In January 2020, a novel variant of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) leading to the disease known as COVID-19 was identified in the United States. By March of 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, leading to the development and implementation of measures to limit the spread of the virus which included social distancing and shelter-in-place orders by multiple government agencies. The enactment of these measures radically and quickly changed higher education logistics and affected course presentations, pedagogy, and academic integrity. Modes of instruction ranged from asynchronous instruction where students received all course content through a learning management system (LMS) such as Blackboard or Canvas to synchronous instruction where students were required to attend classes <i>via </i>Zoom video conferencing at specific times. A hybrid modality, where a fraction of students were allowed to physically attend some of the scheduled class periods while completing the rest of the work through an LMS and Zoom, was also developed. This presentation will explore the techniques used by faculty to transform the chemistry and biochemistry curriculum at a Hispanic-serving institution with a significant proportion of first-generation students and the response of students to these changes. Additionally, the increase in the incidents of cheating that occurred during the shift to virtual instructions will also be explored. Based on surveys presented to evaluate the preferred mode of instruction and cheating. Results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference in satisfaction with face-to-face instruction (M = 4.13, SD = 0.765) and satisfaction with virtual instruction (M = 3.57, SD = 0.961), t(440) = 13.30, p &lt; 0.001, Cohen’s d of 0.63, and Cronbach’s α of 0.767 indicating a preference to face-to-face instruction. Open-ended survey questions identify that the primary academic challenges faced by students involved technology, understanding material, and difficulty obtaining help, while the primary nonacademic challenges were work issues, focus/motivation, and family issues. Additionally, the effects of the pandemic on academic honesty will also be evaluated.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic honesty

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.