The coronavirus pandemic has affected our lives in more ways than we can even count. The workplaces are not the same anymore, the classrooms have changed, and the way people met and had fun is no longer what we had before this breakout. Just as it has affected everything else, the corona pandemic has also affected the way students studied for their degrees. As told by experts of dissertation writing services, now they are no longer require to attended regular classes as even the regular classes have gone online and everyone is expected to attend the class online, collaborate with the teachers and fellow students, and complete and submit their papers online.
With lockdown and social distancing policies in place, students are required to work from home and send their work online or submit it through the apps and tools that have been specified for this purpose. While on one hand, this has made things very easy for them that they no longer are exposed to the virus, are under no pressure to go out in such dangerous times, and can stay at home, yet at the same time, the students are facing new pressures and challenges that they had never imagined.
It would not be wrong to say that dissertation writing, as well as dissertation defense, has been changed a lot during the corona pandemic; the rules of the game are certainly new, even if they are not very difficult. It is for the students, as well as the mentors and the dissertation committee to understand, what they can do to make this process smooth and easygoing for them despite the current situation. It is up to them to think about how they do business, conduct research, and manage the very last step of obtaining the doctoral degree, the dissertation defense.
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The dissertation defense is the time when students feel nervous, so nervous that their palms begin to drip with sweat, and some even feel like fainting due to the mounting pressure. It is because this is the time their entire effort and hard work is a test and they must satisfy the committee about what they have done and how. Students go through a rollercoaster of emotions, from apprehension and panic to anticipation and relief. It is no doubt a big milestone and a very important day for the researcher. Preparing for defense is no easy task, but things have changed since the corona breakout. Now the students are no longer required to appear before the committee in person due to lockdowns and social distancing.
This pandemic has disrupted almost all aspects of academic life, including how things take place, and researchers now have to defend their work online, which is something new and unexpected. This article discusses how the dissertation defense has changed with so many other changes taking place all over the world. As they will be required to defend their dissertation online, students must learn to choose the right platform that will help them have a good discussion with the dissertation committee. It can be anything from Microsoft Team to Zoom, but it must offer a better quality of video and audio to hold the meeting without interruption or any other problem that could ruin the session.
Just like students practice before they appeared for their actual defense, they must also prepare for their online meeting and do a tech rehearsal. This is important, so they have an accurate idea of how things would work and what files, data, or other documents will be required during the defense. They must set up everything from the laptop to an extra screen, Ethernet, and presentation quality to iron out any streaming issues that might occur at the last moment.
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The biggest change that perhaps the students will experience during an online defense is their inability to connect with the committee members and see them eye to eye. Standing in front of the members, looking at them one by one, and seeing their facial expressions matters a lot, but, as this is not possible; the best thing for students to do is to focus on their content, their presentation, and their body language. The students must be fully prepared to keep their audience engaged. They should take breaks for comments or questions so that the audience knows what is going and take a part in the session, or students can keep on posting questions on the screen to keep them attentive to what is going on.
Even though nothing online can substitute for the in-person dissertation defense, students need to understand that they can still impress the committee members and look forward to getting a satisfactory outcome if they understand the changes that have taken place and, try to adapt to them.