STUDENT EXPERIENCE of PERCEIVED CONNECTEDNESS in ONLINE DESIGN EDUCATION

Abstract

Online courses have been on the rise in the last few decades and recently with the pandemic across the world, many traditional design schools have transitioned to the virtual realm to continue learning seamlessly. This study has focussed on understanding the perspective of students from various design schools in India about their experience with online courses and their perceived social connectedness. This paper reports findings from a combination of quantitative and qualitative study, wherein sixty four students from five design schools across India responded anonymously to the online survey. This study assesses the level of social connectedness that students perceived with their instructors and fellow students in online classes. This paper also discusses some of the reasons for this perception, as articulated by the participants and reports a significant correlation found between felt connectedness and various factors in online learning. It was observed that while the given student populace seemed adept in online communication and exchange of information, their feedback on online classes revealed deeper insights into the aspects that affect their overall experience of design education. In addition, we submit some of the features or elements of traditional face-to-face (F2F) classrooms that students miss the most in the current online setting.