The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Undergraduate Students: the Role of an Adaptive Situation-Aware Learning System

In the context of the emergency of COVID-19, students have experienced moments of strong emotional stress, with the risk of generating a state of frustration and discouraging them from studying. The proposed adaptive e-learning system, based on situational awareness, and remodeled teaching were essential in limiting this phenomenon. The system has been designed and developed according to the design principles of Situation Awareness. The feedback selection process, updated through the years to face the emergency situation, is driven by a Fuzzy Cognitive Map, implemented to identify the learners' situation, defined through their levels of engagement, motivation, and participation. The experimentation was conducted using the SAGAT methodology, involving students participating in classes during the courses held over the academic years 2018/2019, 2019/2020, and 2020/2021. The results show that the system is capable of increasing the level of situation awareness of the students even in a context of emergency.