Variability in Access and Stress: A Descriptive Study of Student Responses to Remote Emergency Learning at Four Universities

• In Event: Reimagining Higher Education During a Global Pandemic

Abstract

The emergency switch to online learning in the spring of 2020 created unprecedented stressors on higher education. While student experiences in higher education are never uniform, student online learning experiences due to COVID-19 were extremely far from uniform and varied by personal circumstances, identities, and institutional contexts. Our research was informed by the intersection of socio-cultural and master narrative theories. This study examines student responses to a survey related to COVID. We describe the experiences students had in accessing online learning at four unique institutions. While there was inconsistency across institutions, students indicated higher stress after the emergency move to online learning and cited issues such as difficulty in their living arrangements, poor internet connectivity, and lack of motivation.

Authors

• Aramati Casper, Colorado State University

• Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Seoyeon Park, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Rebecca Atadero, Colorado State University