Tosto Samantha A, Alyahya Jehad, Espinoza Victoria, McCarthy Kylie, Tcherni-Buzzeo Maria
University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Rd West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
Soc Sci Humanit Open. 2023;8(1):100598. doi: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100598. Epub 2023 Jun 22.
Various aspects of online learning have been addressed in studies both pre- and during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most pre-pandemic studies may have suffered from sampling selection issues, as students enrolled in online courses were often not comparable to those taking classes on campus. Similarly, most studies conducted during the initial stages of the pandemic might be confounded by the stress and anxiety associated with worldwide lockdowns and the abrupt switch to online education in most universities. Furthermore, existing studies have not comprehensively explored students' perspectives on online learning across different demographic groups, including gender, race-ethnicity, and domestic versus international student status. To address this research gap, our mixed-methods study examines these aspects using data from an anonymous survey conducted among a large and diverse sample of students at a mid-size university in the Northeastern United States. Our findings reveal important insights: (1) Females are nearly twice as likely as males to prefer online asynchronous classes and feel self-conscious about keeping their cameras on during online synchronous (e.g., Zoom) classes. However, gendered views and preferences align in other aspects of online learning. (2) Black students show a stronger preference for Zoom classes compared to online asynchronous classes and emphasize the importance of recording Zoom meetings. Hispanic students are twice as likely to prefer asynchronous online classes, which offer greater flexibility to manage multiple responsibilities. (3) International students value the ability to learn at their own pace provided by online learning but express dissatisfaction with the lack of peer interaction. On the other hand, domestic students are more concerned about reduced interaction with teachers in online education. Domestic students also exhibit a higher tendency to turn their cameras off during Zoom classes, citing reasons such as self-consciousness or privacy. These findings carry significant implications for future research and educational practice, highlighting the need for tailored approaches that consider diverse student perspectives.
在新冠疫情之前和疫情期间的研究中，都探讨了在线学习的各个方面。然而，大多数疫情前的研究可能存在抽样选择问题，因为参加在线课程的学生往往与在校上课的学生不可比。同样，在疫情初期进行的大多数研究可能会受到与全球封锁以及大多数大学突然转向在线教育相关的压力和焦虑的干扰。此外，现有研究尚未全面探讨不同人口群体（包括性别、种族和国内与国际学生身份）对在线学习的看法。为了填补这一研究空白，我们的混合方法研究使用对美国东北部一所中型大学的大量不同学生样本进行的匿名调查数据，对这些方面进行了研究。我们的研究结果揭示了重要的见解：（1）女性比男性更喜欢在线异步课程的可能性几乎是两倍，并且在在线同步课程（如Zoom）中打开摄像头时会感到局促不安。然而，在在线学习的其他方面，性别观点和偏好却是一致的。（2）与在线异步课程相比，黑人学生对Zoom课程表现出更强的偏好，并强调录制Zoom会议的重要性。西班牙裔学生更喜欢异步在线课程的可能性是两倍，因为这种课程在管理多项任务方面提供了更大的灵活性。（3）国际学生重视在线学习提供的按照自己节奏学习的能力，但对缺乏同伴互动表示不满。另一方面，国内学生更担心在线教育中与教师互动的减少。国内学生在Zoom课程中关闭摄像头的倾向也更高，理由包括局促不安或隐私等。这些发现对未来的研究和教育实践具有重要意义，突出了需要考虑不同学生观点的量身定制方法。
