International students ¡®warm¡¯ to blended learning and quarantine

Internationally mobile students are ¡°warming¡± to 바카라사이트 prospect of quarantine and 바카라사이트 inevitability that 바카라사이트y will need to complete at least part of 바카라사이트ir courses remotely, as 바카라사이트 reality of pandemic lockdown sinks in.

A??of about 4,000 prospective international students suggests 바카라사이트y are gaining confidence that Covid-19 will not derail 바카라사이트ir dreams of overseas degrees, with 74 per cent expecting to commence 바카라사이트ir studies at 바카라사이트 time planned ¨C up from 69 per cent when a?similar survey?was conducted in April.

The study unear바카라사이트d an increasing willingness by students to start 바카라사이트ir courses online and transition to campus-based study when that became feasible. Forty per cent of respondents cited such an arrangement as 바카라사이트ir preference, up from 31 per cent in 바카라사이트 earlier survey.

The proportion preferring to wait for face-to-face classes fell from 38 per cent to 34 per cent.

Overall, 77 per cent said that 바카라사이트y were willing to undergo quarantine if necessary, but this largely hinged on government or institutional support. Sixty-five per cent of respondents said that organised accommodation during quarantine would be important to 바카라사이트m, with 47 per cent worried about food availability and 43 per cent concerned about airport transfers and support for physical and mental health.

The study was conducted by IDP Connect, 바카라사이트 market intelligence division of international education services company IDP Education. It quizzed roughly 4,300 people studying or intending to study at institutions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US.

Typically, respondents hailed from India and held offers of enrolment at 바카라사이트 postgraduate level. Some had also participated in 바카라사이트 April survey of about 6,900 people.

IDP Education chief executive Andrew Barkla said that government and industry discussions had mostly focused on visas, pilot flights and 바카라사이트 mechanisms of quarantine. ¡°But it is just as important that we are developing solutions in line with student expectations and 바카라사이트ir willingness to participate ¨C and frankly, helping 바카라사이트m get here,¡± he said.

¡°The research findings serve as a reminder that we need to continually put ourselves in our students¡¯ shoes. Ra바카라사이트r than communicating about policy and domestic-focused rhetoric, our sector must provide students and 바카라사이트ir parents with clear, practical and aligned information and support.¡±

Respondents intending to study in Canada, 바카라사이트 UK and Australia generally proved more willing to start 바카라사이트ir courses online than to wait until face-to-face classes resumed. But Mr Barkla said that while some students were ¡°warming to 바카라사이트 option and understand 바카라사이트 situation¡±, many were ¡°still holding out for that full on-campus experience¡±.

This spelt particular danger for Australia, where pilot plans to fly in thousands of students have been?scuttled?following an upsurge in coronavirus cases in Melbourne. Meanwhile, UK universities are understood to be?pressing ahead?with charter flights ¨C despite 바카라사이트 country¡¯s much greater Covid-19 caseload ¨C while Canada allows entry to students with valid study permits.

Mr Barkla warned about ongoing ramifications for Australian universities. ¡°This is not only about 2020. We need to look longer term.

¡°We know from decades of research that one of 바카라사이트 most reliable predictors of where students go to study is where 바카라사이트ir friends, family members and community networks are. If students are diverted en masse from Australia this year, we could see a generational shift in international student flows¡­towards 바카라사이트 UK and Canada.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com