Emergency Remote Learning to On-Campus Learning: Student Perceptions of Post Pandemic Academic Transition

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) compelled educational institutions across the globe to adopt crisis pedagogy of remote learning with breathtakingly fast transition from on-campus to off-campus learning. This was a temporary shift and now educational institutions are transitioning back from virtual to brick-and-mortar classroom. How this transition has affected students, in particular international students, are yet to be fully known. The present paper discusses student perceptions of one such academic transition. The study was conducted among seventy-two international students at two non-university higher education institute (NUHEI) in Sydney, Australia. The student perceptions of post pandemic learning experience resulted from transition to on-campus (face-to-face) teaching was assessed through an online (web-based) survey which mainly consists of open-ended questions. Survey data were collected through convenience sampling. The open-ended questions were analyzed using the technique of thematic analysis which reveals two themes - Challenge and Concern. The result of the present study shows that international students have experienced a variety of challenges such as financial, work-life balance and phycological & emotional. They are equally concerned about issues such as delays & long travel time, long study hours and health. These factors have impacted their learning and overall academic experience. The result of the present study also shows that students have mixed perception regarding the transition from fully online class to fully face-to-face class and some students supports the idea of blended learning. The outcome of this study would be helpful for academic advising and counselling.