Changes in Class Delivery and Assessment Before and After the COVID-19:

Focusing on the Studentsʼ Workload

Abstract

  During the two years from AY2020 through AY2021, most Japanese higher education institutions closed their campuses and shifted their classes online as a measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper is based on a survey of JACUE members responsible for teaching at universities during that period, which was conducted as part of the research project. This study examines how the methods and ideas of assessing student learning outcomes have changed due to the limitations of face-to-face classes. In this examination, we focused on how attempts were made to ensure and confirm the amount of student learning when conducting classes at a distance and assessing learning outcomes based on the principles of the credit system. The reason for focusing on these points was to gain insight into how to ensure the amount of student learning, which is a prerequisite for the awarding of credits, in the event that online classes are promoted in the future due to other factors such as policy support after the outbreak of infectious diseases has subsided.

  The analysis based on the member survey results revealed that the frequency of lecturers checking studentsʼ learning progress, which temporarily increased during the pandemic control measures, decreased once the face-to-face classes resumed. This suggests that if non-face-to-face courses are to be promoted —beyond the makeshift measures— concern not only for the provision of classes but also for student involvement is required to guarantee the amount of learning.