What is Breakout Sessions

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators everywhere transitioned to an online environment. This abrupt transition brought about some challenges: educators shifted their content and activities online, while their students attended classes and completed assignments online. This action research study analyzed the challenges experienced by an educator and her students during the summer and Fall 2020 semesters at a mid-size university. The researchers collected student surveys about their experiences with online learning. Results highlight the educator's struggle to make learning more interactive, as well as students' challenges with navigating the online platform and maintaining focus in class. Conversely, the online experience provided the following benefits: flexibility (logging in from different locations), comfort (joining class from home), and convenience (recorded class sessions). In alignment with the action research, the educator will continue to reflect on her practice in an attempt to make changes to the instruction and content of her classes.