TEWKSBURY — Community customers collected at the Heart Elementary College very last week to celebrate many years of tricky perform culminating in the opening of the new faculty in early January.
Pupils in grades two by way of four attended the ceremony with their instructors, observing from the balcony of the two-stage cafetorium. The central business staff members, which is housed in the making, also joined the viewers.
Speakers involved Tewksbury Community Faculties Superintendent Brenda Theriault-Regan state reps Vanna Howard, Tram Nguyen, and Point out Senator Barry Finegold Massachusetts Faculty Building Authority govt director Jack McCarthy commissioner of schooling Jeff Riley Elementary University Making Committee Chair Anne Marie Stronach Faculty Committee chair Bridget Garabedian and Middle Elementary Faculty principal Jay Harding and assistant principal Rob Rogers.
Also existing have been reps from the building and design groups at CBRE/Heery International, Consigli Construction, and Flansburgh Architects.
“This record of this undertaking goes back to ahead of 2005,” stated Theriault-Regan, thanking previous superintendent Christine McGrath for conducting an architectural learn strategy research of college buildings.
“I’m another person that attended the North Street School early in my years, and it’s from time to time challenging to permit go of the previous. But this is better, and this is the upcoming and this is what our children deserve,” reported Finegold.
“This is an investment in our local community, in our young ones, and in their kids… I’m just so thrilled to be in this welcoming and condition-of-the-artwork position,” added Nguyen.
“It’s been a lengthy journey — this is the college that Tewksbury pupils and inhabitants should have,” concluded Howard.
Officials praised city officers for the school’s completion, paying special tribute to the ESBC. Customers included chair Anne Marie Stronach, Jamey Cutelis, Jonathan Ciampa, Thomas Cooke, Shannon Demos, Jay Harding, Dave Libby, Lori McDermott, Richard Montuori, Eric Ryder, Keith Sullivan, Lori Sustek, Jayne Wellman, Maria Cutelis, Dennis Francis, previous superintendent Chris Malone, Christopher Modica, Matthew Castonguay, and Jacquelyn Simione.
The second quality workforce exhibited a new Middle Elementary College banner. 3rd grade students, directed by Rose Poggio and Vanessa Chambers, sang Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” followed by a rendition of “Happiness” from the 1967 Clark Gesner musical “You’re a Superior Man, Charlie Brown.” Fourth graders examine a poem.
Members of the ESBC, College Committee, and Select Board joined point out and district officials to minimize the ceremonial ribbon.
The celebration concluded with a reception and a tour of the university creating.
“It’s simply just difficult to record all people who has experienced their fingerprints on this faculty project over these types of a lengthy time,” explained Theriault-Regan. “You’re all really appreciated for your attempts on behalf of our college students and our personnel.”
There had been 1.3 million fewer college students enrolled in U.S. community educational facilities in fall 2021 than there were being prior to the pandemic began–a drop of practically 3 percent. Presented that educational funding is tied to enrollment, this growth has significant implications for the availability of resources in our educational institutions.
Some of this drop may well be the consequence of shifting demographics. But a lot of it can be attributed to family members who have opted out of community faculties through the pandemic, choosing non-public educational facilities or homeschooling for their youngsters rather.
On leading of these losses, conventional school districts also have shed about a quarter of a million college students to charter educational facilities given that the emergence of COVID. An assessment by the National Alliance for Public Constitution Educational institutions identified that constitution school enrollment improved by more than 7 percent from drop 2019 to slide 2020 as people located other solutions for their children’s schooling.
People have selected to leave their standard university process through the pandemic for a selection of motives. For instance, some weren’t satisfied with the excellent of remote instruction their children ended up getting. Some had been fearful to send their little ones back again when educational facilities reopened. Whatsoever their drive, it is clear they felt their nearby school process was not aptly assembly their wants.
Encouraging family members to continue to be or return to their neighborhood general public educational institutions is a elaborate obstacle that needs a multifaceted technique. People want choices for their children’s education and learning, and these selections must be of large high-quality. Partnering with an seasoned supplier to provide high-high quality online mastering is one particular way regular faculties can give pupils more options—and it is an important technique for attracting and retaining households.
Alternatives in modality
Despite the fact that some college students fell behind all through the shift to distant mastering, many others thrived. Supplying students the adaptability to discover on line alternatively of in-man or woman can provide the wants of lots of family members additional efficiently.
For instance, when performed perfectly, on line discovering makes instruction a lot more hassle-free for college students who have overall health complications or individuals who sense threatened when at school. It presents an choice for college students who are immunocompromised or have family members who are at a large danger from COVID. It even supplies additional autonomy for students and a self-paced discovering choice for people who are bored by the traditional rate of instruction.
A Pew Study Middle study conducted in spring 2022 located that 9 per cent of teenagers would choose mastering thoroughly on line when the pandemic is in excess of. Yet another 18 {e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} stated they would prefer a combine of deal with-to-encounter and on the internet instruction. In other phrases, much more than one in four teens would like to have on the net discovering as an possibility in their colleges. As this CNN story would make very clear, some people sought other possibilities for their children’s schooling that specially provided on-line finding out at the time their neighborhood faculty method returned to in-individual instruction.
Partnering with an skilled online discovering supplier can enable university districts expand the alternatives obtainable to families for their children’s training with minimal effort and hard work. The ability to select on the web instruction as the method in which their little ones study could persuade some people to rethink their decision to go away their regional university system—and it could give other individuals a powerful cause to stay.
Choices in mastering possibilities
On-line discovering expands not only the modalities obtainable to pupils, but the understanding alternatives as very well.
Numerous K-12 schools just can’t supply the breadth of courses essential to match all students’ passions. They could possibly not have the price range to offer you these programs them selves, or they may possibly not be in a position to uncover and recruit instructors with the important knowledge. For instance, students in rural areas are considerably less probable to have access to Advanced Placement (AP)® courses—and only 50 percent of all substantial educational institutions provide computer science programs.
Supplemental online classes give a compelling answer, quickly increasing the array of classes that faculties can provide. This lets pupils to take a look at subjects they are curious about from educated and qualified instructors worldwide, which can be a effective incentive for people to choose a university method. In accordance to just one review, the assortment of educational options that a college process has to present is a vital component in wherever households pick to send out their young children to faculty, with scientists composing that parents “were very affected by the multitude of opportunities the district of their decision had to supply.”
Growing decisions is crucial
Alternative is a major watchword in training right now. Whether or not from homeschooling, non-public schools, charter faculties, or even neighboring university devices, community faculties encounter considerable competitiveness for the college students in their community communities—and the educational funding that follows these pupils.
To bring in and retain families, districts should give a wide range of selections for pupil studying. This was real even ahead of the pandemic, and it is specifically accurate now. Giving whole-time or supplemental finding out solutions is a critical system for accomplishing this effectively. It can make districts more eye-catching for family members and is just one section of a multifaceted strategy to solving the obstacle of declining scholar enrollment.
Associated: 5 parts of a wonderful hybrid understanding plan How virtual tutoring reinforces our following-university plan
Jane Gallagher, Vice President of Functions, VHS Learning
Jane Gallagher is Vice President of Functions for VHS Discovering, a nonprofit firm with additional than 26 decades of expertise delivering earth-course on-line finding out systems to pupils and schools everywhere. Far more than 600 colleges all around the planet take benefit of VHS Learning’s 300+ on-line higher university programs to grow their packages of research.
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Soon after investigating the neo-Nazi homeschool network in Higher Sandusky, Ohio, the Ohio Division of Training seems to have concluded that the team is undertaking nothing incorrect.
Logan and Katja Lawrence have been unmasked past week as the operators of a neo-Nazi homeschool community with hundreds of customers, identified as Dissident Homeschool on Telegram, by VICE Information and the Huffington Article based on analysis from an anti-fascist research group identified as the Nameless Comrades Collective.
The Lawrences overtly advocate white supremacist ideologies with the intention of creating the young children they instruct, they’ve said, “become amazing Nazis.” Katja Lawrence stated she originally started the group simply because she “was obtaining a rough time getting Nazi-permitted college materials for [her] homeschool young children,” and has shared lesson programs that include Hitler offers, photos of a cake she baked for Hitler’s birthday, and a recording of her small children declaring ”sieg heil” in unison.
Times right after the news broke, the Ohio Office of Education said that it was investigating the Lawrences and the neo-Nazi homeschool network. Stephanie Siddens, the interim superintendent of general public instruction at the Department of Instruction, advised VICE Information that she was “outraged and saddened” by the information, introducing that “there is unquestionably no place for detest-stuffed, divisive and hurtful instruction in Ohio’s colleges, like our state’s household-education community.”
But, in a new assertion to VICE News, the results from the Division of Education’s investigation seem to have concluded that there is simply just practically nothing the department can do, or would do, to sanction the Lawrences or everyone else doing a little something equivalent owing to the state’s homeschool guidelines.
“While there are specific minimal necessities for home schooling, the Division of Training is not associated in the excusal of a distinct student from attendance in order to take part in home schooling,” the department stated in a summary of its conclusions shared with VICE News. “Moreover, the district superintendent’s assessment of household training is restricted to making certain that the minimum amount educational demands are achieved and that the tutorial evaluation report demonstrates that a child is demonstrating affordable proficiency.”
Eric Landversicht, the superintendent in Wyandot County, in which the Lawrences reside, did not quickly reply to a request for comment on the conclusions or no matter if the department spoke to him as portion of their investigation.
Make sure you send out strategies about the Lawrences or the neo-Nazi homeschool network to David Gilbert at [email protected]. For Signal, DM @Daithaigilbert on Twitter.
The department’s statement did not reference the Lawrences and the neo-Nazi homeschool network and instead focused on the property education regulations in the condition. “Parents or guardians who decide to teach their young children at dwelling are dependable for picking out the curriculum and course of study,” the assertion states. “They decide on the curriculum and instructional supplies and get accountability for educating their youngsters.”
A spokesperson for the section did not straight away react to VICE News’ problem about whether their investigation has not been closed.
The Upper Sandusky Police Section and the Wyandot Sheriff’s business both told VICE News that there are no investigations below way into the Lawrences or their homeschooling group.
There are currently over 51,000 homeschooled small children in Ohio. While the point out has some policies in spot to test and make sure homeschooled youngsters are getting a appropriate education and learning, these associated in Ohio’s homeschooling program say that oversight is minimal.
“The sum of oversight is just stunning to me mainly because you can find actually no oversight, it can be essentially just a rubber stamp,” Megan, a mom who homeschools her kid in Ohio, informed VICE Information. “Nobody definitely would seem to know what anybody’s performing for the reason that folks like to have liberty and they just do what they want. Every thing just appears to transpire pretty speedy.”
Megan, whose very last name has been withheld because of to protection concerns, also mentioned that although other states call for homeschool small children to choose section in standardized screening and satisfy in human being with lecturers to evaluate their child’s improvement, “Ohio has none of that.”
“You can just generally choose your curriculum, and the superintendent will not seriously have a whole lot of say,” Megan mentioned.
Republicans in the Ohio Senate are pushing quite a few items of legislation which would loosen up homeschool oversight even even more. A monthly bill sponsored by Republican lawmakers in Ohio would increase the sum of tax breaks that homeschool mothers and fathers can get annually from $250 to $2,000.
“If applications that perpetuate antisemitism, hatred, and bigotry are a little something the Ohio legislature and Ohio Section of Training unleashed when it allowed unfettered accessibility to the framework of Ohio public schooling, then it should revisit people unwise selections,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur informed VICE Information. “Hate should not be foisted on upcoming generations or on Ohio’s communities. Ohio’s point out government leaders must address this apparent failure of the system they made.”
Some lawmakers have also sought to downplay the importance of the revelations about the Nazi homeschool community, proclaiming it is an isolated situation.
“I hope we are prolonged earlier the place in our modern society in which we take the steps of a person person or a tiny group of persons and paint the entire team as nevertheless somehow they are taking part in that,” Senate President Matt Huffman informed News 5 Cleveland, talking about homeschooling.
Other lawmakers are offended about the lack of guardrails for homeschooling in Ohio.
“I believe we can all agree this is a broken program,” Democrat Rep. Casey Weinstein instructed VICE News in reaction to the Section of Instruction conclusions.
“Unless you guidance preposterous conspiracy theories or if you want to make sure your child ‘becomes a amazing Nazi,’ then it is time to insert some guardrails and transparency to how dwelling educational institutions are managed in Ohio,” Weinstein stated. “These individuals are grooming small children to be Nazis and we want to do one thing about it. Comprehensive prevent.”
Huffman, who is hoping to push a bill by the Ohio Senate that will additional intestine public university funding and redirect it to private educational institutions, attacked other lawmakers he claimed ended up attempting to use the revelations to support them selves politically.
“I hope, frankly, that folks will not try out to take some political benefit or plan advantage… fundamentally hoping to decide that a few of sociopaths someplace in Ohio who are accomplishing odd factors that… somehow need to affect the plan of the rest of the point out is anathema to me,” Huffman claimed.
But Democrats say that a transform in the education and learning technique in Ohio needs to start off by addressing the troubles uncovered by the Nazi homeschool revelations in Higher Sandusky.
“Some Republicans in Ohio are in these a hurry to flip our public training method upside down that they are lacking the blind spots in other locations of training, like the absence of transparency when it comes to homeschooling that was exposed by the Neo-Nazi curriculum being taught and amplified in Higher Sandusky,” Rep. Jessica Miranda instructed VICE News.
The Dissident Homeschool group on Telegram operated by the Lawrences was deleted before this 7 days. A new group with the identical name was established up, but so much no material has been posted in the channel and it is unclear if the Lawrences are included.
MCarver Elementary, which is named immediately after Tacoma founder Morton M. McCarver, is going by means of the course of action of being renamed amid racism considerations.
Courtesy of Tacoma General public Universities
An elementary school named after the founder of Tacoma may be renamed after community members raised concerns about his racist past.
Tacoma Public Schools announced last month the principal would lead the process to rename McCarver Elementary School, according to a news release. The school, at 2111 S. J St., is named after Morton M. McCarver.
McCarver was a businessman and promoter who made real estate investments across the U.S. McCarver, who was born in 1807, visited Eureka on Commencement Bay and realized the potential of the site for a city. He bought 163 acres and called the site Commencement City. McCarver later renamed it to Tacoma, the Salish name for Mount Rainier.
The school was built in 1924 and named after McCarver in 1926, according to The News Tribune archives. In 1968, the school was transformed into an elementary school.
Tacoma Public Schools received requests to consider renaming the school after community members expressed concerns about McCarver’s work in the Oregon and California Territorial Legislatures, where he proposed and supported laws to remove and exclude Black and mixed-race Americans from living in the territories.
“Kentucky-born McCarver was an ‘unabashed’ racist whose hatred of people of color came from his upbringing in the South. It’s important to note that McCarver was not just a supporter of those legislative efforts, he was the leader of them,” Historic Tacoma said in the post.
Superintendent Josh Garcia asked McCarver Elementary principal Stephany Wright to lead the process to consider renaming the school. Wright has surveyed McCarver staff and met with the school’s leadership team to select a committee, which includes staff, parents, students, alumni and community residents. The committee began meeting last week, according to Kathryn McCarthy, TPS assistant director of communications.
The committee will provide background information on McCarver and conduct outreach to gather input.
The Tacoma Public School policy to rename a facility requires the principal to prepare a written report that summarizes the school and/or community support or opposition to the proposed change. The report will be submitted to the superintendent.
If the superintendent is in agreement with the proposed change, he will present the recommendation to the school board for approval. The board will then accept or reject the proposed name. If approved, the superintendent or designee should notify appropriate federal, state and local offices, locations and persons, as necessary, according to the policy.
Two Tacoma schools were recently renamed because of racist concerns. Jason Lee Middle School was renamed Hilltop Heritage Middle School, and Woodrow Wilson High School was renamed Dr. Dolores Silas High School in 2021.
Liz Moomey handles the city of Tacoma for The News Tribune. She was previously a Report For The united states corps member covering Japanese Kentucky for the Lexington Herald-Chief.
A total of 179 out of the possible 663 students (27{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} completion) completed the online survey in June 2020. Median age of students was 19 years (IQR 18–28 years) and there were approximately three times as many females as males (Table 1), reflective of the undergraduate health sciences cohort (70{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} female). Student numbers were also reflective of the broader enrolment numbers in the programs (i.e., occupational therapy is the largest program). Just over half (53{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}; n = 94) of students had no prior experience in undertaking a Bachelor degree, and 76{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of students had not completed any online courses prior to enrolment.
Table 1 Demographic characteristics
Quantitative results to the sense of belonging questionnaire
In terms of students’ sense of belonging to the university, the majority felt ‘quite’ or ‘extremely’ happy with their choice of university (74{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) and felt ‘quite’ or ‘extremely’ welcomed by the university (68{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}). While most students felt respected by both staff (70{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) and students (60{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) at the university, students reported less connectiveness (23.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) to the university. Only 20{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of students reported they felt they were understood as an individual, and only 13{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} felt they ‘quite’ or ‘extremely’ mattered to others at the university (Table 2).
Table 2 Online learning and Sense of Belonging to the University [1]
Table 3 shows how the online learning experiences impacted on students’ perception of the course; 27{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of students felt ‘quite’ or ‘extremely’ connected to staff while 16{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of students felt ‘quite’ or ‘extremely’ connected to other students. While 49{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of students rated 4 and above for the level of respect that they received from other students and their contribution towards the subject, students who had prior higher education felt less respected than students who had no prior higher education (p = 0.03). When asked how the online subject had contributed to understanding, knowledge/skills in their chosen health profession, about half of the students rated the online subject highly (rating 4 and above). Students who had prior higher education indicated higher ratings of understanding and knowledge/skills compared to students without prior higher education (p = 0.07 and p = 0.03 respectively). There was also a significantly higher proportion of students with no prior higher education who identified the online learning experience as either ‘quite’ or ‘extremely’ likely to impact their intention to continue with their current course (p = 0.001).
Table 3 Impact of online profession-specific subject on perception of the course
Qualitative results
Qualitative findings provided insight into experiences of staff and students during the rapid, unplanned transition to online learning. Student questionnaire responses included two open-ended questions expanding on enablers and barriers to sense of belonging. These yielded 145 enablers and 254 barriers to students’ feeling a sense of belonging. Data were subjected to qualitative content analysis by two authors and categories are presented in Additional file 1.
Three focus groups were conducted: two student sessions, each with two students enrolled in Speech Pathology and Paramedicine, and one academic session with five participants. Four full time academics and one casual academic participated from a total population of nine eligible academics. Using the processes described in the methods, focus group analysis was compared with the survey content analysis and the authors identified synergies between them. Findings were then integrated under a global theme, underpinned by organising and basic themes. The following themes reflect triangulation between academic and student focus group data in addition to survey responses.
Global theme—navigating belonging during the COVID-19 crisis: a shared responsibility
“We are in this together…making the best of this”
This theme explores sense of belonging creation during this period as a shared process, where participants perceived they worked together to get through the crisis. Students and academics encountered many challenges as they transitioned to online learning but despite hard times, were able to engage positively. The global theme revealed students and academics were navigating belonging during the COVID-19 crisis, and this journey was a shared responsibility. Both groups were working to achieve positive student engagement that would in turn create a sense of belonging in first-year students. A strong commitment of working hard to make the best out of this was mutually acknowledged.
Students perceived academics had done “a really good job at making sure we belonged…in those first few weeks that we were on campus but even more so probably while we were in Zoom” (Student-Astrid-Focus Group). Academics perceived students were actively engaged in making online learning work and were collegial and collaborative.
The shared experiences about navigating belonging during the COVID-19 crisis, have been captured under four organising themes: dimensions of belonging, individual experiences and challenges, reconceptualising teaching and learning, and relationships are central to belonging. Within each organising theme, basic themes were identified that provide depth to the organising theme (Fig. 1). Additional files 1 and 2 present a summary of the quotes obtained from the open-ended surveys and focus groups respectively, that contribute to the themes in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1
Pictorial representation of the global, organising, and basic themes
Organising theme: dimensions of belonging
This theme outlines that belonging is a multidimensional experience with several facets underpinning participants’ experiences. Students and academics identified several dimensions of belonging in relation to first year students’ experiences, as illustrated by two basic themes that sit under the organising theme: what it means to belong, and layers of belonging.
Basic theme: what it means to belong
This theme explores the idea that belonging at university is underpinned by feeling valued and connected. Academics and students agreed that having a sense of being valued by the university and a desire to have an active connection across all aspects of university life was important for students.
Belonging as a student was gained through a connection with the “vocation” (Student-Claire-Focus Group) or the course and career, and with people who will “be there” (Student-Claire-Focus Group) for them. Furthermore, support of academics was critical to gaining a sense of belonging. It was noted by academics and students, that when students feel they belong at university, they are actively engaged in their learning, and this sense of belonging in turn shapes their overall identity. Students can then “actually sort of relax and become themselves” (Staff-Brooke).
Belonging to their cohort, their course, their future profession, and their university was important for students. One academic noted that the “concept of acceptance” is part of the sense of belonging and goes “both ways” (Staff-Brooke).
Both academics and students agreed that the rapid change to online learning due to COVID-19, meant that developing a sense of belonging was challenged.
Basic theme: layers of belonging
This theme identified layers of belonging reflected in participants’ experiences. Peer, academic and professional layers each contributed to an overall sense of belonging and key examples are provided below.
Peers
Belonging to peers was described as “having that connection to someone that’s going through exactly the same thing as what you’re going through” (Student-Astrid-Focus Group). Students were concerned that when learning moved online that this sense of belonging would be jeopardised by less opportunities for in-person interaction.
Academics
Being connected to academics was perceived by students as directly impacting learning, with one student commenting: “…when they’re not connecting with the teacher, they’re not connecting with the content, they’re not connecting with the feedback. That’s when you develop this sense of feeling like you just don’t belong” (Student-Emily-Focus Group).
Academics perceived it was also important for students to develop a sense of belonging to the university community.
Profession
Belonging to a profession was identified as an important feature of belonging by academics and students. Studying a degree with a clear professional identity facilitated first year students to feel they belonged compared to those undertaking general health science degrees which may have multiple pathways and career options less directly aligned to first year studies.
One academic actively encouraged first year students to belong to their professional association as a way of fostering belonging in first years.
Organising theme—Individual experiences and challenges
This theme outlines that while there are similarities in participants’ experiences, individuals have unique contexts and factors shaping their experiences. Academics and students reflected upon personal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their teaching or learning and how they responded as individuals to the ensuing challenges. Two basic themes emerged: Challenges of transition and recognising different learning preferences.
Basic theme —challenges of transition
This theme explored the significant challenges of transitioning to online teaching and learning. For some students, the transition to online learning offered potential benefits of flexibility and reduced travel time. Two of the four students in the focus groups opted for online learning opportunities available in other subjects of study prior to the pandemic to efficiently manage their study and external commitments. Nonetheless, the pandemic brought a raft of personal challenges that diminished these expected benefits. Covid-related changes to family employment, reduced access to childcare support and non-optional home schooling presented new concerns.
Clearly, students missed the opportunity to focus attention on their learning needs when balancing childcare demands and home-schooling during lockdowns.
Unlike a conventional online courses where students choose or plan to be online, the sudden, unexpected, and unplanned move to online study was prefaced by a short period (four weeks) of in-person class time. This initial in-person time was identified as being key to relationship building.
Academics identified positive experiences and challenges during the transition to online learning. The rapid change presented a problem to be solved and individuals could “embrace it and to work effectively…as a team” (Staff-Jane). Quickly strategizing and responding to the demands of online learning required team knowledge, experience, and support. Hence, enhanced team culture was a further positive for academics, being “present for each other” (Staff-Brooke).
Basic theme : recognising different learning preferences
This theme identifies experiences of online learning influenced by personal attributes, individual expectations and learning preferences. Such key factors impacted students’ capacity to maintain focus on academic goals after the rapid change to online learning. Some students reflected that barriers were not solely a feature of online learning environments, reporting that competing priorities, including work commitments and limited contact time with staff as pre-existing challenges to belonging. However, some students directly attributed their limited engagement and reduced motivation to the online learning environment.
Students suggested that active engagement “comes down to personality” (Student-Astrid- Focus Group). If a student was not shy they were comfortable to come forward and participate online. Some students perceived clear links between personal discipline, engagement, commitment, and achievement in online learning environments.
Further, students perceived effective (and ineffective) online group functioning reflected personalities of individual members, with some groups/personalities seen as being able to organise whilst other groups lacked leadership and cohesion.
Students who perceived themselves as active engagers reported being drawn towards other students who demonstrated motivation to interact and learn. Other students perceived their personalities or learning preferences were misaligned with the expectations of belonging in online learning environments and focussed upon tasks rather than connection.
Academics recognised student diversity and a need to reflect and re-evaluate expectations of students in online environments. They accepted that some students may be quietly engaging and learning to belong, but this was harder to observe in online compared to in-person learning environments.
Organising theme—relationships are central to belonging
This theme identified the relationship between all parties as a fundamental aspect of creating a sense of belonging. Two basic themes were influential in shaping perceptions of how relationships and connections contribute to belonging: collaboration with peers is fundamental, and effective and regular communication with staff is necessary.
Basic theme —collaboration with peers is fundamental
This theme revealed collaboration with student peers was a key element of creating a sense of belonging. The degree of social interaction with student peers and opportunities to create friendships contributed to feelings of belonging. Accordingly, students found it problematic when peers neglected to turn cameras on during classes, making interaction very difficult. Visualisation of peers and use of cameras in online classes impacted students’ opportunities to get to know each other.
Challenges posed by online learning were further highlighted in the student survey through a focus on non-academic aspects of university and campus life. Typically, university campuses offer interactional opportunities through clubs, sport, and shared spaces to learn and socialise. Campus life, students suggested, may facilitate learning and personal development. Absence of this type of interaction was linked to barriers in developing friendships and consequently a lesser sense of belonging as reflected in Additional file 1.
Basic theme— communication with academics is necessary
This theme outlined that communicating with academics was a key component of creating a sense of belonging. With less opportunities for peer support, there was stronger reliance on the academic-student connection, although students reported positive and negative interactions with academics during online learning.
Positive interactions and individualised communication with academics enhanced student sense of satisfaction and belonging. Furthermore, students in the focus groups reported a feeling of trust and a bond created by a shared challenge. Survey responses echoed this sentiment, noting that academics were “non-judgmental and supportive” (Student Survey 18) and created a sense of camaraderie. However, when students perceived impersonal communication from academics, they felt less connected or believed that teaching had become a “transaction” (Student-Astrid- Focus Group). Perceived levels of enthusiasm and engagement from academics influenced student’s perceptions of connection and belonging.
Students identified the online environment as a barrier to communication with academics. While systematic and university level communication was perceived as a useful source of information, students prioritised individualised communication from academic staff as key to belonging.
Academics concurred that effective communication was challenged in online environments, missing non-verbal cues and responsivity that characterises a classroom environment. Although the online learning environment provides an opportunity for academics to connect professionally with students, there were students who left their cameras off, with one academic noting they didn’t push this issue because there are many reasons for students choosing this option.
Organising theme: reconceptualising teaching and learning
This theme reveals how academics and students reconceptualised their expectations and modes of teaching and learning, to manage the crisis. It was not easy for academics or students, and many strategies were employed to make it work, with two basic themes emerging: challenges to online teaching and learning, and strategies to engage and connect.
Basic theme: challenges of online teaching and learning: “how do I make this work?”
This theme outlined many challenges faced by both academics and students during a rapid change to online mode. With the rapid change to online learning, academics asked themselves, ‘How do I make this work?’.
Managing workload
Academics reported their workload increased significantly, and they “found it a juggling act” (Staff-Louise) to meet their teaching requirements. Administrative loads consequently increased when reduced in-person contact with students led to more electronic communication. Academics needed to up-skill in online teaching in a short time frame and perceived this responsibility as all encompassing.
The rapid switch to online learning attracted significant academic workload, implementing and adapting content to see how material “might play out in a Zoom environment…[where]…everything takes longer” (Staff-Natalie).
Some students noticed a temptation to disengage from online learning, which meant balancing their workload and study demands became a challenge as they also faced significant workload and stressors in their personal lives due to COVID-19.
Class dynamics
Academics and students spoke about the change to classroom dynamics. The online environment was noted as being one in which it was difficult to read the room to see how students were progressing with their work. Others tried to use humour to enliven a class, only to have the Zoom frame freeze, killing the mood they were trying to create. Hence, staff felt teaching online was less conversational, flexible and responsive compared to face-to-face. Moreover, academics missed hands-on practical elements; a big shift for some programs.
Technological challenges
Academics learnt new skills quickly, but often these skills would be challenged when technology failed. Some academics reported a sense of vulnerability due to technological ineptitude but acknowledged that making mistakes in front of students could humanise the experience. Academics also acknowledged that some students did not have adequate technological resources to meet changes in their learning requirements when classes were placed online.
Basic theme: strategies to engage and connect
This theme reflected the strategies academics and students employed to remain engaged and connected. Academics worked hard to enhance online learning and hoped to connect with students and engage them in activities. Students too were active and appreciated academics’ efforts to facilitate engagement and connection. Underlying many of the strategies adopted by academics was a deep concern for student welfare during this time. Therefore, many academics aimed to ensure students were engaged and connected with each other and with the academic team. Academics built in small group opportunities during online teaching so students could connect, learn, and socialise.
Staff also spoke about informing students they could contact staff for support. One staff member described crossing the divide and actively discouraging a ‘them and us’ dynamic between students and staff.
A variety of teaching tools were identified by staff to build connection and promote engagement. Such tools included interactive quizzes, ice breakers activities, integrating reflective practices into activities and ‘drop in’ sessions. Staff also encouraged students to establish social media groups or other group experiences outside the classroom. Some staff members arrived early to zoom classes and left late to enable students to connect informally.
Students appreciated staff attempts to provide these activities. Students found these initiatives helpful, recognising staff placed effort into knowing students personally and focussing on student wellbeing and achievement. Students cited examples of provision of extra resources, mini-lectures, additional question and answer sessions, and fast response times to student queries. Students also initiated their own engagement strategies, including using group and personal messaging over platforms such as Facebook messenger.
