Changes with time of Practitioners’ opinions of online Mathematics and Statistics Support

Abstract

As an established part of the infrastructure of many higher education institutions in the UK and across the world, Mathematics and Statistics Support (MSS), was forced to move to an online setting as a result of restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With institutions offering limited online support prior to the pandemic, MSS practitioners were mostly unprepared to deliver online provisions. Survey data from May 2020 gives a first look at the immediate response of practitioners to online MSS. Interview data from January/February 2021 explores opinions after a period of reflection, and survey data from June 2021, over a year on from the initial sample, provides a direct comparison in opinion of online support a year later. This paper explores these three datasets, investigating the practitioner perspective and offers an overall reflection of how MSS practitioners’ opinions of online support measures have changed from their “crisis-reaction” at the beginning of the pandemic to a more considered response as COVID-19 prevention measures are beginning to ease a year later.