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Doctoral thesis defenses are pivotal milestones in providing essential academic feedback and signifying key transitions in doctoral education. Traditionally held face-to-face, these defenses moved swiftly online, raising questions about their effectiveness and sustainability. This study uses an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach to compare online and face-to-face doctoral thesis defenses using a SWOT analysis framework. The qualitative phase involved collecting data from 10 experienced thesis advisors, followed by a quantitative survey of 49 doctoral students from 14 academic departments. The findings highlight the distinct advantages of online defenses, such as increased spatial and temporal flexibility and the ability to record sessions for later reviews. However, ongoing technical difficulties and insufficient technical support pose significant weaknesses and threats to online defense formats. In contrast, face-to-face defenses excel at promoting strong interpersonal communication and dialogue, with genuine academic interactions identified as significant opportunities. Additionally, the study emphasizes that students’ demographic characteristics, technological competencies, and prior online meeting experiences influence their preferences and perceptions of thesis defense formats. These insights offer practical guidance for universities seeking to optimize doctoral defense procedures in the evolving post-pandemic educational landscape.
Yıldırım et al. (Wed,) studied this question.