A Tale of Two Pandemic Semesters: Examining the Longitudinal Impact of COVID-19 on Student Online Learning and Behaviors

In the Spring of 2020, colleges and universities around the world joined primary and secondary education providers and businesses of all types in moving to an online, socially distant environment. Seen as necessary to stem the relentless spread of COVID-19, a deadly contagion, the move dramatically impacted lives, livelihoods and social connections. In the Spring 2020 Semester, six weeks after the State of Louisiana issued a “stay at home” order, resulting in a move to 100% distance delivery of coursework, students at a public university in the state were surveyed for this research project as to the impact of the pandemic on their use of technology, social media, and online learning. Likewise, seven months later, at the end of the Fall 2020 Semester, students at the same university were again surveyed as to the impact of the move to using online technologies for everything from learning to shopping, communications, entertainment and more. Findings related to the use of technology and the impact of digital learning among respondents were investigated and compared between the groups to determine changes in online technology use for learning and more over time during this critical period during the coronavirus pandemic. The article concludes with a look ahead and an examination of areas for future research.