Changes in Academic Performance and Learning Approach During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Three-Year Comparative Study in Diverse Learning Environments

During the COVID-19 pandemic, courses traditionally taught in-person were adapted to an online learning environment, and following the removal of physical distancing restrictions, courses were subsequently transitioned back into a traditional in-person learning environment. During this period of time, concerns were raised regarding student stress levels, engagement, academic performance, and the overall quality of the educational experience provided during pandemic-associated online learning. In this three-year comparative study, we used online surveys to compare three distinct learning environments within the context of the same fourth-year biological science course across three separate years: i) online (winter 2021; n=263), ii) hybrid (combined online and in-person lectures, winter 2022; n=210), and iii) in-person (winter 2023; n=171). The results indicate that there was no difference between learning environments in students’ final grades, perceived stress levels, and learning approach (deep and surface) scores (P>0.05), suggesting that students were adapting to different learning environments and academic outcomes. These results were consistent during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the years transitioning out of COVID-19-associated restrictions. However, in comparison to in-person learning, students associated the online learning environment with more overall stress, specifically stress associated with organizing a schedule and a higher workload (P<0.05). Collectively, these findings demonstrate that a consistent educational experience can be provided in online learning without adverse effects on students’ grades, overall perceived stress levels, and learning approach, which should be considered when making decisions regarding the effectiveness of online learning or the continuation of course delivery within an online environment post-pandemic.