The switch to online delivery as a result of Covid-19 and its impact on the experience and appreciation of face-to-face education

A computer screen showing a zoom meeting in which you can see the faces of all those attending. Next to the computer is a mug of tea or coffee.
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

This small research project is being undertaken by Drs Miriam Gill and Lucy Faire for Leicester Vaughan College. 

The aim of the project is to understand how the last couple of years have changed adult learners’ experiences of lifelong learning as a result of the shift to online learning.  We want gain a greater understanding of what face-to-face (or in-person) education provision can offer adult learners going forward into the future. We also want to learn more about what tutors feel face-to-face teaching offers students in comparison with online teaching.

Research methods

We are seeking the experiences of those who studied or taught an online course in the period between March 2020 and March 2022 via two questionnaires and in-depth interviews. These focus around the following central questions:

  1. How did learners/teachers experience online learning/teaching?
  2. How does this experience compare with face-to-face (or in-person) learning/teaching?
  3. What are learners/teachers preferences for learning/teaching environments going forward into the future in a non-pandemic situation?

The initial findings were presented to the 2022 Universities Association of Lifelong Learning Conference in Glasgow on 7 June 2022.

If you studied or taught online between March 2020 and March 2022 can you help us by filling in one of the questionnaires?

For those who studied online during this period, you can find the questionnaire here.

For those who taught online during this period, you can find the questionnaire here.