Students’ Educational Experiences in Online Master’s Degree Programs
https://doi.org/10.31992/0869-3617-2025-34-3-138-164
Abstract
The concept of the “educational experience” of online master’s degree students is explored through the lens of three models: instructor-centered, consumer-centered, and anthropic. The first part of the article provides a scoping review of the subject grounded in models of educational experience proposed by V.S. Efimov and A.V. Lapteva, alongside approaches identified in a recent international systematic review. The overview is further enriched by concepts of user experience from the fields of business and marketing, which have influenced the development online education. Based on this review, the authors propose a conceptual model of educational experience and apply it to the interpretation of empirical data.
The second part of the article outlines the findings from a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 17 students from 3 online master’s programs at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT). The study confirms that the models of educational experience persist within the online environment and leads to the conclusion that the educational experience, as the core element of education, is largely independent of the format through which the student engages with the learning process. The authors propose definitions of educational experience that synthesize the practical outcomes observed. The article also discusses the relationship between the student’s subject position and the opportunities for the personalization of the educational program.
Keywords
educational experience,
online master’s degree,
customized higher education,
students’ agency,
online higher education
Supporting agencies: Authors express their gratitude towards I. Frumin, T. Khavenson, A. Kasprzhak for their valuable ideas and feedback on the article.
About the Authors
D. I. Grits
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Daria I. Grits – Master of Public and Municipal Governance, Director for Digitalization of Education at MIPT, Head of Center for Innovations in Education ‘Pusk’ at MIPT,
9, Institutskiy lane, Moscow region, Dolgoprudny, 141701.
ResearcherID: ADG-4990-2022.
A. M. Brudkova
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Anastasia M. Brudkova – Master of Pedagogical Sciences, Analyst, Center for Innovations in Education ‘Pusk’ at MIPT,
9, Institutskiy lane, Moscow region, Dolgoprudny, 141701.
ResearcherID: KHX-2856-2024.
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