Open AccessLearning principles of evolution during a crisis: An exploratory analysis of student barriers one week and one month into the COVID‐19 pandemic
Author(s) -
Driessen Emily,
Beatty Abby,
Stokes Alexis,
Wood Sara,
Ballen Cissy
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.6741
Subject(s) - covid-19 , pandemic , coding (social sciences) , transition (genetics) , outbreak , mathematics education , exploratory analysis , exploratory research , psychology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , medical education , medicine , disease , biology , sociology , virology , data science , computer science , social science , pathology , biochemistry , gene
The coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) outbreak forced an emergency transition to online classes across the world with little warning or instruction for faculty and students. The goal of this research was to document how this response impacted undergraduate students studying the principles of evolution in an introductory organismal biology class over time; specifically, how their study habits for exams differed (a) one week and (b) one month after a university's decision to transition to emergency remote instruction. We asked students about the extent to which COVID‐19 impacted their study habits, and we categorized students’ responses using open coding. We identified a number of consistent similarities—as well as dramatic differences—in their responses as the time away from campus increased. The report that follows is a summary of the documented barriers and recommendations based on literature concerning crises and equitable practices.