The healthcare industry is facing a severe shortage of nurses, and the demand for qualified nursing professionals is only increasing. According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ^[1], the industry will need more than 275,000 new nurses by 2030 to quell current shortfalls. Without them, healthcare organizations face a serious threat that will undermine their overall quality of patient care. Fortunately, through the use of e-learning tools, healthcare organizations can mitigate the effects of this shortage and ensure that their staff remains well-trained and capable of providing excellent care.

E-learning tools ^[2] in healthcare provide a range of benefits that can help reduce the strain on hospitals and other healthcare facilities. They can be used to quickly and efficiently train nurses on new procedures or protocols, as well as provide refresher courses for more experienced staff. These courses can be delivered remotely ^[3], enabling nurses to access them from any location and at any time–making it easier for them to stay up-to-date on best practices and regulations. One example is Brightwork Health IT’s SPARC Academy.

According to SPARC Academy’s President Samantha Haney, the on-demand, asynchronous training solution was developed to help healthcare organizations train employees on how to utilize their electronic health record (EHR) environments quickly and efficiently.

“Training staff on how to properly use EHR software is critical for staff retention and patient care,” said Haney. “Unfortunately, many organizations are bogged down by costly, resource-constraining training solutions that aren’t relevant to their specific EHR implementation.”

Through SPARC Academy, ^[4] training is made available to users at their own pace and can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. And the benefits of this approach are clear. An on-demand, asynchronous training approach promotes efficiency and employee empowerment, resulting in added affordability, agility, and usability.

Haney added that “SPARC Academy delivers engaging, customized training experiences that enable users to learn from anywhere and at any time.”

New e-learning tools can also be used to create remote training environments that are completely immersive. For instance, virtual reality simulations can be used to give nurses and other healthcare professionals hands-on experience in a safe environment, without putting patients at risk. Take Xenco Medical’s HoloMedX ^[5] for example. It was the first glasses-free holographic surgical simulation platform on the market. With HoloMedX, surgeons can simulate an entire spine surgery in holographic space—no need for headgear or glasses.

This type of technology could also be used to help improve patient outcomes by teaching nurses the most effective ways of responding to medical emergencies or providing post-operative care. 

With each of these tools, the sky truly is the limit when it comes to the application of e-learning tools in healthcare. And according to Haney, the benefits are never-ending as well.

“The adoption of e-learning tools by healthcare organizations is beneficial for many reasons; one being that it enables them to quickly scale up their training capabilities without having to hire additional staff or purchase costly equipment,” said Haney. “Additionally, as technology advances, these tools become increasingly efficient and cost-effective—allowing healthcare organizations to save money while still providing their nurses with high-quality training materials. Moreover, there are direct benefits for nurses too; they can access training material quickly and easily from home or wherever they happen to be located—making learning more convenient than ever before.”

Coming full circle, back to the issue of nursing shortages, Haney outlined six ways that e-learning can improve the situation.

1. E-learning Tools Help Reduce Training Time

“One of the primary benefits of using e-learning tools to train nursing staff is that it significantly reduces the amount of time required for training,” said Haney.

Traditional methods such as in-person classes or workshops can be costly and inefficient, requiring students to spend countless hours in classrooms or lecture halls studying material that may not even be relevant to their profession. With e-learning tools, however, students can access materials from anywhere at any time, allowing them to learn more efficiently and focus on topics most applicable to their job duties.

2. E-learning Tools Provide Improve Understanding

“Another benefit of using e-learning tools for training purposes is that they provide a better understanding of course material than traditional methods do,” added Haney.

By using interactive elements such as videos and simulations, students can gain a more comprehensive understanding of key concepts without relying on written notes or lectures from instructors who may not have direct experience with their field. In addition, by providing material in an engaging format, students remain motivated throughout their studies which helps ensure better retention rates for important information.

3. Provides Access to More Resources

Haney noted that “by utilizing e-learning tools, healthcare organizations also gain access to a wider variety of resources than they would if they were relying solely on traditional methods.”

With online courses ^[6], students can access materials from anywhere in the world via the internet, which makes it easier for them to study while still being able to fulfill other obligations such as working or caring for family members. Additionally, many courses contain assessments that allow learners to gauge their progress and identify areas where additional study may be necessary—a feature that isn’t always offered with traditional classroom settings.

4. Fast-Tracks Training Programs

Haney says that “e-learning can provide nurses with comprehensive, fast-track training programs that can be completed in a fraction of the time it would take to complete an in-person program.”

This makes it possible for healthcare organizations to train more nurses faster and get them on the job quickly. Additionally, these online programs are often self-paced and allow nurses to learn independently without committing to a traditional classroom schedule. 

5. Provides Cost Savings

“E-learning also provides cost savings for healthcare organizations by eliminating the need for physical classrooms and associated costs like rent, furniture, and supplies,” noted Haney.

With fewer physical classrooms, nurses don’t need to travel as much, meaning they can use their time more efficiently and focus on learning instead of commuting. Additionally, e-learning platforms can provide access to valuable resources such as textbooks or journals that could otherwise be too costly or difficult for students or educators to obtain through traditional means.  

6. Improves Quality Assurance

“Online learning platforms also offer quality assurance tools that help ensure that nurses receive high-quality training from accredited programs,” explained Haney.

E-learning tools can track student progress, monitor engagement levels in class discussions, and ensure that all assignments are completed accurately and on time. With this data available in real-time, instructors can quickly identify areas where students may be struggling or require additional guidance or support. 

Moving Forward

The healthcare industry is facing a severe shortage of nurses due mainly to aging populations and increased demand for medical services. Fortunately, through the use of e-learning tools, healthcare organizations can combat this issue by providing more efficient and effective training options for new nursing staff members while also reducing costs associated with traditional training methods such as in-person classes or workshops.

Therefore, investing in e-learning solutions provides an invaluable opportunity for healthcare organizations looking to maintain high standards in patient care despite limited staffing levels—and should therefore be explored further by healthcare executives looking for ways to address this critical issue within their organization.

While it was already relatively common practice before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote proctoring ^[7] has become even more popular at institutions across the nation, leading to concerns and the need for important considerations as these systems are designed.

In response to the rapid growth in online learning and testing fueled by the pandemic and economics of education, the Association for Computing Machinery’s US Technology Policy Committee (USTPC) has released a Statement on Principles for the Development and Deployment of Equitable, Private, and Secure Remote Proctoring Systems ^[8]. The statement provides a framework to guide those developing and deploying remote proctoring systems to ensure that these systems are private, secure, fair, and accessible for all users, among other important features.

The new statement refines and expands upon principles first developed and published in August of 2021 ^[9] as the COVID pandemic increased the use of, but not necessarily the adoption of, adequate policies and practices to govern such systems.

The USTPC authors note that, as remote proctoring technologies emerge as a pervasive component of online education, institutions and technology vendors at minimum must address major issues of equity, privacy, security, accessibility, and efficacy.

Among its 25 proposed principles, key recommendations outlined in the statement include:

• Privacy: Remote proctoring technologies should incorporate end-to-end encryption for all test-taking data, minimize the amount of data collected, and set specific limits on retention.
• Mitigating AI bias: These technologies often rely on automated algorithms which are known to show bias, especially based on race and gender. Providers must work to assure and demonstrate that their systems do not discriminate against students.
• Access: These technologies should accommodate students of many backgrounds, for example those with disabilities, those who are homeless, and students with limited broadband access.
• Uniform certifications: Educators, researchers, and technology providers should develop uniform benchmarks and certification procedures to assess and document the comparative effectiveness of remote proctoring systems.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and students experienced an abrupt shift to online teaching and learning, including the use of remote proctoring tools,” explained Christopher Kang, a PhD student at the University of Chicago and lead author of the new USTPC Statement. “We hope our framework helps educators, students, and e-proctoring developers better design and deploy these systems. As we move toward hybrid learning, educators and students are asking questions such as, ‘Should we continue using e-proctoring?’ and ‘What costs are incurred when we enjoy the convenience of online tests (e.g., with online standardized assessment tests)?’ This Statement contextualizes the costs of e-proctoring and key design considerations. We consider multiple concerns, including how systems can minimize costs to user privacy, how to make systems accessible, and the potential perils of using automated algorithms to flag suspicious behavior.“

“We were one of the first technology policy organizations to create a public and policy-maker consciousness of remote proctoring systems and their power over students’ futures,” added USTPC Chair Jeremy Epstein. “When these systems are deployed, individual students have no choice but to use and rely on them, and the determinations these systems make can profoundly impact their academic and professional careers. USTPC’s work here complements our recent Statement on the Principles for Responsible Algorithmic Systems ^[10]. A common theme with all our policy products is to guide the development of new computing technologies so that they serve the broader society in a beneficial, not adverse, way.”

“The dialogue around e-proctoring often focuses on cost (and how these systems can enable e-learning). ACM’s Statement is a framework that expands the conversation: we should also consider how these systems likely have negative impacts on student privacy, accessibility, and equity,” said Kang.

“As a student, a Wired ^[11] article approached the issue from a conceptual angle: how does mandating surveillance software in schools normalize surveillance? We then deepen the analysis and enumerate specific points as to how e-proctoring can more subtly affect students,” he added. “For example, we noted that RTA software could cause egregious violations ^[12] of student privacy, require significant computer resources, or introduce additional financial burden for students using the software. These costs are often not felt by the purchasers of e-proctoring software — like universities or educational boards — but pose potential harms to users.  

“Moving forward, administrators and teachers will judge what trade offs are justified: do we condone monitoring to ensure compliance with academic integrity policies? Do we accept inaccessibility to standardize assessments? It seems too heavy-handed to advocate banning e-proctoring tools, but our work uncovers a number of risks that suggest e-proctoring is a tool best used sparingly, if at all.”

In addition to Kang and Epstein, the Statement on Principles for the Development and Deployment of Equitable, Private, and Secure Remote Proctoring Systems was written with contributions from UTSPC AI & Algorithms Subcommittee Chair Jeanna Matthews, Digital Governance Subcommittee Co-Chair Simson Garfinkel, and committee member Cory Doctorow.

This press release originally appeared online ^[13].

Students need a variety of information about digital courses, including required devices and how instructors structure their virtual courses and expectations, before they enroll–but much of this information is not available prior to registration, according to results from a student focus group ^[14] conducted by WCET and The Ohio State University’s Office of Technology and Digital Innovation.

The goal of the student focus group was to give institutions a better understanding of the information students believe is most critical to know when making decisions about enrolling in digital learning courses. The focus group and its results are part of research on the definitions of digital learning ^[15] conducted by WCET in collaboration with the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association (CDLRA) and Bay View Analytics.

WCET and The Ohio State University’s Office of Technology and Digital Innovation spoke with six students to learn what information they want to know before enrolling in a digital course ^[16]. Here’s what they said:

1. Students want to know more about the technology required for digital courses before enrolling in them. Students are particularly interested in better understanding the tech tools and software they will need for the course–as well as how much those tools might cost.

2. Students want more information about digital courses specified in their institutions’ published course descriptions. Course descriptions often do not include critical digital learning information–the required technology, the instructor’s expectations of student engagement, and additional costs. Students need to understand both what technologies will be used and whether or not their devices are compatible with those technologies.

3. Students want to see the course syllabi for digital courses before enrolling in them. Students want to better understand the requirements and costs related to the digital aspects of a course prior to enrollment. This might include whether the course will be synchronous or asynchronous, the number of face-to-face sessions for hybrid courses, technology requirements for the course, and if course materials are open-sourced.

4. Students want to have access to all information on potential student services that are available to them for digital courses before enrolling in those courses. Students enrolled in digital courses are interested in better understanding what sort of services will be available to them. These services might include financial aid assistance, tutoring services, technical assistance, and any orientations related to the digital course. By providing this information to students both on the institution’s website and on the course syllabi, institutions can ensure student access to services vital to their success in digital courses.

5. Students want instructors’ expectations for student engagement in the online environment to be more explicit and shared before enrollment. Students want to know details about their instructors’ expectations around student engagement in their digital courses. This might include policies on remote proctoring, expectations around appearing on screen during synchronous digital sessions, virtual attendance policies, and policies associated with online forums.

6. Students suggested that there should be shared expectations for students who take digital courses that are consistent across instructors. Students enrolled in multiple digital courses reported that instructor expectations regarding student engagement varied significantly. Some instructors might require synchronous engagement, while others expect asynchronous engagement. Students expressed a desire for more uniformed expectations across faculty.

Perhaps the most important must-know is for institutions to understand students’ strong desire for information about their digital learning courses before their enrollment.

The focus group consisted of six institutions evenly split between community colleges and universities from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina, and Wyoming. Four students were enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, one in an associate’s degree program, and one in a master’s degree program. Four students were taking courses partially online and two students were fully online. Four were adult students while two were traditionally aged students. Two students identified as Black, one as White, one as Latino/x, and two did not identify.

It took a global pandemic to push more people in accepting that online learning is a mainstay in today’s higher education landscape. In addition to convenience, it expands learning opportunities to students whose schedules do not align with traditional in-person learning schedules.

Online learning meets the needs of many students, including students with personal or professional obligations, adults with demanding work schedules, and those who want to continue their learning to better position themselves for workforce advancement.

Online, workforce-relevant degrees are flexible and attainable. And with the “nontraditional” student–someone who doesn’t complete a degree in four years directly after high school–becoming the majority in the nation, online learning programs that accommodate the needs of these students are in demand.

The University of Massachusetts Global ^[17] is striving to meet the needs of these students as they seek opportunities to further their education and advance their workforce competitiveness.

UMass Global is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission that offers undergraduate, graduate, credential, and certificate programs designed to be relevant to more than 90 career paths. UMass Global serves nearly 23,000 students, about 16,000 of whom are enrolled in academic credit programs.

Dr. David Andrews ^[18], chancellor of UMass Global, sees online learning opportunities as a critical part of the next iteration of higher education, particularly in several key areas. In a chat with eCampus News, he shared valuable insights and predictions.

Workforce development and relevant degrees are paramount

UMass Global students are incredibly diverse and come from all different backgrounds and experiences. Ninety-five percent of the school’s students are working full time. Most UMass Global students are at the undergraduate level and have already been to college–some students have 3-5 transcripts, 100 credit hours, but no degree, and some have a lot of debt.

“The idea is: How do you get them over the finish line–towards not only a degree, but a degree that has workforce value? The vast majority of working adults want to finish for some workforce reasons: a better job or to change jobs,” Andrews said.

“We’ve been unapologetic that our focus is on online, workforce-relevant degrees in a relatively open access environment. We’re taking the friction out of that process so they can enroll, go back to school, not accrue more debt, and finish in a way that has a value proposition around a better workforce opportunity.”

As Andrews sees it, his institution is helping form the next wave of learning innovation. “Online learning was moving in that direction anyway, and the institutions serving this student group have realized that it needs really flexible on-demand types of opportunities,” he said. “Can you provide an online environment that’s accessible to students in their own timeframes, that’s asynchronous, and can you make sure the synchronous interactions are precious? We need to use those in the most advantageous way, and use predictive analytics to reach out to students and get them to the next level.”

Accessibility

One of the biggest parts of ensuring students don’t just go to college, but complete their education, is making sure they have access to learning opportunities. This means opportunities need to suit students with various schedules and responsibilities.

“I had an interaction with a student who was doing her work at 2:30 in the morning. She has a full-time job, 3 kids, and a disabled husband, and that’s when she can do her work,” Andrews said. “She told me, ‘If I don’t finish my associate’s, I’m going to lose my job.’ That’s a powerful story, and if we offered courses only at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, even if they were offered online, it does her no good. They aren’t accessible to that population.”

Students at UMass Global, and today’s students in general, are seeking institutions that are able to adapt to their life circumstances.

“You have to bring it to the student on their terms, or at least on terms that are feasible for them, and a lot of that is just around scheduling. We’re not saying that real-time interactions aren’t important; we’re saying you need to schedule them in ways that makes it such that people can access them,” Andrews said.

Students want to be online

Research, surveys, polls—they’ve all made clear that students want online learning options, and the pandemic escalated this desire. While UMass Global is predominantly an online institution, the school offers several physical campus locations and face-to-face courses and partnerships in its nursing and teacher prep programs. Andrews noted that, as the pandemic eased and face-to-face learning became safer, students weren’t necessarily racing back to campus.

“We were already 85 percent online, and we have about 97 percent of students online now. As we were coming out of the pandemic, when we tried to bring some of those [face-to-face] courses back, students weren’t interested. Students have said they’re not interested in going back to class face-to-face, nor do they want advising face-to-face,” he said. “It really puts pressure on the justification of keeping those locations open. We’re downsizing our campuses and physical locations dramatically in order to stay predominantly online, with an open access mentality.”

Remote work has pushed acceptance of remote learning

As remote learning became more acceptable among working adults, many considered the “real” college courses those that remained face-to-face. But the massive shift to remote work during and in the wake of the pandemic has many reconsidering where and how learning takes place.

“Clearly, some people had very bad experiences with online learning when they first tried it. But this is not our first rodeo. The first time I try to do anything, it’s usually not very good. It takes a while. As people get their sea legs around the online space, we see a lot more acceptance, even in the traditional space,” Andrews noted.

“But what also happened is that we went to remote work, and that really changes the need for physical locations–now we have remote learning combined with remote work. It’s changed the mindset pretty substantially.”

As is often typical, education was behind the curve in this mindset. “There are so many industries where this is not new. But in education, it was unthinkable, because we have such a mindset of going to school.”

Remote learning also expands job opportunities to a wider range of highly skilled candidates.

“We’re bringing work to people regardless of where they live. We’ve seen a dramatic shift in posting for positions. If you don’t post that a position is remote, you get a fraction of the responses. The talent pool you need to serve students exists all over the country, especially if you’re utilizing adjunct instructors. I think that’s changing the definition of instruction and where it comes from,” Andrews said. “It used to be that you can take the university to remote learners through online learning, but the expectation was that faculty were huddled somewhere together and now the faculty are as distributed as the students.”

Creative solutions for persistent challenges

Changing ideas of how long it should take to complete a degree is key when it comes to serving adult learners who have outside obligations.

“Working adults are going to take a little longer to finish their degrees. The most excited and proud graduates sometimes took 8 years, but they were persistent. Their families were supportive,” Andrews said. “In the traditional space, you get criticized for that because you’ve needed a longer period of time to get your work done.”

Limiting students to terms has been commonplace, but Andrews said flexible term lengths could benefit more students.

“We have students who need longer time than is available in a term. We have 8-week terms, and if you need 10 weeks, we have to figure out a way to do that and we’re not quite there yet,” he said. “We have to figure out a way [withing jeopardizing financial aid]. It’s not easy to be that adaptive in our current regulatory environment, but I think that’s going to change over time. We need to push boundaries with our accreditors and the Department of Education. We don’t want to keep people forever, but what’s two more weeks?”

Credentialing is growing across institutions and the workplace

UMass Global is moving toward competency-based education in a number of different ways, creating smaller modules and microcredentials ^[19] for students to stack as the notion of job relevance grows in higher education.  

“I think you’ll see, in the working adult space, many more business-institution partnerships, specifically partnerships with employers that are providing tuition assistance–that’s one way to reduce costs for working adults,” Andrews said.

“We’re seeing a movement where institutions can reduce tuition because they’re working with employers who are bringing students to them, which is reducing institutions’ cost of acquiring the students. Much of the cost of serving the student is the upfront cost of marketing and getting them to the institution–the best way to reduce those costs is through specific partnerships,” he noted.

“It’s those kinds of deep partnerships that will change the way [things are done]. You have to be accommodating for both the student and the employer. It creates a richer experience for the student, but it also creates a better outcome for the employer.”

Looking ahead

Andrews emphasized that the acceptance of online learning is changing—even quiet acceptance in more traditional settings.

“During the pandemic we put everything online, and then the expectation was that the online option would remain available. The notion is that learning should be interactive–one-way communication won’t suffice,” he said. “It’s a really different mindset for a lot of people. But I don’t think it’s temporary. I think it’s here to stay.”

A recent National Student Clearinghouse Research Center ^[20] report reveals that post-secondary enrollment continues to decline. Undergraduate enrollment alone saw a 9.4 percent drop from Spring 2020, resulting in nearly 1.4 million fewer undergrads than before the pandemic.

Although the COVID-19 ^[21] pandemic contributed to this enrollment drop, it’s also related to the overarching debate about whether the expensive price tag attached to these programs is worth a student’s time, money, and energy, especially as inflation continues to rise.

In reality, studies show that obtaining a post-secondary education opens up more rewarding opportunities that might otherwise be inaccessible. For instance, college graduates will have 57 percent more job opportunities than non-graduates ^[22], even in today’s challenging labor market. A degree also provides more flexibility and choice in where an individual chooses to work.

While colleges can make getting a degree more affordable, flexible, and adaptable by implementing more online teaching/learning processes, most universities are stuck using archaic systems that aren’t catered to online students. They are clunky, difficult to use, and fail to create an engaging environment. That’s why higher education institutions need to prioritize delivering an interactive online learning experience. Here’s how.

Adopt the Right Technology and Tools

Technology has become essential in our everyday lives. And in the case of education, implementing a learning environment that is supported by teaching and learning technologies requires the proper adoption by institutions, faculty, and students alike. Arming educators with the right tools and solutions can help deliver a successful online learning experience.

Determine if the current learning management system (LMS) can incorporate different collaborative solutions. If it can, consider video conferencing solutions explicitly created for eLearning and other tools such as live chats, forums, and messaging to enable instructor-student and peer communication. However, it’s wise to avoid getting technology for the sake of it. Instead, think about how end-users will interact with it and the types of features needed to fulfill institutional objectives.

Focus On Student-Centered Learning

Keeping learners at the center of the learning process is essential in delivering a successful online learning experience for college students. While online learning initiatives require that teachers know how to use technology to effectively teach online, the success of online learning depends significantly on pedagogy, which can adapt to virtual classroom settings. When designing student-centric courses, educators should consider the following questions:

• How will students interact with the course content?
• How will they interact with other students?
• How will students interact with me as their instructor?

Incorporate Mobile Applications

Today’s students expect to learn with top-tier technology integration, and colleges and universities need to understand how vital a seamless transition between computer and mobile learning is to students. That’s why branded mobile learning apps powered by learning management systems enhance the learning experience for students and faculty alike.

Casper University, the first junior college established in Wyoming, implemented a mobile application ^[23] to focus on providing an unparalleled digital learning experience. With students worldwide, a mobile app allowed their diverse student body to have the same learning experience, regardless of whether learning happened on a phone, tablet, or computer.

The app ensures students can access learning materials, contact their instructors, submit assignments, and complete any other tasks that they would on the college website. The student response has been positive, and the college has seen increased student and faculty participation.

Implement Student Engagement Tactics

Building engagement is one of the most unique and stubborn challenges for online learning ^[16], but is achievable in the following ways:

• Design for interruption and distraction. When designing content, educators must consider that online learners are more likely to face distractions than in a classroom setting. By making content that is convenient and accessible, online learners who juggle particular challenges such as childcare or lack of privacy and quiet space will have a better, more engaging learning experience.
  
• Refresh course material regularly.  As new technology and educational approaches develop, learners constantly change with each passing year. To stay relevant, educators must regularly update the content and its delivery. Tracking a learner’s progress throughout the course can also help determine levels of engagement and what content needs to be updated.
  
• Choose your points of engagement intentionally. With numerous options for engaging students, such as forums, private chats, and email consultations, make sure to implement engagement opportunities that align precisely with the needs of all students.

• Leverage data and analytics. Digital learning environments rely on data to gather insight from student efforts and behaviors. Once collected, this data can help determine course elements that need adjustment or are successful in developing engagement and retention.

Positive attitudes toward online learning have increased to their highest levels yet among learners who use it, according to Wiley’s annual Voice of the Online Learner report ^[24].  

The vast majority–94 percent–of online learners in the survey said they have a positive or very positive view of online learning ^[25], up from 86 percent before the pandemic. And 83 percent said they would learn online again.  

Among graduated online learners, 87 percent reported achieving an outcome they can attribute to their degree, such as obtaining a salary increase or more marketable skills. 

“Our findings suggest those individuals who engage in online learning overwhelmingly have a positive experience,” said Todd Zipper, Wiley’s executive vice president and general manager of University Services and Talent Development. “They also see real value in the results they achieve through online education, which allow them to advance in their career.” 

The report is based on a national survey of 2,500 adult respondents enrolled or planning to enroll in an online degree or certificate program.

Pandemic-Driven Online Learners Persist, But Lack Commitment 

Last year’s report identified a new group of pandemic-driven online learners, who hadn’t considered a fully online program before the pandemic forced many institutions to shift to remote instruction in early 2020. This segment of online learners persisted this year, representing a third of the respondents.  

There are doubts, however, about whether this group will stick with online learning moving forward. Pandemic-driven learners in the survey, who skew younger than traditional online learners, were more likely to prefer in-person than online instruction, and around a third expressed a likelihood to return to campus-based learning in the future. 

Nevertheless, commitment to online learning remains strong among respondents overall. More respondents reported a fundamental preference for online learning this year than previously, and 77 percent said the fact that it was online was the most important factor in their decision to learn remotely this year. In fact, 60 percent said they’d choose an equivalent remote program at a different school if their preferred college or university didn’t offer the program online. 

Online Learners Motivated by Career Outcomes 

Online learners are largely motivated by career outcomes. The top-mentioned factors that influenced respondents’ decision to pursue a degree are improving their job prospects (40 percent), advancing their careers (38 percent), and starting their careers (35 percent). 

Changing careers is the next largest motivation, such as switching to a career that aligns with their interests (32 percent) and switching to earn more money (31 percent).  

Many Don’t Use Available Employer-Sponsored Tuition Benefits 

Nearly half of online learners with access to employer-paid tuition assistance benefits reported they won’t or aren’t planning to use them. This is despite the fact that affordability remains a top factor for choosing one program over another: Nearly one-third of online learners say an annual scholarship of as little as $500 would make a difference in their choice and nearly half of learners said the same for a $1,000 scholarship amid mounting inflationary pressures. 

Why don’t they use these benefits? Respondents cite two main concerns: They feel their employer benefits don’t cover enough tuition, and they worry about having to pay back their employer if they leave the company before finishing their program.  

“Employers should review their education benefits with an eye to reducing hurdles that prevent employees from using them,” said Zipper. “Benefits that are too restrictive for many workers to use will not help an organization’s recruitment, hiring or retention efforts, especially in a tight labor market.” 

Other Results 

The survey provided additional insights into the behavior, motivation and preferences of online learners, including the following findings: 

• A new openness to synchronous learning is emerging: Online learners are now more open to occasional, synchronous sessions either online or on-site; 79 percent of respondents said they’d be willing to log in at a specific time at least once per course for a required discussion or virtual lecture, and 55 percent reported a willingness to visit campus at least once per term for an in-person session. 

• Timing is important: Nearly 70 percent of online learners want a program with a fast completion time, with the same percentage looking for the flexibility to work through courses at their own pace. 

• Online learners highly value a college education: 83 percent agreed that their degree will be very important in helping them achieve their career goals, and 79 percent agreed that a college degree can lead to better jobs. 

• Local is preferred: Online learning remains localized with the majority of students still preferring a university less than 50 miles from where they live. Indeed, more than one-third said being close to their physical campus was important or very important to them for two main reasons: to attend their graduation ceremony and to connect with their professors. 

This press release originally appeared online.

Will student enrollment continue to drop? Are microcredentials becoming more popular than degree programs? Is a recession on the way–and if so, how might it affect college attendance? 

Higher education faces a sea of questions about enrollment trends and how they might play out in the near future. But one thing is certain: Online education is here to stay. Just take a look at MBA programs, which last year saw ^[26]online enrollment surpass residential enrollment ^[26] for the first time ever.

As demand for virtual learning continues to grow, higher education institutions are setting ambitious online enrollment targets and working to grow their virtual programs. And university marketing departments are feeling the pressure to reach and attract more students amid increased competition and higher expectations from prospective students.

It’s no longer enough to offer online courses. Institutions need to prove value and demonstrate what sets their online programs apart from everyone else — or they will almost certainly be drowned out in the market.

Competition for online students is heating up

The pandemic fueled massive growth in online higher education — and virtual courses were far more popular even after schools returned to campus. More than 70% of U.S. students took one or more courses online in fall 2020, according to the National Center for Education ^[27]. That’s compared to 37% before the pandemic.

The rapid expansion of online learning first started out of necessity, but quickly generated greater buy-in across the higher education ecosystem:

• More students became accustomed to the flexibility and accessibility of virtual courses, especially professionals already familiar with remote/hybrid work.
• Faculty came to appreciate online platforms as viable, even advantageous tools for instruction. And better integrated technology has opened the door for innovation, greater efficiency, and new drivers of student success. 
• Administrators discovered the potential to diversify and expand their online offerings and bring a broader pool of students to their institution–enabling greater access to higher education.
• Employers are turning to online learning (both degree and non-degree programs) to upskill employees and fill skills gaps as they deal with the lingering effects of the labor shortage.

But institutions discovered the success of online learning programs comes with its own challenges. To start, the bar for online programs is far higher–students expect high-quality virtual options wherever they apply and more colleges than ever are meeting that demand. Institutions are no longer competing with other schools in their state or region, they are competing with schools across the country or even the entire world.

Not only are more schools offering online programs, but there are fewer students to choose from. Total postsecondary enrollment has dropped nearly 6% since 2019, according to the latest figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center ^[28]. And declining enrollment numbers have only added fuel to the fire as competition heats up.

What are you doing to out-market the competition?

The market for online learning has dramatically changed in just a few short years. In such a tight market, a smart marketing program makes all the difference. It’s essential to develop a strategy that differentiates your online offerings from others across the country.

As your institution looks to grow and mature your online program — and attract new students — consider how your marketing strategy helps answer the following questions.

1. What’s your value proposition?

More students are second-guessing whether higher education is worth the cost after the past two years. The pandemic not only disrupted educational pathways, but led many potential students to opt for professional experience over virtual classes–and some are betting on higher earnings potential in routes that don’t lead to student debt.

With online programs, students have more options when it comes to tuition prices: Instead of going to a top-ranked program at a premium price, prospective students have access to more options virtually and may opt for a program with a lower cost. More than ever, schools need to justify why their tuition prices pay off–and that starts with understanding your unique value proposition.

Consider the value of your institution’s online programs beyond what students already know and appreciate about online programs (i.e., flexibility). Do you provide access to elite alumni? Do your programs offer specialized courses that fit a unique market need? Are you providing more career services resources and opportunities to students than just a job board? Show prospective students why it makes sense to pay for your online program and if you can’t and students are going elsewhere, it may be a sign that you need to reduce your tuition.

2. What do you know about your competition?

With more choice comes greater rates of students who are accepted into a program and decline in favor of a competitor. Many institutions can assume who they’re competing with, but they don’t actually know. Directly-reported feedback from prospective students who decline is anecdotal and sparse. Nevertheless, there are ways to get this information, including databases your institution likely already has access to. Another approach is to examine who’s advertising alongside you. Which programs are appearing with yours in ads and what are they communicating? What are the benefits they’re presenting on their landing page? You can take the same approach in the organic channel.  Which institutions are appearing near you or at the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for keywords relevant to your program? Click through to their sites and examine their messaging. It may provide opportunities to beef up your own approach.

3. How can you connect with students in new ways?

Google is more crowded than ever–and the days of relying solely on search engine queries to drive interest in online programs are over. You need to find green space in the marketing landscape to pique the interest of prospective students and create a pipeline to your institution.

That could entail building a bigger presence on novel platforms like TikTok, investing more in user-generated content, or funneling more resources into personalized communication with every prospective student. But your efforts should also go beyond traditional digital marketing. Find ways to tap into your alumni network and turn them into advocates for your program. Ensure that every prospective student gets a white-glove level of service from your enrollment team. Most importantly, be willing to try new and emerging opportunities to connect with students, both in-person and online.

4. How are you reacting to market needs?

Overall college enrollment may be dropping, but that doesn’t tell the full story. In fact, graduate programs are trending in the opposite direction, with graduate enrollment up 5% since 2019 ^[28]. And students are interested in options other than an undergraduate or graduate degree: Non-academic courses, trainings or certifications are now the most popular options for adults ^[29] considering additional education.

Ask yourself whether your online courses match the current market. Do you have offerings for short-term upskilling and long-term education alike? Are programs adapting to fit the shifting skills needed in the remote/hybrid workforce?

In addition to internal discussions, talk with employers and students about the skills they need. Once you pinpoint market demands, you can position programs to fill in the gaps–and prospective students and employers will take note.

We don’t have a crystal ball to see into the future. There’s no way of telling how today’s enrollment, economic and educational trends will pan out in the months and years ahead. But no matter the direction these trends take, you need to position your online programs to adapt to the market and bring true value to students and employers.

Students know the value of online learning–they want to know the value and uniqueness of your online programs. With a program, position and marketing strategy that sets your institution apart from the rest, you can provide a definitive answer.

A new gamified learning support center at San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) is the latest innovative educational offering using gamification to engage students and ensure that students are motivated to continue their learning.

The Career Academy is a new resource for SJVC online students, and the gamified learning support center will be available to every student who is part of all SJVC’s online programs, including dental hygiene, construction management, healthcare management, respiratory therapy, information technology, and more.

“The Career Academy is a whole new way to integrate course, program and institutional outcomes into an interactive lifelong learning hub. Online students can learn, socialize, explore, compete, achieve mastery and collaborate while having fun working towards their future. The goal is to provide students with coaching, training and motivation for lifelong learning during their time at SJVC,” according to an SJVC blog post ^[30].

Games, puzzles, and different modules will offer students tailored content curated for the individual based on their academic program and an assessment. It focuses on the co-curricular learning outcomes that will help students achieve success.

“Many forward-thinking institutions have experimented with gamifying courses with great success,” said Corporate Director of eLearning Curriculum, Instruction and Student Services at SJVC, Pat Fox, in the blog post. “At SJVC, however, we have created a fully integrated system that leverages data from the time students start their orientation, throughout their program to deliver the best choices of games to the student at just the right time. Students are very excited by the wide range of content, so much so that most students play far more games than are required to fulfil their professionalism requirement,” added Fox. “Today, the student on top of the leaderboard has earned 131 game badges!”

Gamification ^[31] is a powerful tool in education that can be harnessed to really inspire and motivate students. Learning games and apps, from times tables to languages, are set to be increasingly and widely included on the traditional curriculum. By adapting the games that students are choosing to play in their own time and incorporating lessons within them, it is possible to disguise learning as fun.

According to Verified Market Research ^[32], a global research and consulting firm, the game-based learning market size was valued at USD 10.90 Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 62.09 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 21.33% from 2022 to 2030.

The market for game-based learning is expected to be fueled by the need to improve student learning. Game-based learning is a method of active learning in which students learn more effectively by playing games. Playing the game encourages critical thinking and problem-solving, which leads to increased learning. Digital and non-digital games, as well as simulations that give students hands-on experience with the curriculum, are all examples of game-based learning.

As more individuals switch to online learning, the market for game-based learning is expected to grow. As a result of pandemic closures, educational institutions have been obliged to adopt online education. To make online learning more dynamic, game-based learning is being implemented.

The traditional models of education have some serious problems that need to be addressed. Seeking a four-year degree is time consuming and expensive, especially for people who are already in the workforce. Attending college presents challenges for those who can’t afford to take time off or leave their current job. The process takes years and can quickly accrue tens of thousands of dollars in debt for students.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center ^[33] has reported that college enrollment continues to decrease. And gap year enrollment rates for the class of 2020 declined, even compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

Another recent survey from The Princeton Review ^[34] found that high school students are 20 percent less likely to attend a four-year school.

People are shifting away ^[35] from four-year college degrees. They’re moving towards accelerated, intensive, affordable education options that work with their budget and schedule, not against them – such as coding and technology bootcamps, certificate programs, and apprenticeships.

Because many of these programs are online, students don’t have to commute to or live near campus. They can participate no matter where they live. Most of these programs have flexible schedules as well, giving students more control over when they study, and thus alleviating some of the stress of trying to balance work with getting to class.

Judging by the online reviews, students are very satisfied with these alternative education programs. This includes graduating high school students, people looking to change careers, and those looking to upskill to advance in their current job.

The educational path to a lucrative career is evolving, and it’s flipping the script on traditional classroom learning as it forges ahead.

What is a flipped classroom?

In a flipped classroom, students gain access to new subject matter days before the teacher ^[36]’s in-class. Outside of class, students review the learning content at their own pace using the provided material to guide them. This way, the teacher can use the in-class time to reinforce the topic and focus on the specific areas where the students may still be struggling.

The concept of the flipped classroom has been around for over a decade, and its popularity continues to grow. Various universities have implemented it in different ways.

Boston University’s Center for Teaching and Learning ^[37] supports and assists professors who want to flip their class. Harvard’s Higher Education Teaching Certificate ^[38] uses the flipped classroom. And, prior to the pandemic, the University of Vermont College of Medicine ^[39] planned to be lecture-free by 2019.

How coding bootcamps are implementing the flipped classroom

One approach to the flipped classroom that works for coding bootcamps is to structure each week into two sections: One week of guided self-study, followed by a four-hour Saturday workshop with a dedicated instructor. This one-week/four-hour pattern continues for several weeks until the end of the bootcamp.

In this approach, pre-class topics are divided into manageable sections, allowing enough time for students to learn on their own schedule. Students are recommended to spend two to three hours a day studying to adequately absorb the material. Having the flexibility to learn at their own pace makes this less stressful and more productive.

To ensure a smooth learning experience, coding bootcamps can offer proprietary guides that function as a learning hub to help guide students through the weekly course material and track their progress. For bootcamps that do, this is the main tool their students use during self-study. These learning hubs can contain the video lectures, recommend online resources, provide auto-graded quizzes, and prompt students to complete code challenges to practice what they’ve learned.

Various forms of media are used to supply the learning material. Instructional videos introduce new concepts, then progress deeper into each topic. Students follow along with the hands-on exercises and have the ability to rewind and rewatch videos if they need. During self-study, they have access to their instructor through business communication platforms like Slack, allowing for direct communication with their instructor and even other students.

The four-hour Saturday workshop is dedicated to the instructor reviewing that week’s topics. Because students have already studied the material, they come prepared with focused questions where they need more clarity. Unlike a traditional lecture in a physical classroom setting, the instructor takes queues from the students about which topics need a deeper dive.

After the content is reviewed, and students’ questions are answered, the class is broken up into smaller groups to work on an in-class assignment. The instructor is always checking in to make sure no one falls behind.

Once students complete the workshop assignment, they submit it to be graded.

Four hours is enough time for instructors to reinforce the material and address all the questions. Students who feel comfortable with the subject matter can sign-off and start on the next week’s work. Students who still have questions have the option to stay and continue working with the instructor.

The positive impact flipped classrooms have on coding bootcamp students and instructors

The flipped classroom method improves accessibility and affordability of coding bootcamps. With the flexible weekly schedule, students can keep their jobs while also developing new skills and progressing in a new field.

Students take a more active role in their learning, which leads to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and a higher satisfaction rate with the curriculum overall.

The flipped classroom model also facilitates hiring quality instructors. The flexibility of teaching part-time on Saturdays allows them to earn extra income while keeping their day jobs as well. Since they’re actively working with the technology they’re teaching, instructors have real-life industry expertise and stay current on the latest trends.

Class time is focused on the immediate needs of the students, not lecturing. The instructor-to-student ratio is kept low. Ideally, each bootcamp cohort has no more than fifteen students.

A successful flipped classroom is otherwise marked by excellent reviews, and high graduation rates, with graduates applying their new skills in their jobs within six months of completing the course.

Fewer people are attending college due to the large time commitment, lack of flexibility and high cost. The ability to gain in-demand skills faster and for a fraction of the price is becoming increasingly attractive for those looking to reinvent their careers. These new educational options are redefining the concept of the classroom and the role of the teacher. And as a result, they’re transforming the way students learn—for the better.

It’s been a little more than two years since many faculty first shifted their physical classrooms and labs online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For almost everyone in academia across undergraduate and graduate levels, the pandemic sparked a disruptive shift from face-to-face instruction to distance online learning.

Online teaching ^[16] has evolved through emergency phases, from the original pivot to remote teaching, to a hybrid return model on many campuses, to how faculty are teaching today. The switches back and forth between in-person, hybrid, and remote learning are challenging as is; for students studying complex STEM subjects, these shifts can be even more difficult.

Many students aren’t getting the support they need to truly master the subject matter online. In a 2021 study ^[40], of the 78 percent of students who had already declared a STEM major,15 percent have or were considering leaving STEM for other disciplines and 26 percent reported the pandemic was impacting their degree completion.

Improving online learning experiences in STEM courses should be prioritized so that students have the support they need to reach their full potential in these fields. The pandemic forced educators to innovate and teach in new ways. It simultaneously provided an opportunity to reexamine the role of technology and learning tools in teaching. Digital learning solutions and online platforms can and should be more than just a “substitute” for in-person instruction, but instead, tools that help faculty to enhance learning and outcomes whether students are learning in-person, in hybrid environments or online.

Modern digital learning platforms can help faculty to measure students’ knowledge, provide opportunities for students to practice concepts throughout a lesson at their own pace, and provide new types of assessments that provide more immediate feedback with a variety of types of questions. Here are some ways digital tools can be used to improve learning experiences and outcomes for higher-ed STEM students.

Online learning tools need to be engaging for the learner while simultaneously supporting the faculty. Students learn by doing.

Many are aware ^[40] that the most serious barrier to successfully teaching STEM courses online, as reported by respondents, is a perceived lack of student engagement with online coursework.

Advanced digital learning platforms can better engage students by allowing them to learn by doing. Learning by doing, rather than by theory, equips students with a solid foundation in fundamentals that they can build on and apply in future coursework and beyond.

There’s no doubt faculty want to improve online teaching, but they often have limited time and resources to do so. Engaging digital learning tools should help faculty by providing:

1. High-quality multimedia visualizations that can bring difficult STEM concepts to life
2. Varied modes of assessment to support academic integrity and allow students to demonstrate true understanding of concepts
3. Gamification and other alternative activities online such as simulations, the use of kits, or other laboratory experiences
4. Opportunities to measure students’ understanding of concepts before assessments so that targeted support can be offered before students fall behind.
5. An engaging, adaptive, virtually immersive experience. Digital learning tools can provide an interactive learning environment where students receive immediate, meaningful feedback that engages them as they learn while also allowing students to practice at their own pace and in a comfortable atmosphere. Employing the use of AI/machine learning to tailor the knowledge to a person’s specific needs helps avoid the one-size-fits-all approach.

One of the many advantages of online courses is that assessment can become a more continuous process – from lesson delivery and topic discovery to homework, practice, and assessment. This is beneficial for all STEM students because interspersing multimedia content and learning materials with formative and summative assessment presents opportunities for enhanced learning experiences for students to stay more engaged.

With online learning, students have more control over the learning process as well as the opportunity to revisit the training as needed. When students are provided an education tailored to their talents, goals, limitations, and engagement patterns, they excel.

So, why should digital learning tools be utilized in more than just online courses?

Strategically integrating new digital technology into higher education courses has the potential to increase student success and knowledge of key concepts. Adopting digital tools offers additional opportunities for student learning with practice exercises and support. Digital learning platforms can also help schools better support faculty by offering automatic grading and content that faculty can easily customize to their individual teaching, so they can focus on what they do best – teaching and working with students. Ultimately, when students perform better in STEM courses, it helps schools advance student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates in STEM programs.  

Digital learning is here to stay.

Digital learning tools can help schools support and meet the needs of every learner. At many institutions, digital learning platforms and tools were implemented out of necessity during the pandemic. There is now an opportunity to look at how those tools can provide value for in-person classes and be a part of the long-term efforts to support student success.

Temporary pandemic measures have become more permanent with more online and blended education models at many schools. In 2020, higher education braced for the impact of COVID-19 and as a result, 98 percent of institutions moved the majority of their face-to-face classes online. Looking ahead, by 2023, the global online education market is expected ^[41] to grow to $287 billion, up from $159.52 billion in 2017.

This disruptive shift in educational structures and delivery models has compelled educators to implement new and innovative solutions to help students master complex STEM material no matter where they’re learning. The solutions that schools implemented during the pandemic have moved education further into the future and allowed for many schools to reexamine the role of technology in helping to support student success.