Lessons learnt from the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown
Case study of an online students’ MS Teams project
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26473/ATLAANZ.2021/002Keywords:
Learning Support, MS Teams, pandemic, lockdownAbstract
This paper outlines an investigation of the impact of Students Online, a programme that was created in Microsoft (MS) Teams during New Zealand’s level 4 lockdown of March-May 2020. Students Online was developed by the Learning Hub, the learning support centre for a large tertiary institution in response to an international student’s request for a way for students to meet and practise English. The study aimed to investigate the experiences of those who engaged with the Students Online programme and derive implications for possible future improvement. Participants were drawn from Learning Hub staff and students who interacted within the programme. Offering focused learning support as well as sessions about life in New Zealand, the most significant benefit of Students Online was the overall sense of togetherness at a time when many aspects of life were disconnected. Other benefits highlighted by participants included improved communication between students and the Learning Hub, offering a “mental release” during the day, building relationships, and enhancing the institute’s value as supportive. This study found that the Students Online programme was considered generally useful and successful, and provides suggested modifications for similar such programmes in future.
References
AIS. (n.d.). Our values. Retrieved May 14, 2021, from https://www.ais.ac.nz/about/our-values
British Academy. (2021). The COVID decade: Understanding the long-term societal impacts of COVID-19. https://doi.org/10.5871/bac19stf/9780856726583.001
Czerniewicz, L., Trotter, H., & Haupt, G. (2019). Online teaching in response to student protests and campus shutdowns: Academics’ perspectives. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0170-1
Dartnell, L. (2020, June 30). The Covid-19 changes that could last long-term. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200629-which-lockdown-changes-are-here-to-stay
Firang, D. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on international students in Canada. International Social Work, 63(6). https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872820940030
Gallagher, H. L., Doherty, A. Z., & Obonyo, M. (2020). International student experiences in Queensland during COVID-19. International Social Work, 63(6). https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872820949621
Holzweiss, P. C., Walker, D. W., Chisum, R., & Sosebee, T. (2020). Crisis planning for online students: Lessons learned from a major disruption. Online Learning Journal, 24(2), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i2.2135
Husky, M. M., Kovess-Masfety, V., & Swendsen, J. D. (2020). Stress and anxiety among university students in France during Covid-19 mandatory confinement. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2020.152191
Ju, M. J., Oh, J., & Choi, Y.-H. (2021). Changes in air pollution levels after COVID-19 outbreak in Korea. Science of The Total Environment, 750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141521
Khoshaim, H. B., Al-Sukayt, A., Chinna, K., Nurunnabi, M., Sundarasen, S., Kamaludin, K., Baloch, G. M., & Hossain, S. F. A. (2020). Anxiety level of university students during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.579750
Lorenzo, G. (2008). The Sloan semester. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12, 5–40.
New Zealand Qualifications Authority. (2016). Education (pastoral care of international students) code of practice 2016: Includes amendments 2019. https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/Providers-and-partners/Code-of-Practice/Code-of-Practice-Amendments-2019.pdf
Padhan, R., & Prabheesh, K. P. (2021). The economics of COVID-19 pandemic: A survey. Economic Analysis and Policy, 70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2021.02.012
Politico. (2020, March 19). Coronavirus will change the world permanently. Here’s how. Politico Magazine. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579
UNESCO. (2020, March 26). UNESCO rallies international organizations, civil society and private sector partners in a broad coalition to ensure #LearningNeverStops. https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-rallies-international-organizations-civil-society-and-private-sector-partners-broad
Vargo, L., Spoonley, P., Arnott-Neenee, J., Welton, A., Judd, S., Roskruge, M., Olsen, T., Stevenson, S., Valintine, F., & Crampton, E. (2020, October 20). Covid-19 has changed New Zealand forever: The experts explain how. The Spinoff. https://thespinoff.co.nz/partner/vodafone/20-10-2020/covid-19-has-changed-new-zealand-forever-the-experts-explain-how/
World Health Organisation. (2021, March 11). Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19). https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen
Xie, J., Gulinna, A., & Rice, M. F. (2021). Instructional designers’ roles in emergency remote teaching during COVID-19. Distance Education, 42(1), 70–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2020.1869526
