During the COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning became the predominant teaching method at most universities, exposing students and teachers alike to novel and unexpected challenges and learning opportunities. Our study is situated in the context of higher physics education at a large Swedish university and adopts a mixed-methods approach to explore how students perceive shifts to distance learning. Quantitative student survey responses comparing distance learning during the pandemic with previous in-person learning are analyzed with k-means cluster analysis and with a random-intercept multilevel linear model. Combined analyses produce a consistent picture of students who report having experienced the greatest challenges. They are on average younger, report being less autonomous in their learning, and find it harder than peers to ask questions to the instructor. They are also less likely to have access to a place where they can study without interruptions. Variation across courses is small with students being largely subjected to the same set of challenges. Qualitative data from semi-structured focus group interviews and open-ended questions supports these findings, provides a deeper understanding of the struggles, and reveals possibilities for future interventions. Students report an overall collapse of structure in their learning that takes place along multiple dimensions. Our findings highlight a fundamental role played by informal peer-to-peer and student-instructor interactions, and by the exchange of what we refer to as “structural information.” We discuss implications for teachers and institutions regarding the possibility of providing support structures, such as study spaces, as well as fostering student autonomy.

在 COVID-19 大流行期间，远程学习成为大多数大学的主要教学方法，使学生和教师都面临新奇和意想不到的挑战和学习机会。我们的研究以瑞典一所大型大学的高等物理教育为背景，采用混合方法来探索学生如何看待远程学习的转变。通过 k 均值聚类分析和随机截距多级线性模型，对大流行期间的远程学习与之前的面对面学习进行比较的定量学生调查响应进行了分析。综合分析得出了报告经历过最大挑战的学生的一致情况。他们平均年龄较小，学习自主性较差，并且比同龄人更难向老师提问。他们也不太可能进入可以不受干扰地学习的地方。不同课程的差异很小，学生大部分面临相同的挑战。来自半结构化焦点小组访谈和开放式问题的定性数据支持了这些发现，提供了对斗争的更深入的理解，并揭示了未来干预的可能性。学生们报告说，他们的学习结构在多个维度上发生了全面崩溃。我们的研究结果强调了非正式的同伴和学生与教师的互动以及我们所说的“结构信息”的交换所发挥的基本作用。我们讨论了提供学习空间等支持结构以及培养学生自主权的可能性对教师和机构的影响。