ABSTRACT
Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) resulted in postgraduate (PG) students moving from working closely within institutions, to working from home. The implicit assumption was that PG students would adapt more easily to ERT measures than undergraduate students, as a result of being more mature, academically experienced, and more resilient. This study sought to explore how ERT implemented during Covid-19 lockdowns impacted on the progress of PG students, and to provide a nuanced view on the factors that lead to student success. Through considering roads to success, enablers, as well as blocks and bottlenecks, the experience of ERT might provide insights into how to structure future (in person) PG experiences for improved productivity, self-efficacy and progress. A collation of three surveys, analysed using consideration of factors split into the cognitive, affective and systemic, highlighted factors that influence wellbeing and productivity and the relationship between the two. Respondents provide insights into how Higher Education institutions might improve support to their postgraduate cohorts. Within the systemic arena, PG students noted that success requires sufficient access to physical infrastructure, data, power and other physical enablers. In the cognitive space, respondents highlighted (amongst other points) that the blurring of work times and non-work times can result in unproductive (and stressful) time wasted;an idea which can be pulled through to future PG students: clearly delineate work and leisure times. The area which was reported to have the largest impact on PG student success was in the affective space. PG students require support (from peers, supervisors, friends and family) to thrive. The normal PG program evidently does well at supporting both systemic and cognitive needs in postgraduates, however, further attention might be paid to their affective needs. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Mental health issues related to academic stress are experienced amongst undergraduates from different disciplines, with key factors being workload, study skills, resource access and socioeconomic conditions. The status of mental health and well-being of engineering students, globally, has become of increasing concern, but is relatively poorly researched. This paper presents the findings of a faculty initiative at a research-intensive institution in South Africa to determine engineering students' experience of academic stress. Drawing on a holistic educational model, quantitative and qualitative survey results are presented. Key systemic factors are the volume, intensity and distribution of workload, as well as the experience of 'information overload' during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the affective front, students provide detailed accounts of the negative emotional impact, which, in turn, contributes to loss of productivity and confidence. The cohort-comparison analysis reveals clear trends across years of study, as well as problem-versus emotion-focused coping strategies. This faculty case study on engineering student experience of academic-related stresses hopes to demonstrate the synergistic relationship between the systemic, affective and, ultimately, cognitive educational support domains for which engineering faculties are responsible. Suggestions are included for ways in which to facilitate improved mental health in our engineering students. © 2021 IEEE.