Experiences with Online Education During COVID-19

Early in spring 2020, universities world-wide suddenly moved their courses online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of researchers have studied the impact of this sudden move on the mental health and education of the effected students. The Center for Collegiate Mental Health reported that a third of students visited a college counseling center in 2020 due to mental health issues from the pandemic. Sixty eight percent of those seeking services for any reason indicated that the pandemic hurt their "motivation and focus." Sixty six percent indicated that the pandemic had a negative impact on academics. In a follow-up study, the Center found a significant increase in "academic distress" from 2019 to 2020. However, not all researchers found a negative impact. A study of at-risk undergraduates found that moving courses online did not necessarily demotivate disadvantaged students. This paper provides another view of the impact of moving courses online. The test performance of five semesters of a Computer Systems course is examined; in two of those semesters the course was offered online due to the pandemic. In addition, students in one online section were surveyed to determine what aspects, if any, of the online course should be retained after the course resumed face-to-face. Our study found that a larger percentage of the students in the online sections failed the tests and an analysis of test results confirms, with a 90% confidence, that overall online learners score at least 5 points lower on tests. In addition, in a survey of students in one online section, students reported that they felt their grades would have been higher had the course been face-to-face. However, most students reported that lab sessions, but not class sessions, should continue to be offered online.