Sudden shift to online teaching at University of Helsinki during the COVID-19 epidemic : reflections and student experiences

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the University of Helsinki moved its teaching online in a matter of days. This article reflects on the drastic change from face-to-face to online learning especially in two courses organized at the University of Helsinki during spring 2020: an immunology and a University pedagogy course. We discuss student learning and, in particular, how the switch to online learning was perceived by the students, their thoughts about the new teaching methods implemented, and how they assessed their own learning in the new digital environment. Interestingly, student feedback indicated that students did not find the switch to online learning especially challenging, and they felt that learning in general worked well. This indicates that online teaching, which supports active and deep learning strategies, using continuous assessment methods and teacher feedback, can reach aimed learning outcomes. Many students commented that they would like to keep at least some of these online learning elements also in the future, even when contact teaching would again be possible.