Implementing Flexible Systems in Doctoral Viva Defense Through Virtual Mechanism.

Area of Science:

• Education
• Technology in Education
• Academic Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted traditional academic operations, including lectures and examinations.
• The shift to online platforms became necessary to maintain academic continuity and prevent the stagnation of researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the appropriateness and benefits of online Ph.D. viva voce defenses.
• To investigate the development of assessment rubrics for online research presentations.
• To propose a scheme for generalizing virtual streaming of academic defenses.

Main Methods:

• The Delphi technique was employed, gathering insights from academia, research aspirants, and policy-makers.
• Qualitative data was interpreted, and quantitative data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS).
• A sample of respondents from thirteen homogeneous universities was utilized.

Main Results:

• The study substantiates the benefits of emerging technologies for academic processes.
• A scheme for effective virtual streaming of defenses is proposed.
• Focus remains on leveraging technology for virtual defenses rather than identifying reasons to avoid them.

Conclusions:

• Online Ph.D. defenses are a viable and beneficial transformation in academic practices.
• Institutions need to develop appropriate rubrics for assessing online research presentations.
• Generalizing virtual streaming requires a systematic approach to technology integration.