Assessing distance learning in the hydrologic sciences: key takeaways from student and instructor surveys during and after the transition to online teaching.

Abstract:

During the recent unprecedented shift to online education at universities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, anecdotal evidence suggests that many university instructors and students struggled to adapt to distance teaching and learning. This was especially relevant for hydrologic science courses, which often feature field experiments, physical laboratory exercises, and computer laboratory exercises that require expensive, proprietary software that is housed on campus. However, there is little formal information about the transition generally, let alone about the hydrologic sciences specifically. Here we present the results from four different surveys of the hydrologic sciences education community. Students and instructors were first separately surveyed during April-May 2020 to capture planned changes in instruction. A second set of surveys in June-July 2020 documented what actually happened. These surveys allowed us to compare the expected versus actual outcomes of the transition for both students and instructors. We received 87 instructor responses during the transition and 44 instructor responses after the transition. Students provided 146 responses during the transition and 59 responses post-transition. Two thirds of instructors had not received any training in online instruction prior to the pandemic. 75% of students (versus 45% of instructors) reported decreases in student learning. Looking back, instructors were most surprised by the added time required for online instruction, but also by the resilience of their students. Instructors typically felt comfortable giving synchronous lectures, recording videos, hosting discussion forums, and handling online homework, but struggled to facilitate interactive activities, lab exercises, and online exams. Students were divided on the topic of live vs. recorded lectures. When describing the single biggest challenge of the shift, many students referenced emotional and motivational difficulties and lack of access to appropriate workspaces. In terms of the single most helpful thing instructors can do, students cited flexibility and empathy or responsiveness. Our survey results can help to identify best practices and ongoing needs for the future of online learning in the hydrologic sciences.