Quality design for maritime studies programme in the digital era

Competition among academic institutions for students and Industry 4.0 have spurred institutions to actively improve undergraduates’ learning experiences and outcomes. The objectives of this research are to identify the quality dimensions of maritime studies programmes from students’ perspectives and examine their impacts on learning outcomes which include satisfaction, engagement, and academic performance. After reviewing the literature, six quality dimensions containing 29 measurement items were generated. An online survey was conducted on maritime students from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Thereafter, exploratory factor analysis and path analysis were used to analyse the survey data. The exploratory factor analysis produces a six-factor solution that confirms the proposed quality dimensions. Further, the quality dimension with the most impact on student satisfaction is (1) technology integration, followed by (2) industrial exposure, (3) learning and teaching environment, (4) industry-aligned & innovative curriculum, (5) faculty member competencies, and finally (6) supporting activities. In addition, student satisfaction positively influences engagement and academic performance. Further, engagement positively influences academic performance. The developed quality dimension model can serve as a measurement tool for maritime institutions to assess the quality of their programme and update their curriculums respectively to meet students’ expectations and learning outcomes.