Student and teacher performance during COVID-19 lockdown: An investigation of associated features and complex...

Area of Science:

• Education
• Higher Education
• Educational Technology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to online teaching and learning.
• Understanding factors supporting effective online education is crucial for future preparedness.
• The study addresses the need to analyze the complex interplay of variables in emergency remote teaching environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors influencing student evaluations of teaching and final grades during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• To identify linear and non-linear relationships between various factors and teaching outcomes.
• To determine the importance and interactions of different features affecting student performance in an online setting.

Main Methods:

• Utilized administrative and survey data from a large Danish university.
• Employed linear regression and random forest models to analyze dependent targets (student evaluation scores and final grades).
• Identified feature importance, linear/non-linear relationships, and interactions.

Main Results:

• Teacher age, time use, peer interaction, and student gender were associated with student evaluations and grades.
• Non-linear relationships were observed, particularly concerning the age of teachers and students.
• Average values for teacher and student age correlated with the highest scores in student evaluations and grades.

Conclusions:

• Various demographic and pedagogical factors significantly influence online teaching effectiveness and student outcomes.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering non-linear effects and specific feature interactions in educational research.
• Optimal teaching support strategies may involve considering average values for factors like age to maximize student engagement and academic success.