As debate rages over the benefits of working online versus working from the office, a survey of postgraduate university students found that more than three-quarters who have studied at home during the pandemic think digital learning is equal to or better than face-to-face learning.

Consultancy Deloitte say the results are a green light for universities to do more blended teaching, which combines online with face-to-face.

On a satisfaction score, students said online was equal to blended or face-to-face learning when it came to “tailoring a curriculum” that suited their needs.

And they gave online teaching an eight out of 10 satisfaction score for meeting their personal and professional interests, which was better than the result for face-to-face or blended classes.

Overall 77 per cent said digital learning was equal to or better than face-to-face learning.

“The pandemic has improved postgraduate students’ perception of digital learning. For universities the future is probably blended, a mix of face-to- face learning and online.”

Ms Rogers said the report was intended to guide investment by universities and showed they could afford a greater focus on technology.

There were some anomalies – more of the face-to-face students reported that their qualification helped them get a job than was reported by fully online students.

This was probably because most fully online students were based in remote locations, which affected their employment chances.

And evidence from earlier Deloitte studies reinforced the importance of human interaction and the experience of being physically on a campus.

One of the surveyed students said: “I generally prefer to study on campus so I have access to all my lecturers, but I actually do all my best study at home. So my online learning experience hasn’t been that different to on-campus study.”

Ms Rogers said the study was based on postgraduate students but it sent a broader message about the need for flexibility around the workplace.

“This report points to the benefit of blended learning that is online and face-to-face. And that’s a flexibility Australian workers are looking for in their jobs. It’s about the need for flexibility in delivery models.

“Students want flexible assessment, they want to pause, restart, re-engage. Workers are the same.”

A report in May from the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at Melbourne University said online teaching was contingent on good interaction: between teachers and students, between one student and another and students being able to interact with their teaching materials.

Author of that report professor of higher education Gregor Kennedy said, “The rapid move of Universities to remote online delivery may well have changed both staff and student perceptions about what is educationally possible, and also what is and is not desirable, when using technologies to support University-based teaching and learning”.

“The Deloitte findings are consistent with previous research that has shown students are interested in flexible modes of study, in part to accommodate the demands of their employment and the other commitments in their lives.

“It would be particularly interesting to see how the findings of this latest survey of postgraduate students, compares to findings with a sample of undergraduate students who have recently left school.

“It will also be interesting to document the choices and preferences of different student groups once health concerns associated with Covid 19 diminish.”

Source: www.afr.com