COVID-19 forced a shift to remote instruction, an area where STEM has historically lagged, according to an article from Inside Higher Ed. Now, a new survey from Bay View Analytics and the Online Learning Consortium reportedly reveals that instructors are cautiously optimistic about remote learning, but concerns remain regarding how to provide students meaningful lab experiences.
According to the article, many of the barriers to successful online learning reported by survey takers are not specific to STEM; inability to ensure academic integrity, insufficient motivation, equity issues and internet/computer access topped the list. STEM instructors reportedly have unusually high concerns about students cheating in assessments. Instructors also reported concerns about how to translate hands-on lab experiments into meaningful remote experiences.
Read the entire article here.
Additionally, Mark Rosenzweig, Chemical Processing's Editor in Chief, addressed this very issue at the beginning of the pandemic. Read his column "Can ChE Students Avoid School Daze?"
