Did remote COVID teaching feel less engaging to students?

After a sudden shift online, students reported poorer engagement and action/expression supports, while some representation access improved.

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How many students responded to the survey?

1,731 students from a distribution list of 19,752.

What university context was studied?

A Very High Research Activity university in the western United States.

Which UDL principles worsened after the shift?

Engagement and Action & Expression were significantly poorer online.

What is UDL?

An evidence-based inclusive instructional design approach with three broad principles.

What happened to Representation for some students?

Representation gain scores indicated improvement after the transition, especially for disability-service-eligible students.

How does instructor communication matter?

Frequency and helpfulness of communication related to perceived quality of online instruction.

When did classes shift online?

In March 2020, courses moved to a totally online format.

What survey design captured change?

Retrospective pretest–posttest items comparing before and after perceptions.

How many respondents were eligible for disability services?

153 students reported eligibility.

What practical suggestion follows for instructors?

Enhance availability and communication with students to improve perceived quality.

Was participation mandatory?

No; the online survey was anonymous and voluntary.

What prior mode dominated before COVID?

The large majority of courses were taught face-to-face.