Completing engineering degree programmes on-line during the Covid-19 pandemic: Australian international students’ perspectives

Abstract

Engineering programmes require intensive mentor-peer interactions and industry-based internships. Engineering students traditionally need to receive their training on-campus to become skilled professionals. However, due to the Australian government’s border policy and the recommendations of social distancing, international students outside Australia could not return for their university education. This study aims to understand the motivations and reasons why international engineering students decided to continue their degrees with Australian universities through the distance learning option. Based on 200 interview sessions with students from the Far East and South-East Asia, the researcher concluded that the participants enjoyed the flexibility and agreed with the trend to distance learning in engineering education. The results provide the blueprint for potential students to understand the advantages and challenges of distance learning. Also, university leaders and heads may take this study as a guide to reform and develop potential distance learning programmes and courses in order to meet the demands of international students.