Key points:
- Students are reporting more satisfaction and ROI from their online learning programs
- See related article: When it comes to recruitment, websites are key
The COVID pandemic emphasized the need for robust online and hybrid learning options for students, particularly as the nontraditional student population, which needs flexibility due to personal, professional, and family obligations, grows.
Now, BestColleges’ ninth annual Online Education Trends Report is shedding light on some of the most recent developments in online education, tracking current trends through data collected from current, former, and prospective students and school administrators. The report, authored by Melissa A. Venable, Ph.D., an online education advisor for BestColleges, represents the site’s seventh year of original data collection via online surveys, with participation from 1,800 students and 131 school administrators.
This year’s findings are grouped according to the learning experience, marketing and recruitment, student satisfaction, and planning for the future.
The learning experience
- Students want convenience in their programs–it’s the top motivator when enrolling in an online program, as more than one-third (42 percent) of the online students surveyed this year indicated.
- Parallel online and on-campus degree programs at a given institution may differ in a number of ways, including their tuition and fees, learning objectives, and instructors.
- Students are concerned about balancing their education commitments with work, family, and household obligations. In fact, that concern remains the primary concern for online (27 percent), hybrid (27 percent), and prospective (39 percent) students.
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