Impact of COVID-19 Campus Closure on Undergraduates

Background The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an abrupt transition from in-person to online learning in Spring 2020. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of the transition on undergraduates during the period following the campus closure. Method 131 psychology undergraduate students completed an online survey of how the COVID-19 closure had impacted their academics, online learning environment, and traumatic stress symptoms (using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM-5). Results Most participants reported increased academic difficulty compared to before closure. Approximately 30% reported elevated traumatic stress symptoms. Greater traumatic stress was associated with greater difficulty completing assignments, more limited access to the internet and quiet places to study, and greater sibling-care responsibilities. Conclusions The acute transition to online instruction posed academic and emotional challenges to many students, especially those from environments with competing demands or less access to academic supports. Follow-up evaluation is needed to determine whether these difficulties have persisted in subsequent semesters of online instruction. Teaching Implication Instructors should anticipate the emotional and academic needs of students who are relatively unfamiliar with online instruction and consider ways to minimize negative environmental impacts and increase access to mental health resources.

Learning difficulties

Specific deficits in information processing in the brain are the commonest causes of academic difficulties in children with ADHD. For many children with ADHD, academic difficulty is not confined to a particular subject but occurs across several areas of study. This chapter explores learning difficulties in ADHD, including common areas of difficulty, including written expression, oral expression, and others. The chapter also discusses when problems become apparent, the causes of learning difficulty in ADHD (poor concentration, impulsivity, working memory impairment, defiance, low self-esteem, social difficulties, poor incentival motivation, auditory processing impairment, difficulties in spelling, handwriting, and organizing), as well as dyslexia and ADHD, and the gifted child with ADHD.

Predicting Academic Difficulty in Veterinary Medicine: A Case-Control Study

A veterinary education is costly and time-consuming, so it is in the best interests of applicants and colleges alike that admissions processes be fair and select applicants who are likely to succeed. We employed a case-control study to explore whether any of 28 admissions variables used by a veterinary college located in the Midwest region of the United States predicted which students would encounter academic difficulty in the veterinary curriculum. Participants were selected from the veterinary classes admitted between 2008 and 2017. We defined academic difficulty cases ( n = 55) as any students dismissed from the program or placed on academic probation. Controls ( n = 220) were selected at random from the same classes, excluding the academic difficulty cases, students with honor code violations, or any who had exited the program early for any reason other than participation in a concurrent program. Admissions variables included: gender, citizenship, underrepresented status, state of residence, age, interview scores, GPA (science), GRE scores, undergraduate credits, participation in honors courses, community college credits, repeats/withdrawals of required undergraduate courses, course load, and admissions committee review criteria including work experience, animal/vet experience, references, essays, leadership, personal development, special circumstances, and overall committee score. Zero-order correlations for academic difficulty were significant for underrepresented status, age, GPA (science), verbal and quantitative GRE scores, repeats/withdrawals, and references. When combined in logistic regression, only science GPA, verbal GRE, and references significantly and independently predicted struggler status.

Academic Challenges for Chinese Transfer Students in Engineering

This article describes a research study determining the most significant academic challenges experienced by Chinese transfer students in engineering at an American university. The survey-based study examined eight areas where transfer students may have academic difficulty and determined that the most significant of those concern transfer credit issues, student–instructor and student–student language difficulties, and classroom culture differences. The cultural differences, related to course syllabi, classroom discussion and group work, and frequency of assignments and exams, are partially explained in terms of a theoretical framework based on Hofstede’s power distance and risk avoidance elements. Recommendations are made of ways to ease these challenges and make the intercultural experience richer for both the transfer students and their American hosts.

Dealing with Academic Difficulty in Medical School: A Pilot Study

Some students struggle through medical school and do not have the confidence to seek help. This pilot study sought to explore the challenges and needs of medical students experiencing academic difficulty. Semi-structured interviews and online surveys were used to collect data from an academic advisor and thirteen medical students who had experienced academic difficulty. Unexpected academic failure and the loss of self-efficacy contributed to students hiding their academic difficulty and avoiding available support systems. Despite the sampling limitations, the findings of this pilot study have value in giving direction to future research. Programs that will change the current attitudes to academic difficulty, normalising access to support and encouraging early intervention, are needed to build the capacity for excellence among these students.

Identity Research That Engages Contextual Forces to Reduce Socioeconomic Disparities in Education

A growing amount of psychological research contributes to the understanding of complex social issues, including socioeconomic disparities in academic outcomes. At a basic level, several studies demonstrate the ways that socioeconomic resources and opportunities shape the identities of students during adolescence and young adulthood, particularly emphasizing how they imagine their lives in the future. These future identities, in turn, affect how students engage in school tasks and respond to academic difficulty. The implications of these basic insights connecting socioeconomic resources, identity, and academic outcomes are most meaningful when considered within various levels of social-contextual influence that surround students. A collection of studies demonstrates how peers, parents, teachers, and educational institutions as a whole can be targeted and leveraged to support student identities and outcomes. This deepened engagement with various levels of context can complement and advance the existing emphasis on individual-level intervention as a strategy to contribute to the progress of psychological science toward greater influence and significance.