Academic impact of sudden and unforeseen changes in the learning environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic

This study evaluates the impact of changes in the learning environment due to the COVID-19 restrictions at the university level in Singapore. Data is based on the grades and student evaluations of 282 students from two cohorts who in 2020 experienced in-class and online teaching consecutively, and compares academic performance in both learning environments considering the existing relationship between student evaluations and teacher-student interaction. Results show differences in academic performance on the final exam between the two modes, however, these differences are not related to the student evaluation of the lecturer nor teacher-student interaction as these remained unalterable despite the transition from in-class to online learning. The conclusion is that it is possible to maintain an optimum quality of education without alterations in student evaluations or in teacher-student interaction in both online and in-class contexts. However, it is necessary to design a course appropriate assessment strategy consistent with the specific learning environment.