Who Needs Academic Campuses? Are There Advantages to Studying on an Academic Campus Considering the Experience of Online Teaching Five Years after COVID-19?

Abstract

This study explores students’ perceptions of the advantages of academic campuses as the location of studies that involve social interaction, with a focus on the role of social interaction in the learning experience. The study examines students’ perspectives approximately five years after the time of COVID-19, when online studies have become more prevalent. Participants were 1048 students from several departments at two academic institutions, a university and a college, of whom 39.1% (407) were male and 60.9% (633) female. The age of the respondents ranged from 18–23 (30.4%), 24–30 (60.3%), and 31–63 (9.3%). Among all respondents, 64.2% were studying social sciences and 35.8% engineering. A mixed methods research design was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the goodness-of-fit of the presented model. The research findings showed that measures of comprehensibility, concentration, and contact with the lecturer enhance learning in a physical classroom more than learning via online teaching. However, interaction with peers does not improve one’s studies at all and is not a sufficient reason to attend classes. These findings are based on analysis of survey responses, after applying SEM to test the goodness-of-fit of the presented model. The final model showed a good fit: CMIN/DF = 1.26, CFI = 0.999, NFI = 0.996, TLI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.02. The findings of this study may hold importance for leaders of higher education when endeavoring to plan teaching, learning, and evaluation at academic institutions and for shaping the academic campus as a significant educational space in the future. Moreover, the findings may have important implications for education management strategies towards sustainable development. Higher education institutions need to re-evaluate the role of the physical campus and social interaction within it in the era of remote learning.