The COVID-19 pandemic caused many colleges and universities to implement emergency remote learning.
More than 80% of America's undergrads had some or all of their classes moved to online only during spring 2020, according to the National Center of Education Statistics.
It was a big difference from 2019, when just 37% of students were taking at least one of their classes online, with only 18% doing all coursework virtually.
As schools return back to normal, some universities are seeing greater interest in continuing online learning.
The University of Pittsburgh offers several online courses, while Penn State students can participate in online degree programs.
Students may find themselves torn between online degree programs or traditional in-person learning, but there’s no wrong decision, education experts say.
“We're asking the wrong question when we try to compare online learning to in-person learning in general,” said Jessica Rowland Williams, director of Everylearner Everywhere. “Those decisions are really personal for each individual student.”
Everylearner Everywhere is an organization that advocates for equitable learning spaces for everyone, especially marginalized groups, such as Black and Hispanic students.
Depending on each student, one option could be more efficient than the other. Officials from Penn State and Pitt say they encourage students to carefully consider which options may be best for them.
Renata Engel, vice provost for online education at Penn State, advises all students to ask as many questions as possible, regardless of the medium of the program.
“I encourage people to call those offices, ask questions,” she said. “You will find an eager person at the other end of that line or at the end of that text or at the other end of the email wanting to be helpful to you.”
In-person
Yvonne Gaudelius, vice president of undergraduate education at Penn State, said in-person classes are great for students who need a structured schedule. Penn State refers to in-person students as “traditional students.”
Transitioning from 13 years of structured learning to college can be tough. College students are in a new environment. They are able to pick their own courses and what time those courses start and end.
Ms. Gaudelius added that living on campus can encourage positive interactions with other students and faculty members as well.
“Part of coming to college is that kind of peer engagement and peer learning and also the engagement outside the classroom,” she said. “That's really critical. So I think all of those things factor in as people are trying to make a decision.”
However, traditional students often spend more on an education. Typically, first-year college students are required to live on campus and — in some cases — are billed for meal plans. Penn State’s estimate for room and board, including dorm and meal fees, is around $13,000, according to its website.
For state schools, out-of-state students are charged more than in-state residents. At Penn State, the nonresidential student cost is around $38,600, compared to the in-state tuition of around $19,300. University of Pittsburgh charges similar rates: around $33,700 for nonresidents and $19,700 for Pennsylvania residents.
Online
Colleges and universities are seeing a greater demand for students receiving a full degree or temporarily taking online courses.
Ms. Rowland Williams of Everylearner Everywhere pointed out that online education is typically different from the education students received during the pandemic. What students experienced in early 2020 is emergency disruptive learning. But online learning is intentional learning designed for online environments through approved and efficient methods, such as Google Classroom, Zoom and other online spaces.
“I think what we fail to realize is that while disruption has stopped on a global level ... disruption happens in the lives of students every single day,” she said.
With online education, students have the ability to learn at their own pace and, for some courses, in their own time.
Pitt doesn’t offer full undergraduate degrees online but does offer some online courses. With these courses, the university can increase the course capacity compared to an in-person class.
Some argue that online education is not as effective as in-person courses. Michael Bridges, executive director of the University Center for Teaching and Learning at Pitt, disagrees. He argues that online courses could benefit members of Gen Z because of their familiarity with technology.
“One of the first places we go these days is online to gather information and to learn new things,” he said. “I think there's a whole generation of students that are very much more attuned to and comfortable, sometimes, in the online environment.”
Mr. Bridges added that online environments provide a chance for everyone to participate in class discussions. During in-person learning, there are usually students who dominate class discussions, he said. With online learning, instructors can control classroom environments by using raised-hand features and device microphones.
“You break down that traditional schema of there's some students in the front of the rooms or some students in the back of the room,” said Stephen Butler, the university's director for online programs. “Everybody is having equal access to the material in the same way, and I think that really benefits a lot of students who maybe feel more comfortable in that situation.”
Students are also able to control their own online environments by using course recordings to play back classes. This could be helpful for students with learning disabilities or language barriers.
Penn State officials said the university’s online degree programs are designed to engage students with flexible online learning. The university offers 175 online programs for graduate and undergraduate students.
Students can either complete their degree online or temporarily enroll as a World Campus student. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the university has seen an increase in interest for the campus, particularly in temporary students.
“We are still seeing slightly higher numbers in our temporary change of campus. Students that would be our residential students but for one semester, they're choosing to be a temporary change of campus,” said Engel, the vice provost for online education at Penn State.
Online students are a part of World Campus, an online environment for students. First time college students or returning college students may enroll at any college level for the same price as residential students. Through World Campus, students can join virtual clubs such as Business Club, Digital Media Club and other organizations.
“Part of coming to college is that kind of peer engagement and peer learning, and also the engagement outside the classroom,” said Ms. Gaudelius. Through the organizations, students still are able to socialize with others.
For those considering enrolling in an online program, Ms. Rowland Williams of Everylearner Everywhere shared several practices that indicate proficient programs:
- Frequent quizzes
- Breakout class activities
- Live sessions instead of only asynchronous
- Making course materials easily accessible
- Personal messages and feedback regarding course performance
- Instructors are willing to receive messages
- Instructors use real-world examples
First Published: October 4, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
Updated: October 4, 2022, 10:04 a.m.
