Undergraduate experiences and satisfaction with three consecutive learning models experienced throughout a pandemic

Abstract

Learning models with remote components are on the rise and information about students’ experiences should guide the decisionmaking process for higher education institutions considering adaptations. Online and hybrid models present advantages but can negatively affect engagement and loyalty. A unique research opportunity arose during the pandemic when undergraduates were consecutively subjected to face-to-face, online and hybrid learning models, so we assessed their experiences and influence on overall satisfaction. Type of learning model significantly affected student experiences with the online and hybrid models depicting consistently worse experiences than face-to-face. Proud feelings, life-goal achievement and COVID-19 impacts helped predict overall satisfaction. Lack of choice imposed by the pandemic likely had a detrimental effect on student experiences and satisfaction and student training might have been overlooked. However, the adoption of online and hybrid models needs to be carefully considered to preserve satisfaction and to avoid compromising social capital loss and motivation to learn.