Pandemic learning left students feeling behind. Post-secondary transition courses aim to get them on track

Going from high school to college or university is typically a stressful time. 

But having to navigate the transition after spending most of high school in a pandemic makes it even harder, says 18-year-old Jamie Raybould.

"I wasn't sure ... if I was learning the content — if I was learning all of it or if I was retaining all of it — because of the constant shift from online to in-person [classes]," they said. "My biggest concern was honestly that I would be behind."

Now a first-year student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Raybould said they're still not sure if they are prepared. 

"I have struggled with some of my courses in the beginning, trying to get my footing, [wondering] 'Do I have the same baseline as everyone else?' and 'How do I get to that same baseline?'"

Better support for students starting post-secondary studies was on the radar pre-COVID, but pandemic learning disruptions have amplified the need, according to students, professors and those researching higher education. And the educators behind new courses that are focused on first-year students hope to bridge the gap — and help get them on a path to academic success.

Introducing or expanding upon programs to help first-year students strengthen academic skills and bridge knowledge gaps is one of the recommendations of a 2022 report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), published after researchers surveyed Ontario students who graduated high school in spring 2020 and started post-secondary that fall.

In addition to feeling they didn't have the skills needed for the shift to strictly online courses, more than 70 per cent of the students surveyed said they found a lack of motivation to be the main challenge to academic success in their first year after high school.

"A similar number said a main challenge was staying focused and engaged," said Jeffrey Napierala, senior researcher at HEQCO and co-author of the report. "A lot of students also said that they have difficulty just staying on top of their coursework and their homework."

He and colleague Natalie Pilla, also a co-author of the report, encourage institutions to help students develop their ability for independent learning — how to manage their schedules and course loads, for example — as well as how to build specific skill sets needed for remote learning, given the greater reliance on online course delivery in the past few years.

"What we heard from students was that this was a real big need and a gap in in their knowledge and skills," said Pilla, a fellow HEQCO researcher. 

The sooner this is addressed for incoming students, the better. 

"These are skills that students need right away, when they start [post-secondary]," Napierala said. "If we wait too long ... then we risk students being overwhelmed and becoming disengaged."

Nearly three months into the fall term, Raybould feels they're now on stronger footing, thanks to one of two new courses offered to first-year Dalhousie students in September.