The emotional impact of commuting during COVID-19

Project title:

Understanding emotional journeys: the emotional impact of commuting and campus-based learning during the era of COVID-19

“Commuting can negatively impact on student engagement, which is a key issue in being able successfully to complete a degree.”

Researcher:

Project proposal:

University of Roehampton students have diverse needs, and one significant issue for high-quality engagement is the role of commuting to campus for in-person sessions. Commuting can negatively impact on student engagement, which is a key issue in being able to successfully complete a degree. COVID-19 has transformed experiences of commuting, increasing feelings of risk and insecurity while commuting to campus and providing new forms of ‘commute’ for those engaging with e-learning resources; many of whom cannot do this at home. This research engages with the emotional challenges faced by students on their ‘commute’ – whether onto campus or accessing e-learning resources for remote learning. This wider interpretation of ‘commuting’ takes into consideration the different circumstances students have been negotiating as well as associated challenges.
This research will employ a multi-method, qualitative approach which includes visual methods. Visual methods will provide a novel approach to conceptualising the emotional experience of these students through personal photographs and drawings related to their ‘commute’. Approximately 35 students will participate in this project. This participatory research strategy will enable student participants to engage with their ‘journey’ as an affective experience. This will improve their emotional literacy and develop key employability skills like problem-solving, communication, creativity, and self-management.

Photo by Alexandre Debiève on Unsplash

Themes: