Online Education Is Blooming, But Colleges Risk Slipping On Quality

Development is an integral part of all our lives. With the advancements in technology and the latest updates, college students must remain updated regarding the ever-changing college admissions, especially when aiming at the top-most universities. According to a survey of 300 globally renowned universities, it was revealed that long-term growth in online education is given due importance. It was noted that a few universities regularly check the overall quality of the offered courses. 

With the outbreak of covid-19, the education sector shifted online, which demands immense growth. This has changed the entire higher education landscape, and it is believed that this phenomenon will evolve in the upcoming years, however, at a slower pace when compared to today. According to a report released by Quality Matters and Encoura’s Eduventures, over 90% of COOs expect to support hybrid courses for traditional-age undergraduates by 2025. Whereas before covid-19, only 20% of undergraduates supported hybrid classes. 

Since the transition was swift, it was difficult for students, parents, and educators to cope with the changes rapidly. However, with time, things fell into place. Today, 96% of college officials say that they have adopted “quality assurance” standards where the college faculty are provided several tools to make the learning process easier, better, and intuitive. Additionally, teachers should give regular feedback on projects, align activities and post transcripts so that all students remain on their feet even when they attend lectures from home. 

Although most institutes claim that they have adopted “quality assurance” standards, challenges remain constant. Several studies investigate learning and quality teaching, but “quality” has still not been appropriately defined. Hence, the scope for improvement always exists. According to 32% of respondents, their quality standards include analyzing student-learning outcomes, including salaries and postgraduate job placements. During surveys, it was recorded that there was a noticeable difference between college officials regarding their opinions about the need to understand and evaluate online courses. Although there are set quality standards, about 42% agreed that they consider these quality standards to evaluate online courses.  

Here are some noteworthy findings from another report – 

• With online learning becoming the new way of learning, over 50% of the respondents believe that the institutional priorities will change now. 
• With education shifting online, providing adequate support services to students is necessary. In the last decade, a significant rise in mental health services has been noted. 

Other Top Stories – 

1. The Los Angeles Times – According to The Los Angeles Times, the University of California’s nine undergraduate campuses have accepted many first-year students from California for fall 2022. This has narrowed down the number of international students coming or out-of-state. Around 85,268 first-year applicants were admitted from California. The number has increased by 1.2% from last year, whereas there was a massive decline of about 12.2% for international students. 
2. Bloomberg – According to the Bloomberg report, a sharp rise of 27% was noticed in US university endowments. Later, it highlights the difference between the richest colleges and other renowned universities, which shows the gap between resources and sizes within higher education.  

Final words 

Schools and colleges have been an integral part of every student’s life. However, the covid-19 brought a massive shift that affected the expectations of all connected individuals, right from school authorities, educators, students and even parents. With the world opening up slowly, online education is still at a higher pace, and people recommend Hybrid over formal education. However, the risk of slipping quality always exists. 

The educational standard was set, which needs to be met by all colleges. However, there are a considerable number of colleges that do not follow these quality standards. The most significant gap occurred as the concept of “quality” is not universally defined. With the changing times, noteworthy changes are made, such as providing support services to all students to help them throughout their life journey.