An Exploratory Study on the Experience of Wu Students in the Light of Switching to Distance Learning

The study aims to explore experience of WU students and their impressions in the light of distance learning. A purposive sampling method was selected in the study, and the researcher conducted online interviews with 19 postgraduate students (10 Master’s students and 9 PhD/Doctorate’s students) who participated in the process of distance learning at least one semester. The majority of participants praised the success of the distance learning experience and the university's rapid response to this shift, despite the university's size and the diversity of its academic disciplines. Among the most important advantages mentioned by participants in the distance learning experience were the ease of communication via the internet, the savings in time, effort, and money. The most significant disadvantages, however, were feelings of boredom and a lack of enthusiasm compared to traditional education, in addition to less social interaction and brainstorming among students. Based on the study's findings, the researcher recommends the higher education institutions, including Vienna University of Economics and Business, work on creating a hybrid education system that combines distance and traditional learning.