  In 2020, many instructors and students at colleges and universities were
thrust into an unprecedented situation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
disruptions. Even though they typically engage in in-person teaching and
learning in brick and mortar classrooms, remote instruction was the only
possibility. Many instructors at our institution who had to switch from
in-person to remote instruction without any notice earlier in the year worked
extremely hard to design and teach online courses to support their students
during the second half of 2020. Since different instructors chose different
pedagogical approaches for remote instruction, students taking multiple remote
classes simultaneously experienced a variety of instructional strategies. We
present an analysis of students' perceptions of remote learning in their
lecture-based, active learning, and lab physics classes at a large research
university in the USA, focusing on positive and negative aspects including
collaboration, communication, and assessment. Student reflections emphasized
the importance of grade incentives for out-of-class and in-class work;
frequent, low-stakes assessments; community-building activities; and
opportunities to study with peers. Reflecting on the challenges and successes
of different types of remote instructional approaches from students'
perspective could provide useful insight to guide the design of future online
courses as well as some aspects of in-person courses.
