Online or not –what does our future depend on? Relationships between student experiences and future learning preferences at the University of Pécs

Abstract

Due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, in the spring of 2020, Hungarian higher education was forced to switch to digital education overnight. The sudden situation caught all participants in higher education - students, lecturers, administrators - unprepared. The results of available research in this specific socio-educational context call attention to conflicting student attitudes. Although many were dissatisfied with certain aspects of digital education, the view that online education also has attractive opportunities for students is decisive (cf., for example, Asztalos et al., 2021; Fajt et al., 2021; Grajczjár et al., 2021; HÖOK, 2020). By analyzing some of the data collected during a comprehensive, large-scale (n = 2999) survey, the present study seeks to answer what experiences the students of the University of Pécs gained during digital education. Moreover, looking ahead, the present study also examines whether students in the future would prefer online or traditional, classroom-based education. In our study, a logistic regression method was used to identify variables that are likely to influence students’ future preferences. Based on results, it can be said that the field of study, the program (daytime vs. correspondence) and the form of funding may influence the chances of students choosing online education in the future. The study also attempts to draw conclusions and provide implication that can be used by HE institutions.