This research by Alterline is the third wave of research designed to capture how students were feeling at the beginning of the new calendar year (2022), having completed at least one university term. It shares learnings and reflections from the first 18 months of the Covid-19 pandemic. It demonstrates the need for universities to ensure that student mental health is prioritised and where students feel supported to thrive.
Since March 2020, all levels of education have continued to adapt to the world of online learning. eLearning has become the market that’s seen the most growth in the whole education industry, with research indicating that it has grown by 900% since 2000. Most universities had to sacrifice elements of in-person teaching and adjust to continue to teach and learn.
This mass move to online teaching had an impact on many students. 52% of 1000 students who took part in the research felt lonely or isolated during the Autumn term of 2021.
The research found that interacting with a lecture or lesson through a screen, rather than listening and observing in person, can feel impersonal. Students may struggle to contribute to the seminars or lessons, leading to feelings of dejection from the whole experience. But a positive space where they can feel emotionally safe to learn can have a huge impact on their desire to learn and build interpersonal relationships that enhance that feeling can be of great help.
One of the issues people may have had with learning remotely is the difficulty of replicating the in-person experience. It’s harder to feel like you can freely contribute to discussions without talking over someone and drowning out their peers.