EDTL Approach for Students: planning for effective learning during Covid-19. Advice from the EDTL student team (for students, by students)

EDTL Approach for Students: planning for effective learning during Covid-19. Advice from the EDTL student team (for students

Creator(s)

Organisation(s)

Irish Universities Association, IUA Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning in Irish Universities (EDTL project)

Discipline(s)

Teaching & Learning

Topic(s)

Digital Learning, Student Success

License

CC BY

Media Format

PDF

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Description

The EDTL student intern team has collaborated to produce advice for students for effective remote learning during Covid-19

Benefit of this resource and how to make the best use of it

Engaging with the infograph provides a suite of helpful approaches collated by the EDTL project’s student intern team for other students around planning for effective learning during COVID-19. Many of the recommendations are worthwhile considering in order to best prepare for learning across several settings. An editable, and an Irish, version of the infograph are also provided in the supplementary files.

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

This work is licensed under a CC BY license, allowing sharing and adaptation with proper attribution.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Irish Universities Association, and IUA Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning in Irish Universities (EDTL project) (2021). Edtl approach for students: planning for effective learning during covid-19. advice from the edtl student team (for students, by students). National Resource Hub (Ireland). Retrieved from: https://hub.teachingandlearning.ie/resource/edtl-approach-for-students-planning-for-effective-learning-during-covid-19-advice-from-the-edtl-student-team-for-students-by-students/ License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).

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In 2024/25 research was undertaken in higher education institutions in Ireland to explore commuter students’ experiences and to consider changes that would improve their experiences and outcomes. It addressed the questions: i. How does being a commuter student impact on student experiences and outcomes in higher education institutions in Ireland? ii. How can higher education institutions improve the experience and outcomes of commuter students? The study combined a semi-structured review and thematic analysis of the websites of the seven higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland, with two online ‘town hall focus groups’ (THFGs) involving 33 participants: six staff and 27 students, eight of whom were trained as facilitators and ‘jurors’ to reflect on the evidence heard. The THFGs addressed the key research questions, collecting individual responses via an online form; small groups discussed the topics and then a commuter student facilitator reported key points from their discussion into the main room. Commuter students generally found the experience of commuting to be quite negative, with few advantages. Furthermore, they felt their on-campus experience is not designed to facilitate their engagement. Students find that the organisation and delivery of the academic experience does not accommodate their needs, and they have few opportunities to engage with the wider student experience.

In Ireland around 40% of students remain in the family home – with their parents, partner or children – while participating in higher education (HE) and commute to their higher education institution (HEI). In 2024-25, the Technological Higher Education Association, now the Technological Universities Association (TUA) and the N-TUTORR Student Empowerment project leadership team, worked in partnership with Professor Liz Thomas, University of York. This resulted in an innovative project to explore commuter students’ experiences in Irish HEIs, and to consider changes that would improve the experience and outcomes for commuter students.

This Irish study builds on qualitative research undertaken in the UK (Thomas & Jones 2017). This found that commuter students are poorly defined, but self-identified commuters experienced commuting to be more tiring, stressful, and expensive than they imagined. They also reported lower engagement in some elements of the academic experience, and in the enhancement and social domains. Available secondary evidence finds that commuter student status is often correlated with not only poorer engagement but also lower outcomes, such as continuation, completion, attainment, and progression to graduate employment.

The study reported here addressed the following two questions:
i. How does being a commuter student impact on student experiences and outcomes in technological HEIs in Ireland
ii. How can technological HEIs improve the experience and outcomes of commuter students?

The study combined a semi-structured review and thematic analysis of the websites of the seven technological HEIs in Ireland, with two online ‘town hall focus groups’ (THFGs) involving 33 participants: six staff and 27 students, eight of whom were trained as facilitators and ‘jurors’ to reflect on the evidence heard. The THFGs addressed the key research questions, collecting individual responses via an online form; small groups discussed the topics and then a commuter student facilitator reported key points from their discussion into the main room. Ethical approval was secured from the University of York and participating HEIs.