The impact of a global pandemic on undergraduate learning experiences: One year later

• Published in: Trends in neuroscience and education Vol. 29; p. 100184
• Main Authors: Caron, Emilie E, Drody, Allison C, Hicks, Lydia J, Smilek, Daniel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.12.2022
• Subjects: Clinical Competence; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; Humans; Learning; Pandemics; Students - psychology; Learning; Pandemic; Affect; Attention; Flow; Time perception
• ISSN: 2211-9493; 2211-9493
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2022.100184

We examined students perceived changes in their attention, motivation, affect, and time perception following the implementation of the pandemic-related restrictions. One year after the restrictions were implemented, we surveyed students' (N = 153) perceived changes in their experiences relative to their remembered pre- and early-pandemic ones, as well as their predicted future changes. Consistent with prior work, when students compared their current experiences (March/April 2021) to their remembered pre-pandemic ones, they perceived increases in mind-wandering, technology use, external distraction, and negative affect, as well as decreases in focus, flow, motivation, and time perception. Although somewhat attenuated, students also noted changes in these behaviours when comparing the memory of their early pandemic experiences to their current experiences. Finally, they further anticipated negative changes in their future experiences, possibly due to continued pandemic-related isolation. Reducing students' sense of isolation might improve their cognitive and affective experiences.