ERIC Number: EJ1410758
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1492-3831
Available Date: N/A
Understanding Indigenous Learners' Experiences during the First and Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Josie C. Auger; Janelle M. Baker; Martin Connors; Barbara Martin
International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, v24 n4 p64-79 2023
This paper focuses on the experiences of Indigenous learners at Athabasca University. Having access to online education provided a sense of normalcy for students during the global pandemic while many post-secondary institutions and Indigenous communities were closed. The purpose of the research was two-fold: (1) to determine the dynamics of reaching Indigenous learners and measuring their adaptability in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) to understand the effects of the pandemic on the mind, body, spirit, and social environment of Indigenous distance education learners and their families. This research included qualitative and quantitative methods, specifically, a survey, focus group, and individual interviews. We share the results of online research involving Indigenous students during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. We concluded that listening to Indigenous students supported their online education while giving them an outlet to express their experiences. This research identified Indigenous student adaptations towards their spirituality in specific ways inherent to their culture given the reactions to COVID-19, their responses, and reflections.
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Indigenous Populations, Student Characteristics, Electronic Learning, Distance Education, Student Experience, College Students, Educational Experience, Universities, Adjustment (to Environment), Personality Traits, Social Environment, Well Being, Family (Sociological Unit), Foreign Countries
Athabasca University Press. 1200, 10011-109 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 3S8, Canada. Tel: 780-497-3412; Fax: 780-421-3298; e-mail: irrodl@athabascau.ca; Web site: http://www.irrodl.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A