MARIA DE JESUS GARCIA-VILLARREAL
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Human Resource Development
Dr. Greg G. Wang, Committee Chair
Soules College of Business
The University of Texas at Tyler
November 2023
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a mass interruption to daily life lasting almost an entire
academic year. Return to normalcy was hard won and phased over the following academic year.
Neither time-period offered “traditional” learning experiences in academic institutions. The
extent to which the operational shut-down affected academic institutions and their learners is just
now beginning to be elucidated. Human resource development (HRD) is uniquely positioned to
apply established and newly developed theories and applications to the study of this
phenomenon.
One particular case lends itself to observation. A major academic medical center
launched a technology-driven state-of-the-art simulation education center mere months before
the shut-down. Subsequently, campus leadership invested heavily in technologies to offer first-
of-the-kind online learning platforms for students in the healthcare professions including
medical, nursing, health professions, and graduate school of biomedical sciences. This study
tracked their grades across years to provide a snapshot of academic performance trends for the
institutional leadership. The study took advantage of the institutionally created student survey
and tailored questions to address COVID-19 effects and challenges on students. These data were
publicly available and accessed for this study, as the university published deidentified responses
to the survey online. The institution also shared the published licensure exam pass rates that were
used for this study.
In this case study with a mixed-methods research design, I analyzed these data to shed
light on the effects of the pandemic on the student population of the case institution.
Triangulation of the data revealed a multi-faceted challenge resulting from the many hardships
caused by the pandemic. Students suffered direct effects including the loss of loved ones,
financial troubles, as well as difficulty in engaging online in their new learning environment.
However, the data showed that though the statistical impact of the pandemic was considered
significant, it had a minimal effect size. The mitigation of the negative effects on the student
population was partially attributed to the leveraging of virtual reality and simulation activities
used to substitute for in-person clinicals.
Reviewing these datasets for correlations provided valuable insight into the timeless
application of HRD principles relevant to interrupted training and education as a result of
increasing campus disruptions caused by political unrest, natural disasters, and climate change.
Of paramount importance, are the contributions provided to the study population by Virtual HRD
(VHRD) tools and resources. As the world continues to experience an increase in the frequency
with which we see these disruptions happening, the tenets of both HRD and VHRD will help
stabilize the training environment for learners as they cope with the events of their particular disaster.
