Nuclear Education – What Influence Does Online Teaching Have – A Cause Study In Austria

Abstract

The strong increase in the number of students in nuclear subjects at Austrian universities during the pandemic prompted the following research questions. The last two years presented universities with big challenges. Due to Covid19 restrictions, conventional teaching methods had to be adapted and new approaches developed. Austria’s nuclear education mastered the adjustment to the pandemic situation with the experience of the Young Generation Network (YGN). Courses were, if feasible, shifted towards online formats. The new approach was well accepted by students and the demand has risen. Nuclear (engineering) lectures and courses experienced a high number of participants during the online teaching format and also the assigned project- and bachelor-theses increased compared to the time before Covid. To evaluate this strong increase, a survey was carried out, of which the results are presented in this paper. It also explains which challenges teachers' and students' had to face during that time and how this information can be used to maintain this positive development in Austria's nuclear education. This paper looks at some general questions on the opinion of the students, and how the lectures have influenced their opinion and deepened their knowledge.