Physics Learning in Distance Instruction
Final Report Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic presented a particular challenge to teachers and students. School closures required a transition from in-person to distance instruction on short notice. Distance instruction, in turn, required the use of digital technologies such as video conferencing software or learning management systems – technologies many students (and teachers) had no experience with. As a result, concerns emerged about potential negative effects of distance instruction on students’ learning and learning motivation, especially for those students most in need. In order to obtain insights about the extent to which these concerns are appropriate, the project Physics Learning in Distance Instruction (PhyDI) aimed to investigate the effects of in-person vs. distance instruction on students’ learning and learning motivation. In order to do so, the project could draw on quality set of data collected in scope of a in a prior DFG-funded project. The project energie.TRANSFER. In this project instructional units based on digital technologies (e.g., a digital workbook implemented in the learning management system moodle) had been developed and tested with a total of of NT = 40 teachers, their NC = 60 classes, and NS = 1514 students. In the middle of the data collection schools had been closed due to COVID-19 and teachers had to transition from in-person to distance instruction. Since the units were suitable for use in distance instruction, after a total of NCP = 17 classes completed a unit fully in scope of in-person instruction, another NCD = 27 classes completed a unit exclusively in distance instruction. With students’ competence assessed prior to and after each unit, and students’ artifacts being recorded in moodle, an extensive set of data were available on students’ learning. Moreover, students’ learning motivation were assessed prior to and after the unit, as well as multiple times throughout. Drawing on this data set, the PhyDI project investigated 1) the effect of the form of instruction (in-person vs direct instruction) on student learning and learning motivation, 2) the extent to which different unit designs affect student learning and learning motivation differently in different forms of instruction, and 3) teacher acceptance of the instructional units across forms of instruction. In terms of the effect of the form of instruction on student learning and learning motivation, a slightly stronger decrease was found for distance instruction with respect to the extent with which students engage in working through the units. However, the difference was small and practically not too relevant, provided that students who did engage showed a higher quality in their engagement. Plus, students in distance instruction showed a higher learning motivation overall. Regarding the effects of different unit design features on student learning and learning motivation compared across both forms of instruction, again, small differences were found. Instructional units with more open tasks resulted in a higher extent of engagement in in-person instruction, and lower learning motivation in distance instruction; effectively suggesting that more open units may have their limitations in in-person instruction. More contextualized units led to a higher quality in students’ engagement. However, contextualization seemed to have a positive overall effect on student learning and learning motivation in both forms of instruction. At last, with respect to teacher acceptance, higher levels of acceptance were found for distance instruction. This does not come as a surprise, given the pressure under which teachers were to create quality instruction as they had to transition to distance instruction in a very short time. The instructional units discussed here obviously present a viable option, which is further corroborated by the fact that teachers’ intention to use the units and their perceived usefulness increases over time in both forms of instruction. The lack of an increase in perceived usefulness and attitude toward use over time appears to result from teachers in in-person instruction for whom these aspects of acceptance do not change much over time. Overall, the project provided valuable – and deeper – insights into the effects of in-person and distance instruction on student learning and learning motivation; the project in particular revealed that the differences do not have to be large, if instruction is designed well.
Publications
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Influence of Digital Learning Design Features and Self-Regulation on Students' Behavioral and Emotional Engagement (Virtual). Paper presented at NARST, 29.3.2022, Vancouver, Canada.
Laumann, D., Welberg, J., Fischer, J.A., Steinmann, T., Heinicke, S., Weßnigk, S. & Neumann, K.
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The effect of inperson vs. distance learning on the quality of students‘ learning. Paper presented at NARST, 29.3.2022, Vancouver, Canada.
Fischer, J.A., Steinmann, T., Laumann, D., Weßnigk, S. & Neumann, K.
