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Education Dive
Faculty confidence in online learning grew this summer, survey finds
Natalie Schwartz
Oct. 6, 2020
Dive Brief:
Nearly half (49%) of college faculty members view online learning as an
effective method of teaching, according to an August survey of more
than 3,600 instructors from Tyton Partners, an investment bank and
consulting firm that covers the education sector.
That's up 10 percentage points from faculty members surveyed by Tyton
Partners in May, suggesting the preparation over the summer for remote
teaching this fall instilled greater confidence in online learning.
However, faculty members say they want more hands-on training and greater help with preparing students to learn online.
Dive Insight:
The new report sheds light on faculty sentiment about a wide-ranging
set of issues related to the fall term. One of the most notable
findings is that instructors' perception of online learning improved,
even though some observers predicted there would be a "negative
backlash" against it, said Kristen Fox, director of Tyton Partners'
strategy consulting practice.
Four-year colleges were more likely to teach in-person and hybrid
classes this fall term, while two-year schools were more likely to
teach online, the survey also found.
That could explain why two-year instructors were more likely to have
confidence in their institutions' health precautions. Faculty members
whose schools are primarily online this term are more than twice as
likely to trust safety measures than those whose colleges are mostly
holding in-person classes.
This fall has been a flashpoint for faculty members, some of whom
contend they've had little say in their institutions' pandemic
responses and have serious misgivings about teaching in-person classes.
Some have protested or even sued their universities.
Many faculty members are also concerned about their colleges' financial
health, especially if enrollment has declined. Overall undergraduate
enrollment dipped 2.5% year-over-year this fall, though the community
colleges sector saw losses of nearly 8%, according to a preliminary
report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which
covered 22% of schools.
Even so, more instructors said in August that their institutions are
achieving "an ideal digital learning environment" than did three months
prior. Overall, 57% of faculty members at two-year schools agreed with
that statement, compared with 45% of those at four-year colleges.
Yet the result signals that roughly half of instructors are unsatisfied
with their schools' remote education. "Most institutions still have
work to be done to achieve that ideal digital learning environment,"
Fox said.
Colleges could improve in several areas. Instructors said they wanted
more faculty development that included hands-on learning and
discipline-specific support, as well as help with personalized outreach
to students in their large classes, she said.
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