Drivers of student engagement in a global emergency period: some reflections on transition from face-to-face to online learning

The present contribution deals with a case-study based on two graduate courses in General Didactics that took place in the academic year 2019-2020 at University of Macerata (Italy). The courses were initially designed to be developed in a face-to-face learning environment and soon converted to be implemented at a distance during the COVID-19 health emergency. The key aspect, focus of the analysis, is how and with what impact the shift to online modality of delivery of the courses can affect students’ engagement. Data collected thanks to observations of students in action and deepened through the students’ answers to written questionnaire and oral interviews has offered interesting reflection inputs to rethink the design process of face-to-face classes by integrating some of the aspects of distance learning identified as successful by students and by finding blended solutions that can meet the diverse students’ needs.