Students increasingly shying away from on-campus learning

ESKISEHIR

A growing number of university students are reluctant to return to face-to-face education amid the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes in early February last year and the prolonged period of pandemic-induced distance learning.

A significant cohort admits to the possibility of graduating without ever setting foot on campus, as they cite reasons ranging from newfound job commitments to dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of in-person lessons.

In many universities around the world, class attendance has dropped to record low and the situation in Türkiye is no different.

"I think there is a significant decrease even in reputable universities all over Türkiye. In departments such as economics and business administration, the rate of students not attending classes is higher than those who do," said Professor Behçet Yalın Özkara, a faculty member of the Economics and Administrative Sciences Department at Eskişehir Osmangazi University.

Özkara, who also makes educational videos on his Akademiklink YouTube channel, said, "There is a wealth of resources on the internet. Students believe that if they know English, they can learn much more online than at university. In some departments, students' belief that they can find a job with a university diploma has significantly decreased. When these two factors are combined, we experience a rapid decline in attendance."

Stating that when the number of students who do not come to classes increases, lecturers inevitably start to pass the students, Özkara said, "There are students who have passed almost all their courses and will receive their diploma without ever coming to the university. Our young people are actually studying like formal education but open education."

Özkara also provided advice on steps to be taken on the matter.

"The distinction between researcher and instructor should be made clear. We need to recruit professors who can provide students with information about the market that is not available on the internet. Research professors should guide students in the areas where they get stuck between the information they obtain from the internet and their own research topics."

"If our university education is lagging behind while technology is advancing, we obviously need a transformation. If universities cannot make this transformation, young people are already doing it. They do not come to classes, they complete their education in other ways and find jobs," he added.

Meanwhile, the testimony of a student in his final year at Istanbul University's Faculty of Economics reveals the gravity of the situation. The student, who was in his last year of high school when the pandemic started, said that he started university with distance learning and transitioned to face-to-face education in the second semester of his second year. However, his in-person education was interrupted due to the earthquakes. He is now in his final year and will graduate almost without going to university.