Students spoke candidly about what's working--and what isn't--during online learning in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a class of online learning students in a virtual class.

9 student observations about online learning


Students spoke candidly about what's working--and what isn't--during online learning in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic

A global pandemic can change learning, but it can’t stop it–and during a virtual EDUCAUSE conference session, educators heard directly from students how to best meet student needs during online learning.

Moderated by Kate Miffitt, director for innovation in California State University’s Office of the Chancellor, and with questions led by Michael Berman, chief information officer with California State University’s Office of the Chancellor, the discussion covered student engagement, mental health and well-being, online course structure, and much more.

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“While it’s important for those of us in IT and leadership to get together and talk about what we’re doing, sometimes we don’t get enough opportunities to listen to the voice of the students,” Berman said.

1. Focus on accessibility during online learning.

“The best thing, overall, is accessibility,” said Daniel Izarraras, a faculty instructional technology services student assistant at San Diego State University. “We have all the resources there, and [SDSU] helps with accommodations like hotspots and laptops.”

2. Acknowledge differences in time zones–and states and countries of residence.

“Penn State worked really fast to adapt to online classes. …I’d say that sometimes, with international students like me, it’s hard to attend classes when you’re in a different time zone. [You can] watch Zoom recordings, but if questions come up during class–that’s an issue we’re trying to solve,” said Laura Gil Ortiz, a tech TA and tech tutor with Penn State.

Laura Ascione

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