Students are by and large happy with the way OPAIC has reacted to COVID-19 and are adjusting well to the new ways of learning.

When COVID-19 restrictions came into effect we worked quickly to move our teaching and support services online. We recently asked students to complete a survey about what’s worked well and how we can improve.

Of 160 respondents, 79 percent said they felt well supported by lecturers and student services at this time. The same percentage said they had the information they needed about their study programme, courses and assessments. Additionally, 84 percent said they knew how to get help, or answers to their questions.

Students commented that online classes had been a good experience and said they’re happy to continue learning online until it’s safe to return to campus.

Others said they’ve adjusted to the new systems after some early challenges. Some missed the campus and classroom atmosphere and others had experienced technical difficulties.

The student voice is important to us at OPAIC, and we take steps to make improvements based on what our students tell us. We are working hard to address the feedback raised by students in the survey.

We will complete Study Block 2 online regardless of changes to the COVID alert levels in New Zealand. We are still deciding what delivery will look like in Study Block 3 and beyond and will take Government advice and student feedback into account as we make our decisions.

Our survey showed 44 percent of students were keen to continue learning solely online in the coming weeks, 30 percent would like a combination of online and on campus learning, and 26 percent wanted all learning to take place on campus.