Abstract:

Since 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of many people around the world. All fields of society have been affected and education is no exception. From in-class teaching to an abrupt transition to complete online learning, students and professors needed to adapt rapidly. The impact of this new reality has been studied widely. In the winter 2022 semester, there was a first attempt at returning to in-class pedagogy which was not always successful. However, during the Summer 2022 semester, all sanitary and travel restrictions have been lifted, and life seems to be going back to normal. This paper is about the attitude towards a return to normal academic life after two years of isolation. In a series of courses at a Canadian university, where students can choose to be in class or online, factors affecting that choice are studied. A survey was conducted to identify reasons for their choice. Using Text Mining analysis, students’ comments are analyzed. Although many students demonstrated an eagerness to be back in class, the overall convenience of the online learning and the fear of potential contagion have been two important factors slowing down the complete return. Results are presented by gender and age categories.

Keywords:

Text mining, Online Learning, in-class Teaching.