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Changes in student behaviour during COVID-19

An overview of the current state of student behaviour and wellbeing du...

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Industry Reports

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StuDocu Research

Academic year: 2019/2020

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Technische Universiteit Delft

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Changes in student

behaviour during COVID-

An overview of the current state of

student behaviour and wellbeing during

the worldwide COVID-19 crisis

A report by StuDocu

1642 Total Respondents

Country of Origin Age Range

United States

Living Situation

1% Live alone in the dorms

Live with housemates off campus

Live alone off campus

Live with family off campus

Unanswered

Live with a roomate in a dorm

64%

13%

18-

21-

24-

27-

30-

32+

Uknown

The Netherlands

Methodology

####### Between March 24th and April 17th 2020, over 1600 students who

####### are now forced to study in isolation due to COVID-19 were surveyed

####### across the Netherlands and the United States.

####### Qualified respondents were presented with a series of questions

####### about their changed study behaviour and the repercussions of

####### isolation on their ability to study from home, as well as the effect it has

####### on their productivity, mental health and accessibility to education.

####### Analysis of the results was conducted through quantitative methods.

####### This included data analysis of survey responses and comparisons

####### drawn from the respondents study behaviour prior to COVID-

####### regulations. This provided thorough insight into the changed

####### behaviour of students. These results will give educational facilities,

####### the government and the general public an understanding of areas in

####### which support is lacking.

Foreword

During this unpredictable and worrisome time, education doesn’t seem

to come first, even though today’s students are the contributors to our

future economy. They need support just as much as the current

workforce in navigating the corona pandemic. The younger population

needs to be lent a helping hand, as many don’t have the life experience

yet.

Do we actually know what students need right now and what are their

greatest pain points at the moment? Without being able to see students

in classrooms or lecture halls, have we any idea how they are actually

doing in isolation? And is it realistic to expect the same achievements and

productivity in their studies as before COVID-19?

The aim of this industry report is to be able to answer these questions

and to evaluate whether the approach the educational sector is taking is

plausible and effective.

We also want to emphasize the importance of EdTech in these changing times. For the past few years educational institutions have been hesitant to adapt to the digitization of our society and now, all of a sudden, EdTech is what they have to rely on to keep the ball rolling. It’s about time new and modern resources are considered. EdTech offers constant insight into student’s behaviour, makes students feel less alone due to the many ways it facilitates collaboration and is one of the adaptations needed for a successful future. We hope these insights provide readers with valuable information on how to aid university students during this pandemic and how to make sure they keep thriving in their studies

Marnix Broers, CEO of StuDocu

Engaged students and responsible educational facilities drive the future of our society.

Has isolation during COVID- affected how you feel mentally?

Do you have a place in your living space where you can study without distractions?

Ye s No Unanswered

62%

31%

No, hasn’t made a difference

Yes, it got worse

Yes, it got better

62%

26%

11%

Pain Points

Pain Points Overview

Pain Points

Strain on Mental Health

Mental health and burnout have been at the forefront of issues faced by higher education students, especially with the rise of awareness in depression and anxiety. Students believe that there is an excess of pressure to succeed, sometimes in fields that don't truly interest them, that is put on them from multiple sources.

While COVID-19 has not necessarily increased this pressure on students, it has affected their mental health by keeping them locked in their homes with limited access to resources and an abundance of distractions.

Our results show that not only do a majority of students feel worse off mentally, but happiness is hard to come by. When less than 20% of students feel happiness regularly, this issue takes a whole new form and needs to be addressed.

Stress, anxiety, and loneliness are difficult to combat and can lead to a lack of productivity, which is why over 60% of students believe that their mental health has interfered with their ability to get their course work done during their quarantine.

Since the COVID-19 quarantine began, students believe that their mental health has been greatly affected by the time they have had to spend in isolation.

Stress

0 20 40 60 80

Frustration

Anxiety

Loneliness

Depression

Hopelessness

Which feelings do you feel most often since

you have been in isolation due to the pandemic?

Happiness

Indifference

OCD

Greatest Pain Points: Stress, Frustration, Lack of Happiness

Pain Points

Accessibility to Educational Resources

It’s no secret that students often struggle financially. That tends to happen when you have a negative income every month due to tuition, book fees, housing, food, public transportation, and most importantly, caffeine. Let’s be honest, a student job on the side is making a small dent in overcoming these costs.

So it makes sense that things like a printer would be considered a luxury for students, especially when their University provides one with the cost of about 10 cents a page. Luckily for students they don’t have to worry about printing papers as COVID has forced deadlines and papers to be submitted digitally

However, what about the computer lab? University computers offer programs which students don’t have the bankroll to afford. And the ones that can afford them are getting an unfair advantage.

This is why 25% of students said that they are dependent on the resources provided by their University. It has left those struggling to adapt worried that they will not be able to continue with their studies.

The final pain point students shared their thoughts on was the accessibility to resources at their university.

27%

68%

Ye s No Unanswered Ye s No Unanswered

52%

45%

Do you feel worried about not being able to continue your studies during COVID-19 due to not have accessibili- ties to the tools you need to succeed?

Are you dependent on the facilities

your university would normally

provide on campus?

Greatest Pain Point: Students are dependent on the facilities and are worried about their ability to continue education.

Value Drivers

####### Maybe it’s the cheap, rocket fuel like coffee offered at the University

####### or the delicious sandwiches served at the cantine made with some

####### cheap cheese on stale bread. Students value these things as an

####### important part of their daily routines that keeps them grinding

####### through a fast paced lifestyle balancing education with work,

####### extracurriculars and friends.

####### However, routines have changed due to COVID. Going to campus is no

####### longer an option. Even leaving the house has become a luxury, and

####### forget about meeting friends. That's why we asked students what they

####### value most during their time in isolation. We want to better

####### understand what is helping them get through it.

Value Drivers

Family and Friends in a moments notice

Usually, anyone who is not retired manages to stay busy. If you have a job, then throughout the week you find yourself at work for the majority of the day. If you are looking for a job, then you are in interviews or out buying clothes for an interview. If you are a student, you find yourself in a class or an exam.

Right now, schedules are pretty wide open. Yes, some people are still working from home and have meetings throughout the day. But it's a lot easier to have a quick phone call in the middle of the day at home than in the office. And in a time where everyone’s mental health is a serious concern, a short phone call is all that is needed to brighten up your day.

That's exactly why students feel that the ability to call their family and friends is something that is important to them right now. Busy lives which have prevented phone call catch ups with physically distant friends are no longer an issue. People have more time to listen to each other and that's important.

If we are to take anything from COVID and implement it into our daily lives going forward, it should be making time to be there for our friends and family. Students value it so should the rest of us.

Along with flexibility, students said that they find that they appreciate being able to call their family and friends. Given that everyone is at home for most of their day, there are more opportunities for phone calls if they need to talk.

How to cope with feeling mentally unstable?

Phone a friend

0 10 20 30 40

Do something creative

Work out

Call Parents

Stay in bed all day

I dont talk about it

Call Psychologist

Greatest Value Drivers: Phone a friend, Call parents

####### Along with students, Universities have been forced to rapidly adapt their

####### teaching methods. On top of adapting to new technology and helping

####### their teachers provide an adequate education, they are also charged with

####### helping students. However, how they are helping students is a bit unclear.

Universities

Helping Students

Universities Helping Students

Note on Ed-Tech

EdTech platforms used by students

Universities have finally begun to steer into technology to provide additional aid. But this adoption has not been easy. Having to move all lectures online is not a huge change with it being quite easy upload recordings. But exams online? Interactive classes online? These are major adjustments that most of them were not prepared to make.

It's safe to say that in the past universities have been pretty conservative with their adoption of tech. That is exactly why they were caught off guard and unprepared. With flexibility being a key value driver, why haven’t they made these changes already as an option for students who have a little bit less availability?

Online classes have been available for a while, but often they don’t offer the same type of education. There is no interactivity, no collaboration, and oftentimes a very monolithic learning experience.

That’s why it's important for Universities to learn from this and modernize. You can make learning online interactive and diverse. The school closures have shown this. Is it perfect right now? Absolutely not, but it has set the building blocks to do so. With a steer into Ed-Tech, Universities can be better prepared in case anything like COVID happens again.

The Education system has been notoriously slow to adapt to new technology. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an experience which is beginning to foster change.

About StuDocu

####### StuDocu is an Ed-Tech platform started by 4 Dutch students in Delft.

####### The platform looks to connect students by offering a space to share

####### notes with one another.

####### We are devoted to modernizing the future of education. While we

####### offer a tech solution, we are also advocates for changes to be made at

####### the University level to support collaboration as well as aid in the

####### mental health of students.

####### Our mission is to empower everyone to excel at their studies by

####### providing the best tools to study more efficiently. The platform is

####### translated into 34 different languages and there are materials from

####### over 11,000 Universities around the world.

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