University students are keen on hybrid learning systems that include both in-person and online lectures to continue beyond the pandemic, a study by the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU) has found. 

Called the post-COVID-19 academic strategy, the study analyses the benefits of online learning, the way forward for tertiary education and also looks at feedback from students. 

Of the respondents who took part in the study, 75 per cent said they would prefer having the so-called hybrid system once the pandemic subsides. 

Courses with larger groups of students are this year following lectures in this way, meaning they attend some lectures on campus and others online.

Lecturers had largely also welcomed the introduction of the hybrid system, although at the beginning of the year the University of Malta Academic Staff Association had said teething problems were to be expected. 

Because of the pandemic, university students were unable to return to campus last year and had to follow lectures online, prompting the council to call on the authorities ahead of the new scholastic year to ensure a return to in-person lectures. This, they argue, benefits students' well-being. 

Mixed views on online exams

Meanwhile, the study, however, revealed mixed views on exams being taken online. While some found this approach beneficial because they did not have to waste time travelling to the university, others said sitting for an exam at home was harder because of distractions. 

Students also pointed to "risks of internet connectivity issues and electricity power-cuts" as a source of stress which they did not want to have to deal with ahead of an important exam. 

Lecture recordings

Another of the changes implemented because of the pandemic and which students want to keep seeing more of is the uploading of lectures online after they have been held. 

"The vast majority of respondents found uploaded lectures beneficial, especially when it came to consolidating certain topics during post-lecture revision and whilst studying for exams.

"A number of students also found them particularly beneficial for note-taking after their lectures, particularly for more complex study units. Students whose courses entail placements or attachments found them ideal as they could follow their lecturers later on in the day," KSU said.