{"id":120096,"date":"2020-11-23T16:36:23","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T15:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=120096"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:15","slug":"corona-science-studies-on-how-people-experience-online-teaching-will-also-be-relevant-after-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/11\/23\/corona-science-studies-on-how-people-experience-online-teaching-will-also-be-relevant-after-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Corona science: \u2018Studies on how people experience online teaching will also be relevant after the pandemic\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, nearly all academic classes in the Netherlands are currently taught online. Femke Hilverda, an assistant professor of social psychology and risk communication at the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, is conducting a study on how students feel about this.<\/p>\n

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Femke Hilverda, assistant professor of social psychology and risk communication at the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLevien Willemse<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Together with her colleagues Manja Vollmann, Ren\u00e9e Scheepers and Anna Nieboer, Hilverda collects information at all universities in the Netherlands on the courses being taught, students\u2019 experiences with those courses, their academic performance and the impact of psychological traits and other factors on their experience and performance.<\/p>\n

Why is this study relevant now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the coronavirus crisis, nearly all classes are currently taught online. Students did not choose to have it that way, but it can\u2019t be helped at the moment. In other words, this project was caused by the pandemic, but we think the results will continue to be important afterwards, as well. After all, universities are increasingly interested in the opportunities afforded by digital technology and online teaching, so we have to know whether this is in line with students\u2019 wishes and which factors cause certain methods to be better suited to some groups than to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

How does one conduct a study during a pandemic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis academic year we will be sending three online surveys to students attending all universities in the Netherlands, with the help of the Intercity Students\u2019 Organisation (ISO), the National Student Union (LSVb), and the National Chamber of Societies. The first survey will be sent in November, the second in February and the last one at the end of the academic year. Since the outbreak began in March, the way we teach classes has changed several times. At the moment, most of our classes are taught online, with the odd class taught on campus, but this may change if the coronavirus causes unexpected situations to happen or if the restrictions are relaxed. By mapping out the entire year, we will be able to track our progress and assess the effects of any changes that are implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Some students are strongly focused on academic performance, and you might expect these students not really to mind the fact that classes are taught online, while students who strongly need social interactions will be less satisfied\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

What is the hypothesis behind your study?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe think that the way courses are being taught will result in certain experiences, and that students\u2019 psychological traits and background may affect these. In other words, there are multiple factors that determine students\u2019 performance in relation to these experiences. We will look at experiences such as stress, interacting with each other and with the lecturers, and eventually at students\u2019 performance, and we expect certain correlations to follow from this. For example, some students are strongly focused on academic performance, and you might expect these students not really to mind the fact that classes are taught online, while students who strongly need social interactions will be less satisfied. With respect to their home situation, it might be true that you need a proper workspace where you can study in peace, meaning that students living in student flats may have a somewhat harder time of it than students who live with their parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s motivating you to conduct a study on the impact of COVID-19?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAs researchers and lecturers, we thought it would be interesting to set up this study. I\u2019m a social psychologist myself, and my doctoral thesis was about risk communication, so what I think is most interesting is that we will also be able to incorporate students\u2019 views on the coronavirus. If students believe that COVID-19 presents a very serious risk and health hazard, their level of anxiety may be such that their academic performance will suffer, but it may have the opposite effect as well, with such students actually performing better with online teaching because they are glad they can stay at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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