Report | Online teaching and learning in the time of COVID-19

_{22 March 2023}

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rapid transition to online teaching and learning in higher education. This led to concerns that the pandemic may further widen the gap in student outcomes that exists between disadvantaged students and their peers. 

To investigate this issue, TASO launched a project to explore the evidence that was generated prior to, and during, the pandemic on the effect of online teaching and learning on student outcomes. The project particularly focused on the effect on disadvantaged students, who may face greater challenges accessing and using online content due to factors such as digital poverty or a lack of suitable study space at home. 

The project was formed of two parts: a rapid evidence review and a piece of data analysis. The evidence review assessed findings from 18 studies, with seven of these focusing on the pre-pandemic context, including two meta-reviews, and the remaining papers focusing on studies conducted since the pandemic.

The data analysis used data from a single university to investigate the relationships between measures of disadvantage, changes to teaching and assessment, and student outcomes (attainment and progression).

The review of existing evidence highlights that a move to online provision may be associated with poorer outcomes in some cases, and clearly indicates that any transition to online teaching and learning must be a considered process. 

The data analysis highlights the importance and feasibility of higher education providers assessing their institutional data to identify whether and how disadvantaged and under-represented groups might be affected by online provision.

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