Interconnecting academical travelling : a simulation approach for evaluating and improving the academic exchange process

Abstract

As an education entity, the University of Malta supports students through many online portals. The use of ‘esims’ and the university’s respective website allows students to answer several queries through a simple browse or reach out to an individual online. It is safe to say that students are catered for on a local basis, but on their quests to take their education abroad, they’re left helpless when it comes to online guidance. The current system redirects students to have their questions answered in a physical office on campus during a set of student hours, which for students, isn’t always much help if they can’t reach the office in time. One might explore the possibility of extending student hours, or redirecting communication to an email thread, nevertheless, this will not fully solve the problem. Students require full flexibility which the current system cannot cater for. Hence, this research is fully focused on providing these students an online portal which fully answers their questions online and even better, on their own time. This research is focused on the current Erassmus+ application process for outgoing students, and manages to identify how this correlates with an increase in applicants. By creating a whole new independent Erasmus+ digital portal and landing page, students are guided in a clearer manner on how they can take the opportunity to pursue their studies abroad. To validate the significance of our hypothesis, in our experiment approach we devise a student sampling technique and then utilise surveys for primary data collection. A non-random sample was derived and surveys were distributed to selected participants. Seen from our conclusions in Chapters 4 and 5, positive results were extracted from this study, meaning that the majority of participants, made up of both previous applicants and non-applicants of Erasmus+, fully embrace and stand behind this change. Over many years, the educational sector has provided millions of students with several opportunities regarding their studies, yet, on many occasions it has failed to market it properly, leaving a high portion of students unfamiliar with said opportunities. This study in fact looks to bridge that exact gap for Erasmus+, allowing local University of Malta students to claim the opportunities created for them specifically.