Transitioning to online instruction: Strong ties and anxiety

We surveyed a national sample of United States physics faculty about the COVID-19 transition to online learning. Most faculty had 1–2 weeks to prepare and no experience with teaching online. They relied on department peers to discuss approaches and used lecture adaptations such as video conferencing rather than new curricular elements. Their responses were empathetic to the students’ situation, and 90% believed they were average or above at implementing online instruction. Faculty’s preference for local resources and existing methods suggests that in a crisis, strong network ties will dominate as information sources, with consequences for professional development and instructional change.

Figure 1

Resources used by faculty. Left: Sources of guidance used in the transition to online instruction. “Social media” includes Twitter and Facebook. “Professional societies” includes the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Physical Society. Right: Most commonly chosen changes to course structure.

Figure 2

Prevalence of online teaching experience by highest degree offered in department: associate’s degree (32), bachelor’s degree (123), master’s degree (29), and Ph.D. (477).

Figure 3

Faculty ranking of aggregate anxiety comparing online vs face-to-face instruction.

Figure 4

Perceived efficacy of implementing online instruction.