA) instrumental ensembles and community band members (N = 1184) with regard to their music-making experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of the survey revealed that New Horizons Band (NHB) members and community band members value the social aspect of rehearsals the most, and that suspension of these rehearsals had negative impact on participants' experiences. Results also indicate that less than 20 per cent of participants engaged in remote learning with their NHB group, suggesting a need to examine the use of technology and remote learning strategies both among senior adult musicians and within the contexts of community music-making.

Exploring Emotion Regulation and Perceived Control as Antecedents of Anxiety and Its Consequences During Covid-19 Full Remote Learning.

Maintaining the emotional well-being of learners during a pandemic is important. This study explored the effects of two emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression) and perceived control on full remote learners' anxiety during Covid-19, and their relationship to perceived learning. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze 239 questionnaires completed by Chinese graduate students taking a course remotely from home for 13 weeks. This study showed that reappraisal was positively related to perceived control, whereas suppression was negatively related to perceived control. Reappraisers perceived more learning, whereas suppressors experienced more anxiety. Anxiety was significantly and negatively related to perceived learning. Mediation analyses showed the existence of different patterns of mediation in the pathways from the two types of emotion regulation to perceived learning. These findings are discussed in relation to relevant studies conducted during non-pandemic periods and Covid-19, and based on the results we highlight the need for interventions aimed at developing adaptive emotion regulation strategies and reducing anxiety in emergency remote learning.