PERC 2021 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Personas of STEM students completing online instructions during the COVID-19 pandemic |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | In spring 2020, among the many significant challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators had to face the most arduous task: to convert well-designed in-person instruction methods to online teaching and to teach synchronously using hybrid or HyFlex models or completely asynchronously. The above teaching methods require instructor-student communication that allows the instructor to adapt his/her teaching material and teaching style to best fit their audience. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, while some students seem to have acclimated to online teaching, many do not seem to be engaging in the virtual classroom. In the worst-case scenario, some students may not be present at all, while others may be present but not participating. With minimal immediate feedback from students, we believe that access to some background information - such as learning styles, goals, motivations, and expectations of the potential audience - will help instructors improve their online teaching methods and increase classroom comprehension. In the process, we collected data from STEM introductory-level courses in the form of student feedback surveys and personal interviews conducted online. We then used persona methodology and ethnography to document the diverse learning group in a STEM classroom. Personas are "life-like models, whose characteristics are driven by the various goals and motivations of real or potential users." We used these personas to learn how individuals' learning experiences affect their participation, goals, motivations, and expectations during online learning. These personas can support the design of online courses with student and instructor-centered approaches that better engage undergraduate students across multiple disciplines. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Session Time: | Poster Session 1 Room D |
| Poster Number: | 1D-16 |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Cora Romick University of Georgia and Physics Department Dallas, GA 30157 Phone: 4703309516 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Nandana Weliweriya, Emma Zipperer, Tara Cotten |
