Since the education debacle of 2020-22, much of the blame has gone to online or “digital” learning. Conservative commentators, in particular, often speak of online classes in sneering terms, as if they were primarily responsible for students’ learning loss, declining IQs, and the general “dumbing down” of higher education, among other harms.
But is that entirely fair? Are the classes themselves to blame, or should we be pointing the finger at educational and political leaders who thoughtlessly herded students into them? Perhaps more to the point, for today’s educators and college students, does that mean online classes are inherently flawed—that institutions shouldn’t offer them and students shouldn’t take them?
To both questions, I would answer a qualified “no.” I believe online classes have a place in the higher education landscape, provided students are prepared for them and they are well-executed. The problem in 2020 was that virtually all students were thrust into them, regardless of whether they were prepared or not. Moreover, most courses were poorly designed and taught by professors who didn’t know what they were doing.
Indeed, in the immediate aftermath of campus closures, most “online classes” were conducted via Zoom or a similar platform. As almost everyone now recognizes, this does not work. No doubt, for professors with zero training in how to teach online, the simplest solution was just to have everyone meet in a “virtual classroom” during the class’s scheduled time slot. That approach, however, was grueling for professors and doubly so for students, many of whom struggle to pay attention in an on-campus classroom. Keeping them engaged on Zoom was always a non-starter.
As a stopgap measure, on extremely short notice, that was probably the best that most colleges could do. But it left a bad taste in the mouths of many students. So perhaps our first and most important takeaway from that regrettable episode is this: True online classes are asynchronous, meaning students work at their own pace. Such classes require no—or very few—scheduled meetings. Instead, they utilize course modules consisting of written instructions, recorded lectures, videos, worksheets, quizzes, discussions, and other materials, organized by temporal or educational units—such as weeks or textbook chapters. Ideally, the online course should be as much like the face-to-face version as possible. The difference is that, instead of showing up for class at a particular time, students can log in on their own schedule and complete the work for that day, week, or whatever.
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That still leaves us with the two questions suggested above. First, should institutions offer these types of classes? My answer is yes, certainly. Online classes are a godsend for many students, including deployed members of the military, stay-at-home parents, and those who are unable to live on or commute to campus for various reasons. They’re also helpful for students who need a particular course but can’t fit it into their schedule, such as those who work part-time or have already mastered most of the material but are still required to take the course, like an entry-level math or English class.
However, colleges must recognize that not every course can be taught effectively online, not every student belongs in an online class, and not all professors are good at teaching online. What is and isn’t taught online at a given institution should be determined by the faculty as custodians of the curriculum. They should also identify appropriate entry-level expectations that students must meet before being allowed to take classes online. Meanwhile, administrators should provide screening, training, support, and encouragement for professors who are interested in teaching online.
The second question is, should students take online classes? And again, my answer is yes, they should not hesitate to take them under certain circumstances, such as the ones mentioned above. Some students find they prefer online classes, even if they have the means and opportunity to attend in person.
I do have a few caveats, however. First, students should recognize that online classes are generally harder than on-campus equivalents because they require a great deal more self-discipline and often more reading. Second, if there’s another option, students should probably not take online classes in subjects where they struggle. That, in my opinion, is when they need to be in a classroom with a live teacher. And third, I would caution students against taking too many online classes purely as a matter of convenience. Fully online degrees should be reserved for those who can’t obtain a degree any other way or for mid-career professionals who just need that next degree to move up the ladder.
Ultimately, online classes are like most other educational innovations: hardly a panacea, as we learned to our sorrow, but nonetheless useful in many circumstances. We shouldn’t oversell them to future generations of students, with glib promises about the joys of studying in their pajamas, but neither should we make “digital learning” a scapegoat for systemic failures.
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Image: “Zoom call with coffee” by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash
Teaching online courses during the epidemic convinced me that they are a terrible idea for the vast majority of students because, as Dr. Jenkins states, they require self-discipline and self-motivation most students lack. And then came AI. From my anecdotal experience, as well as from studies I’ve read, most students use AI to complete their out-of-class assignments. Because online courses rely almost exclusively on out-of-class work, they are particularly susceptible to AI cheating. This undermines the integrity of online courses and, in my opinion, renders them ineffective and suspect. The upshot is that any employer is a damn fool if he hires someone whose college transcripts are full of online courses because chances are pretty good that the applicant cheated his way through those courses.