Unmasking Inequality - STEM Course Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Executive Summary

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob

Report analyzing over 600 undergraduates’ STEM course experiences after spring 2020 shifts from in-person instruction to remote learning due to COVID-19. Uses a national random-sample survey conducted May 13 to June 1, 2020 to compare course satisfaction and perceived learning quality before versus after moving online. Finds STEM students report lower satisfaction than peers in non-STEM subjects both pre- and post-transition, with satisfaction levels substantially worse after courses moved online.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time2 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Background

Survey Sample and Method

Findings

Inequalities Unmasked

Implications for Future Instruction

References

Appendix A: Survey Methodology

Appendix B: Survey Items and Response Distribution

Unmasking Inequality: STEM Course Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic Barbara Means & Julie Neisler August 2020 Suggested Citation Means, B., & Neisler, J. (2020) . Unmasking Inequality: STEM Course Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Digital Promise Global. Acknowledgements This work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (DUE 2029642) . Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position, policy, or endorsement of their organization or the funding agency. We are grateful to the many colleagues who have generously shared their insights concerning the most important issues in learning online during the pandemic. These include Connie Della Piana of the National Science Foundation, Jessica Rowland Williams of the Every Learner Everywhere Network, Pati Ruiz of Digital Promise, Kristen Fox of Tyton Partners, Karen Vignare and Megan Tesene of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and Ruanda Garth-McCullough of Achieving the Dream. Contact Information Email: [bmeans@digitalpromise.org](bmeans@digitalpromise.org) [Digital Promise:](Digital Promise:)[ ](Digital Promise:)[Washington](Washington), DC: 1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 935 Washington, DC 20036 San Mateo, CA: 2955 Campus Dr. Suite 110 San Mateo, CA 94403 Website: [https://digitalpromise.org/](https://digitalpromise.org/) Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ iii Background ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Survey Sample and Method ..................................................................................................................... 1 Findings ...................................................................................................................................................3 Discussion.............................................................................................................................................. 24 Inequalities Unmasked ...................................................................................................................... 24 Implications for Future Instruction .................................................................................................... 25 References............................................................................................................................................. 27 Appendix A: Survey Methodology .......................................................................................................... 31 Appendix B: Survey Items and Response Distribution............................................................................. 34 List of Tables and Figures Figure 1. Satisfaction with their course before and after the move to remote instruction ........................6 Figure 2. Student satisfaction with quality of four dimensions of their online course ...............................7 Figure 3. Comparison of student experiences in their course before and after the shift to remote instruction ...............................................................................................................................................8 Figure 4. Severity of various problems with online course participation ................................................. 12 Table 1. Student satisfaction with course overall and with how well they were learning by number of challenges experienced.......................................................................................................................... 14 Table 2. Number of major challenges experienced in continuing their STEM course online, by student group.....................................

FAQs

What population and context does the report study?

The report studies over 600 undergraduates taking STEM courses that shifted from in-person class meetings to remote instruction in spring 2020 due to COVID-19.

How was the survey conducted?

Survey data were collected through a national random-sample survey conducted May 13 to June 1, 2020.

What does the report find about student satisfaction after moving online?

Compared with non-STEM courses, STEM students report lower satisfaction before and after the move to remote instruction, and satisfaction levels are much lower after courses move online.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob