Online learning will be a bigger priority post-pandemic, college officials say

Higher Ed Dive

Natalie Schwartz

June 8, 2021

Dive Brief: 

• More than three-quarters of college chief online officers believe their institutions’ online undergraduate enrollment will increase as a result of switching to remote learning during the pandemic.

• The sixth Changing Landscape of Online Education report surveyed 422 chief online officers about how their colleges adapted to the health crisis during the fall term and how their attitudes toward online education have shifted. Nearly nine in 10 respondents said online learning is a greater priority for their schools than before the pandemic.

• The survey suggests the move to remote learning in 2020 will bring lasting changes to higher education, including the adoption of more online courses and programs.

Dive Insight: 

The CHLOE report typically captures trends in online education, but the sixth installment also asked college officials about how their institutions were impacted by the pandemic and how they expect the move to remote learning will affect their institutions long-term.

The survey found more than 80% of colleges used online classes in fall 2020. Some schools that started out with in-person learning during the term switched to remote education in response to coronavirus outbreaks.

Almost two-third of institutions gave additional resources to support online learning in 2020 compared to the prior year. Three-quarters of that group said their institutions invested in technology hardware and software licenses. Other top areas included hiring support staff and funding online exam proctoring.

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