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Technology can assist instructional designers and teachers in meeting the needs of learners in traditional classrooms and virtual course environments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many teachers and instructional designers began looking for resources they could use for hybrid and online course delivery. Many found that the cost of some technology tools was well outside of their financial means to assist them in meeting student learning outcomes. However, some digital tools provide free access for educators and are beneficial to students. In this article, the authors shared five tools they have used in developing and teaching online and traditional technology courses at the college level. They share how they used a learning management system tool, a collaboration tool, a search engine tool, a content creation tool, and a content sharing tool to engage students in their courses. As teachers look for alternatives to use as they move content from classroom teaching to online instruction, this article can help them consider the recommended tools for instruction. Teachers, instructors, and instructional designers may explore the free digital tools in this article and do further research on other digital tools to support student learning in their disciplines.
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This content will become publicly available on October 14, 2025
COVID-19 pandemic impacts on student learning in undergraduate mineralogy
Online and hybrid instruction as a response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presented specific challenges in geosciences due to the role of laboratory and field activities. We carried out a research study on student learning in undergraduate mineralogy at a large public research university in the United States over a 4-year period including pre-pandemic in-person instruction and during pandemic online and hybrid instruction. A total of 94 students participated in course activities and mixed-method surveys. Survey results indicated that during the pandemic, students entered the course with lower sense of belonging relative to pre-pandemic students. Despite challenges related to instruction and student learning since 2020, the pandemic did not necessarily produce worse learning outcomes for mineralogy students as measured by course assessments. Structured course delivery and opportunities for interaction can offset challenges resulting from global emergencies.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1751664
- PAR ID:
- 10575015
- Publisher / Repository:
- Taylor and Francis
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geoscience Education
- ISSN:
- 1089-9995
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 15
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- remote learning mineralogy higher education COVID-19
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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