Survey: Positive mood among students at UAS Technikum Wien during the Covid-19 pandemic
01 March, 2021
The results from a survey of students conducted during the winter semester are encouraging – satisfaction levels are up from the summer. But students are still missing face-to-face teaching. The summer semester is again going to be held largely online.
Significantly more than two thirds of the students at UAS Technikum Wien adapted well to the current study conditions and think that UASTW has been handling online teaching efficiently. These were the key findings from a survey of students conducted during the winter semester in which just under one quarter of all 4,400 students took part. The comparison with the initial survey in June 2020 is encouraging: satisfaction with the courses increased by almost 10 percentage points, from just under 68% in June to just under 77% in December. But three quarters still missed regular face-to-face events at the same time.
Positive underlying mood and constructive feedback
„The survey also provided scope for criticism and feedback. Students praised the technical implementations and the lecturers’ dedication. The positive mindset was apparent from the detailed feedback that many students provided. “There is, of course, room for improvement and we’ll continue to work on ourselves. Critical feedback, which we also received, is important and we now know what our students want and what we also need to orient ourselves towards”, said Gabriele Költringer, Managing Director at UAS Technikum Wien . The demands that studying online makes are high for everybody. Teachers and students must be technically equipped and prepared in terms of content and didactics. “We’ve accepted the challenges and are doing our best to look out for the well-being of our students,” Gabriele Költringer added.“
Reduced attendance until summer
Studies at Austria’s technical university of applied sciences were commenced in autumn 2020 with a sophisticated safety concept. Automated temperature screening at the entrances, intensively maintained ventilation systems and blanket stickers and signage guided students and lecturers through the buildings. The vast majority of courses have been taking place online since November and the decision to continue online teaching throughout the summer was made a while ago. Only laboratory units and practice-oriented courses for which no substitution is possible will continue to be provided on site. The attendance periods for all persons at the locations have also been significantly reduced.