Endorsed, or Just Enforced? Personality and Preferences for Online Learning During COVID-19
Date
2022-09
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Abstract
Online learning has a history of higher dropout rates than in-person learning despite its continued growth. Research on online learning and remote work has historically been conducted using populations who were already attracted to those modalities, but COVID-19 forced many organizations operating in-person to suddenly switch to online formats. This created a novel population of individuals who were not previously engaged in, or necessarily attracted to, online learning and remote work, and the opportunity to learn more about how individual differences influence preferences for online modalities. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between university students’ (N = 465) personalities, preferences for online learning, and preferences for remote work. We found a modest overall effect of personality on preference for online learning. Students high in Honesty-Humility or Extraversion are less likely to prefer online learning and remote work. More students preferred in-person learning than online learning, and those who preferred in-person learning felt more strongly about their decision on average than those who preferred online learning. The number of students who preferred remote work was approximately equal to those who preferred in-person work. Additionally, an EFA of attitudes toward factors of the learning experience revealed six most important mechanisms of online learning preference. Together, these findings indicate that individuals’ personality traits have some influence on their preference of learning and work modality. This suggests that virtual modalities likely attract individuals with certain traits more than others, which may have implications for course drop-out rates and work recruitment. Understanding that pattern can guide the design of online learning and remote work programs to attract and accommodate a wider range of individuals, or individuals with desired traits, based on experiences and attitudes that shape their preferences.
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Keywords
personality, online learning, remote work, preferences, HEXACO, COVID-19
Citation
MacLean, K. (2022). Endorsed, or just enforced? Personality and preferences for online learning during COVID-19 (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.