Norms, appropriation, and social affordances in studying in emergency remote teaching: a meta-analysis of student experiences

Abstract

In March 2020, all Swedish university education went online practically overnight due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study focuses on how university students experienced emergency remote education in the fall of 2020. This article is framed by a sociocultural perspective of learning and the tools present in such learning contexts. This article provides a thematic meta-analysis of 53 student group reports based on 247 interviews with third-year university students. The findings suggest three themes of particular interest, regarding what areas the students themselves found important or challenging: awareness of what it means to be a student, technology reframing communication, and need for explicit guidance. The findings are discussed in relation to norms, appropriation, self-regulation and tutoring presence as important factors to consider in emergency remote teaching.