Learning management systems play a crucial role in addressing
pedagogical
challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The solutions provided
by the learning management systems (LMS) facilitated online instructions
and helped form a community of learning and support. With the rapid
increased usage during the pandemic and the return to face-to-face
post-pandemic, an in-depth analysis on lasting changes in students’
engagement and the instructors’ use of the systems during and
after the pandemic is needed. This study aims at providing the analysis
results on the differential usage of the learning management systems
in a chronological time frame and on a course-level-specific aspect.
Analysis conducted on the LMS usage data of chemistry courses between
Fall 2019 and Fall 2021 suggests unique patterns, depending on the
course levels. The extent of students’ interaction with peers
and course materials varied for different course levels. The degree
of usage of learning management systems by instructors also depended
on the course levels. Instructors in lower-level courses (1000 and
2000 level courses) continued to use learning management systems extensively
after the pandemic, while instructors in upper-level courses (3000
and 4000 level courses) rebounded to their pre-pandemic level of usage
after resuming face-to-face instructions.