Abstract:

During spring 2020, universities all over the world, including Norway, got affected by the global pandemic known as Covid19. The pandemic sped up processes towards digitalization, something that also raised questions on learning didactics. At the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway, one big question for the autumn semester starting in August 2020 was how many students could fit in a classroom due to restrictions on distance. At the Preparatory Course for Engineering Students, groups normally consist of app. 65 students. After restrictions on the classroom sizes, there were only allowed 41 students in the classroom. Due to the fact that most students wanted to attend campus lectures, and the genuine motivation of the lecturers to keep as many students as possible on campus, different solutions were discussed to mend the situation and ensure the best possible learning environment for the students. In this paper we investigate two of the blended solutions implemented and researched by colleagues in the same group with similar subjects; one streaming solution and one solution with different ways of working with the same curriculum online as in-class. This in order to answer the research question “How do the students experience their own learning process in different learning environments?”. The paper presents results from a survey done on the student group, as well as preliminary statements obtained through meetings with reference groups (student representatives).

The results show that the students’ experiences are significantly more positive when in-class, even if they also follow and participate actively when online. Additionally, the qualitative results point at fear of missing out when not in-class as the single most significant reason for the experiences.

Keywords:

Online learning, in-class learning, educational technology, blended learning.