Introductory Biology Students' Opinions on the Pivot to Crisis Distance Education in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher-education institutions to close campuses and pivot all face-to-face (F2F) instruction online. This transition to Crisis Distance Education (CDE) was unprecedented in scope and speed as it was implemented globally. We surveyed students in a large, introductory-level biology course to understand their opinions about the curricular changes we implemented, usefulness of resources we provided, and the extent to which they felt supported by course personnel during the transition to CDE. The survey included both Likert-scale and open-ended questions. In general, students had a positive opinion of the transition, particularly the option for synchronous or asynchronous participation in the remainder of the course. Students valued opportunities to communicate with course personnel, but gave mixed responses for whether more or less communication was desired. Students reported high use of graded resources, but low use of ungraded resources. Our results suggest that when faced with an unexpected transition to CDE, it is important to maintain regular, supportive, and synchronous communication, but also remain flexible for asynchronous participation. Grades and immediate point rewards were important factors motivating student use of e-resources and maintaining student engagement. These factors are important considerations when shifting instruction to CDE for a limited or extended time.