In response to the pandemic, faculty had to unexpectedly adapt courses to virtual learning while they and students coped with stress induced by the lockdown and social isolation. In three undergraduate courses at a four-year Hispanic-serving institution, there was a notable change in student attendance (95% to 65%) and number of students submitting assignments on time (91% to 69%) from pre-pandemic face-to-face instruction to post-transition virtual instruction. Pedagogical interventions were implemented in these three courses in the fall 2020 semester to address these issues in student behavior and performance. Primary interventions were aimed at directly addressing the issues observed in the first semester of virtual instruction: (1) accountability groups, (2) individual outreach, (3) extensive feedback provided in a timely fashion, and (4) alignment of course content schedule with assignment due dates. Secondary interventions, which were designed to provide additional support to the students, included using a learner intake survey to identify student concerns, creating a welcoming environment, and being flexible but firm with revised assignment due dates. Improvements were noted in class attendance (65% to 88%) and the number of students submitting assignments on time (69% to 86%). Other benefits were observed, such as students creating their own support networks to navigate the stress of the pandemic, a self-reported strong sense of community that helped with social isolation, and an increase in students attending faculty office hours.

Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa7.6.