Reshaping Sustainable University Education in Post-Pandemic World: Lessons Learned from an Empirical Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- Investigate the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning due to the forced transition from on-campus to digital education at Malmö University.
- Propose recommendations for sustainable post-pandemic university education.
2. Related Work
3. Research Methodology
3.1. Research Questions
RQ1: What is the impact of switching from face-to-face to digital learning on student learning at Malmö University due to COVID-19?
RQ2: What recommendations can be proposed for the sustainable post post-pandemic education at the university?
3.2. Semi-Structured Interviews
- Demographics;
- Digital education experience;
- Pandemic impact on students and university education;
- Future of university education and recommendations for improvement;
- Concluding remarks.
3.3. Workshop Design
3.4. Qualitative Data Analysis Using Thematic Analysis
- Familiarization with the qualitative data from interviews and workshop;
- Coding of the qualitative data;
- Define the initial set of themes based on the qualitative data;
- Reviewing themes;
- Defining and naming themes;
- Finalize the distinct themes to answer the research questions.
4. Results and Discussion
4.1. Digital Tools
My mic does not work whenever there is an update, and I could not figure out why—(I5).
Once I had a presentation during the course, but I couldn’t connect and needed to install some client to make it work, which caught me by surprise just before the presentation.—(I8)
Sometimes, students have trouble joining break-out rooms created by the teachers.—(I2)
4.2. Positive Impacts
My lecture at the university starts at 8 AM and it takes me about 40 min to reach the campus. Now when the classes start at 8 AM during a pandemic, I can just wake up 10 min before, switch on my PC, and I am ready to attend my class—(I1).
It saves a lot of time for me because I live in a different city, and it takes me 70–80 min back and forth, so it saved me like an hour every time. However, even if you live in the same city, it saves you some time—(I5).
I have more time to study and free time. Taking the bus and train takes time, and it adds up, so I feel like I have more time now—(I2).
I have more time for other things like working out, which positively affects me. So, I would say my health is better.—(I6)
There are occasions when I would skip a lecture in the middle of the day because it would require me to travel three hours back and forth. So, it is much more flexible to attend since it is online.—(I7)
I think I am more likely to go to the lectures when it’s online because it’s way easier for me. I think my attendance rate in lectures has improved to online lectures”.—(I1)
I feel like my attendance has improved because I attend my lectures on my phone or the computer. So, I would say it has affected my learning more positively because it is more convenient now”.—(I5)
4.3. Communication Barriers
It was easier to talk to classmates I did not know in a physical classroom environment since we were sitting close to each other, but now with the online situation, I only speak to classmates I know well.—(I1)
Yes, of course. Now we only communicate when we have assignments or similar things that you feel is important to ask”.—(I2)
Most definitely, I have lost contact with many classmates, and it makes sense to have less communication because you do not see them very often now.—(I9)
It was relatively easy to ask questions during or after the lecture, but now we are forced to use emails. So, it takes longer to get an answer.—(I1)
I am less likely to ask questions in an online environment because I feel like I am interrupting the lecturer. It was easier to ask questions in physical classrooms because it didn’t feel like you were interrupting the lecturer.—(I4)
One of the biggest changes must be the communication part of online education. It is difficult to communicate whether it’s a classmate or lectures”—(I10)
4.4. Social Interaction and Mental Health
It feels like university is not a big part of my life anymore. I use to spent a lot of time at the university even when I am waiting for classes in between lectures and hanging out with my classmates. Now that everything is online it takes away the university student feeling—(I1).
Although the lectures run smooth on zoom, but it does not present the same feeling of attending a lecture. I feel more like a passive listener rather than an active participant—(I7)
Socially, I do not feel very involved which makes school less fun and motivating—(I10)
4.5. Academic Performance
School is not going as very well anymore because I do not have the same communication as it was before. It is very difficult to meet new people on zoom and I do not know who I shall talk to seek help from—(I3)
It is difficult during group assignments to engage all group members because you do not see them all and cannot force anyone to turn on their camera. It is a challenge to have an engaged group and make everyone talk. In contrast, it was easier to communicate and hold someone responsible for their work during face-to-face meetings—(I6).
I think the switch to online education has a bad impact on my performance. I use to talk to my classmates and hear new things about a course assignments and exams which made me better prepared for the exams. This information has been lost and you just never know what will happen next. You just wait for a new announcement on Canvas. It is also awkward to send my classmate a message and ask for help—(I9)
The communication with the teachers has become worse as we do not get assignment reminders as they used to be in face-2-face lectures.”—(I10)
I have a big problem in getting the feedback from the teacher on labs. Before pandemic, I could usually ask the teacher during a lectures or lab and get instant feedback. But now you just send an email and hope to get a response before the deadlines.”—(I7)
I feel it is less stressful and easier for me to do exams at home—(I2)
Lectures are recorded by teachers, and you could watch the lecture later as well if you missed something in it. I liked that very much—(I5)
4.6. Recommendations for Sustainable Post-Pandemic Education
4.6.1. Unified Selection of Digital Tools
4.6.2. Blended and Hybrid Learning
I am attending a course right now, and the teacher is not willing to set up a discord server where students can feel more connected and share their thoughts regarding the course contents. It is quite possible that the teacher is not familiar with Discord and is unwilling to set up the server for the class to share their experiences and thoughts regarding the assignments and labs.—(I3)
It is nice to have the recorded lectures available if you missed a course, you could still catch up with the rest of the class.—(I7)
It is essential to set up more time for questions or help. For example, the teachers can set up designated zoom sessions for labs assistance. (I1)
It will improve student learning if the teachers plan a few activities in the course on campus.—(I8)
4.6.3. Designated Budget for Digital Tools
4.6.4. Continuation of Recorded Lectures
5. Limitations of the Study
6. Conclusions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Appendix A.1. Semi-Structured Interview Questionnaire
- What program are you studying?
- Which year are you in?
- Do you have prior experience with online education?
- How has the shift in education affected your attendance rate?
- What digital learning tools are you familiar with in digital education?
- What digital learning resources are you using for distance education, and how do you find them helpful in your education?
- What challenges do you experience with digital tools used in the university?
- How does the switch to online education affect your health? Could you elaborate on how and why?
- How has the online education due to COVID affected your motivation to learn in a new learning environment?
- What is the impact of online education on you and your classmates (e.g., performance, communication, etc.)?
- What difference have you noticed in lectures before and after the online transition, and how does it impact you?
- What was the most significant change you noticed after transitioning to online learning?
- Could you explain what went well with the transition to online education?
- Could you explain what did not work with the transition to online education?
- What challenges did you face in digital education from the pandemic?
- What did you do specifically to overcome or adapt to these challenges?
- What improvements or recommendations can you give to students to improve digital education?
- What recommendations would you give to teachers to improve the online learning experience?
- Concluding Remarks: Is there anything you would like to add more to what I have discussed?
Appendix A.2. Workshop Guidelines
- Digital tools;
- Budgeting for the tools;
- Choosing the best of the two worlds (Online vs. on-campus learning);
- Existing Challenges faced by teachers;
- Possible solutions to the challenges;
- Recommendations for the university;
- Concluding remarks.
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Interviewee_ID | Discipline | Level |
---|---|---|
I1 | System Development | Bachelors |
I2 | System Development | Bachelors |
I3 | System Development | Bachelors |
I4 | System Development | Bachelors |
I5 | System Development | Bachelors |
I6 | System Development | Bachelors |
I7 | System Development | Bachelors |
I8 | System Development | Bachelors |
I9 | System Development | Bachelors |
I10 | System Development | Bachelors |
Challenge(s) | Solution Recommendation(s) |
---|---|
Technical difficulties with the digital equipment | IT support for students and teachers |
Cost of acquiring equipment | Support from university to acquire digital equipment at a lower cost |
Communication barriers | Integration of communication tools with Canvas to improve teaching and learning experience |
The geographical distance between teachers and students | On-campus and online streaming of lectures |
Student learning | Availability of online recorded lectures |
Learning curve in the transition to hybrid and blended learning | Training courses for teachers |
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Munir, H. Reshaping Sustainable University Education in Post-Pandemic World: Lessons Learned from an Empirical Study. Educ. Sci. 2022, 12, 524. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12080524
Munir H. Reshaping Sustainable University Education in Post-Pandemic World: Lessons Learned from an Empirical Study. Education Sciences. 2022; 12(8):524. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12080524
Chicago/Turabian StyleMunir, Hussan. 2022. "Reshaping Sustainable University Education in Post-Pandemic World: Lessons Learned from an Empirical Study" Education Sciences 12, no. 8: 524. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12080524