Teachers’ and Students’ Well-being During Online Meetings in Autumn 2022: A Mobile Ethnographic Study at the University of Iceland

Description

🔍 Summary
This research aimed to explore how teachers and students at the University of Iceland experienced real-time online classes (e.g., Zoom, Teams) during the fall of 2022. A mobile ethnographic approach was used, allowing participants to reflect on each session by using an app where they submitted:

an emoji representing their mood

a short written description

a photo representing their experience

a tag related to the theme of their feedback

👨‍🏫👩‍🎓 Participants
9 teachers from three academic schools

26 students

37 responses from students and 16 from teachers

📊 Key Findings
Average mood on a scale from 0 to 4:

Students: 3.4

Teachers: 3.1

Students were generally more positive than teachers about the online learning experience.

Most selected emojis reflected positive emotions (levels 3 or 4).

✏️ Positive Experiences (Open Feedback)
Students reported:

gratitude for being able to attend class while sick or living far from campus

appreciation for well-organized courses and engaging teachers

positive social interaction with peers

comfort and safety in their own environment

Teachers highlighted:

success in using interactive tools (e.g., word clouds, breakout rooms)

joy in connecting with students in real time

use of tools like Mentimeter, Teams, and Padlet

🚧 Negative Experiences
Teachers felt challenged in hyflex settings (simultaneous on-campus and online teaching), citing difficulties with discussion flow and delivering content effectively. One noted poor sound quality from a guest lecturer.

Students wished for more camera etiquette and occasionally faced technical issues (though usually resolved collaboratively).

📸 Photos
Few teachers and students uploaded photos. Most showed real teaching environments; some were more expressive (e.g., pajamas at home, city scenes suggesting remote locations like Singapore).

🌍 International Comparison (PLACEDU)
Compared to Slovenia, Greece, and Lithuania, Iceland had the highest student satisfaction and ranked highly among teachers as well.

Period	14 Dec 2023
Event title	Jólakennslukaffi Kennslumiðstöðvar
Event type	Seminar
Location	Reykjavík, IcelandShow on map
Degree of Recognition	National