Computer Science Students' Perceptions of Emergency Remote Teaching: An Experience Report

Area of Science:

• Computer Science Education
• Online Learning Pedagogy

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in higher education.
• University courses designed for in-person delivery required swift adaptation to online formats.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate computer science students' perceptions of the transition to remote teaching.
• To identify challenges and factors influencing student experiences during ERT.

Main Methods:

• Survey or questionnaire-based study.
• Analysis of student feedback on remote learning experiences.

Main Results:

• Computer science students perceived the transition to remote teaching as challenging, despite higher computer literacy.
• Difficulties were noted in asking questions during video lectures and interacting with instructors.
• Lower-level courses, certain racial/residence groups, and courses without prior online components were more negatively impacted.

Conclusions:

• The rapid shift to ERT presented significant pedagogical and interactive challenges for computer science students.
• Course level, student demographics, and pre-transition online integration influenced the effectiveness of remote teaching.