Foundations for good practice: the student experience of online learning in Australian higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic

In response to the emergence of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 virus as a pandemic, Australian higher education providers had to rapidly transition their teaching programs to online or remote learning and assessment if their students' participation and progress were not to be disrupted. This report presents the outcomes of Phase 1 of a Student Experience of Online Learning Quality Project initiated by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) to understand the nature of the experience of students in this transition phase of the response in higher education to...  [+] Show more

In response to the emergence of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 virus as a pandemic, Australian higher education providers had to rapidly transition their teaching programs to online or remote learning and assessment if their students' participation and progress were not to be disrupted. This report presents the outcomes of Phase 1 of a Student Experience of Online Learning Quality Project initiated by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) to understand the nature of the experience of students in this transition phase of the response in higher education to the COVID-19 crisis. This report is a high-level thematic analysis of summaries of student experience surveys conducted by 118 Australian higher education providers in the first half of 2020. It outlines positive and negative aspects of the transition identified by students, to support providers in addressing concerns.

The characteristics of what worked well identified in the summary reports are relatively few with the following being the most common ones mentioned: flexible access to materials, including early availability of lecture and tutorial questions; good access to academic help and advice online, with many staff making extra 'online' time available for discussion groups or to answer individual students' questions; and the technology used made it easier for the students to learn. Other multiple positive responses from students included: the capacity to manage their own time better than in the face-to-face environment; better learning outcomes (some reported improved retention in semester 1); and flexibility with types and outcomes of assessment conducted online. More detailed feedback was provided by students on what did not work well in the transition to online learning. In summary, this phase of the project has identified the main themes raised by students in adapting to an online learning regime as: (1) reduced interaction with academic staff and peers; (2) difficulties with IT and variation in staff expertise in its use; (3) assessment changes; (4) isolation, lack of engagement and reduced motivation; and (5) difficulty with the translation of some subject areas from an internal to an online mode of delivery.

Edited excerpts from publication.