Post-Pandemic Hybrid Curriculum Recommendations for an Undergraduate ICT Senior Project Course

Abstract

Among the numerous aspects of everyday life affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, education stands out as one of those deeply impacted. In this context within university settings, the ICT senior project courses were no exception either. This study presents the recommendations for a hybrid curriculum based on the online implementation of a senior project course in the ICT departments of an engineering faculty. The data were collected to better understand the impact of this re-structured course on 99 undergraduate IT students and their projects during three semesters, and later analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to obtain some insights. The results indicate that, during the pandemic, the students adapted their senior project studies to the related restrictions by changing certain aspects related to the project, improving their teamwork, and increasing the level of communication. However, they also reported certain problems related to their overall psychology as well as social interactions. In light of the pandemic effect on the software industry towards remote working environments, further suggestions are provided to eliminate the drawbacks of remote working reported by the students and to equip them with the necessary skills. The resulting recommendations could be used by other higher -education institutions and be further adjusted for application in other disciplines.