A significant shift in education is on the horizon: for the first time, more college students are expected to take all their courses online rather than in person. This trend marks a new era for online higher education, which has evolved significantly since the pandemic forced a global shift to remote learning. As online learning gains traction, it’s crucial to examine its effectiveness compared to traditional in-person education.
While the convenience of online courses appeals to many, experts caution students to consider factors like the availability of real-time support, including office hours and tutors, when choosing online programs. Additionally, questions about the costs of online courses remain, as they often match or exceed traditional tuition. Despite technology driving costs down in other industries, online higher education remains pricey.
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TRANSCRIPT
[Kirk] This is College Uncovered. I’m Kirk Carapezza …
[Jon] … and I’m Jon Marcus.
[sound of online courses] Welcome to the new B.A. from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences here at ASU. This course is called ‘Elements of Culture.’ … We’ve got a fun topic today. We’re going to talk about making time for science every day. … Now, some psychologists research what’s called narrative identity. …
[Jon] You’re listening to the fastest-growing kind of college courses: the kind being taught online. Those are examples from Arizona State University and Western Governors University.
Predictions indicate this year will see more students taking all their classes online than in person, a milestone driven by the flexibility online education offers. Students can learn anywhere, anytime, which is appealing for working individuals and parents. However, selecting the right online program requires careful consideration.
[Sabria Williams] At first everything was wonderful.
[Jon] That’s Sabria Williams. She lives in North Philadelphia and works helping people who are older or have intellectual disabilities. Williams went online to get a bachelor’s degree.
[Sabria Williams] It was hard work, but when you’re dedicated and you want to get something done, you’re going to do what you have to do to complete your classes.
[Jon] Williams, like many online students, aimed for advancement. However, she faced challenges with accreditation, leading to debt and disappointment.
Online education offers convenience and legitimacy, but it’s crucial to verify accreditation and support systems to avoid pitfalls like Williams’.
This is College Uncovered from GBH News and The Hechinger Report, a podcast pulling back the ivy to reveal how colleges really work. I’m Jon Marcus of The Hechinger Report …
[Kirk] And I’m Kirk Carapezza with GBH. Colleges don’t want you to know how they operate. So GBH …
[Jon] … in collaboration with the Hechinger Report, is here to show you.
Today on the podcast: ‘Cyber School.’
[Kirk] We’ve been talking this season about the demographic cliff. That’s a decline in the number of traditional-age college students. So universities are trying to attract new customers by teaching them online.
Online higher education’s roots trace back to correspondence schools, evolving dramatically with the internet and the rise of for-profit universities like the University of Phoenix. Despite initial skepticism, prestigious institutions like MIT embraced online learning, launching free courses globally.
[Dimitris Bertsimas] This was a monumental story. This was the beginning of the internet. And MIT decided, and I’m very proud of that, that all of these educational offerings will be open and free to the people.
[Kirk] That’s Dimitris Bertsimas. He’s vice provost for open learning at MIT where he’s been on the faculty for 40 years.
While MOOCs promised to revolutionize education, they faced challenges in replicating the interpersonal connections of traditional classrooms. Interactivity and support have proven essential for successful online education.
[Dimitris Bertsimas] Education has a social component. If the only thing you do is online education and you have no human experience, no personal relation with your classmates, no personal relationship with your teachers, the data suggests that it is not as satisfying in a somewhat impersonal online experience.
[Jon] So, Kirk, there’s the first thing to be cautious about when choosing to take courses online: Make sure there are things like office hours and tutors and advisors, just as there are for students who go to college in person.
Research indicates online students often face poorer outcomes compared to their in-person counterparts, influenced by external factors like work and family responsibilities. However, the pandemic provided a unique opportunity to assess online education’s efficacy.
[Ramya Shankar] It gave us this wonderful natural experiment where suddenly you didn’t have students choosing online versus in person. It was decided for students.
Technological advancements have enhanced the quality of online courses, making them viable alternatives to traditional classes. Yet, opinions on their effectiveness vary, particularly for subjects requiring hands-on learning.
[Scott Pulsipher] As you moved further into areas that might require project-based learning or hands-on learning or even Socratic methods, those do get a little trickier to do online. It’s really hard to teach, if you will, a technical skill that requires, like, reconstructing a particular mechanical item. So if you’re going to do mechanical engineering, that might be a little tricky to replicate, even if you were using augmented reality in an online environment.
Despite the challenges, the demand for online education continues to rise, driven by convenience and flexibility. However, students must be discerning in selecting reputable programs that provide the necessary support and interactive elements.
More information about the topics covered in this episode:
Find online courses certified by the organization Quality Matters.
Watch a video about what to look for when picking an online course.
Read about how most online courses cost as much as or more than in-person ones, and why.
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