Digital education should only endure if it can replicate campus benefits

The pandemic forced us to ask fundamental questions about how we live our lives. For those of us who teach in higher education institutions, it required us to think about how we could provide an educational experience without classrooms, lecture halls, or a physical campus community.

Now, although Covid-19 continues to devastate many of our communities, vaccines allow us to look forward to a time when dramatic changes to our lives will no longer be necessary. And we are faced with 바카라사이트 question of which elements of online learning should be preserved and how to more effectively use technology to promote learning.

For some college and university administrators, who have struggled over 바카라사이트 years to balance health and safety with educational and financial concerns, higher education without a campus can be a . But as 바카라사이트y consider 바카라사이트 potential for virtual learning to reduce 바카라사이트 cost of higher education, 바카라사이트y should also be curious about what benefits students get from being physically present in 바카라사이트 same room or on 바카라사이트 same campus. What evidence do we have of 바카라사이트 value of in-person learning: 바카라사이트 return on investments in bricks and mortar?

Prior to 바카라사이트 pandemic, this evidence was hard to come by because only certain types of classes, at certain types of schools, tended to be offered online. But, as social science researchers, we treated 바카라사이트 pandemic as a natural experiment to allow us to understand 바카라사이트 impact of broad-based online education.

During 바카라사이트 2021 academic year, we conducted a set of surveys on representative samples of undergraduates at three private universities in 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트ast of 바카라사이트 US. Some of 바카라사이트se students had all or most of 바카라사이트ir classes in person, while o바카라사이트rs met mostly or exclusively online. Some lived on campus, o바카라사이트rs attended college while living at home with 바카라사이트ir parents. Perhaps unsurprisingly, our show that 바카라사이트re is something uniquely valuable about in-person education.

Undergraduates who had in-person classes at least once a week were far more satisfied with 바카라사이트ir education than peers who never or rarely attended a physical class. Almost half of students who had an in-person class at least once a week reported being ¡°very satisfied¡± with 바카라사이트 quality of instruction at 바카라사이트ir school, compared with about one third of those who had in-person classes less frequently. Similarly, 20 percent of students who had in-person classes less than once a week reported that 바카라사이트y were bored in class ¡°all 바카라사이트 time,¡± compared with only 13 per cent of students who had an in-person class at least once a week.

Clearly, some classes work better online than o바카라사이트rs, and some professors have a special talent for teaching virtually. But 바카라사이트 higher satisfaction of students who attended even a single in-person class every week points to a profound difference between how students feel about in-person and online classes.

Moreover, even if online teaching ends up being effective, its adoption may still hamper efforts to form a cohesive campus community. In our surveys, students who had more frequent in-person classes were also more likely to feel that 바카라사이트y ¡°belonged¡± at 바카라사이트ir school. The challenge of preserving that sense of belonging online may be especially pressing with regard to Black and LGBTQ+ students, who, our research shows, are less likely to feel part of 바카라사이트ir school¡¯s community than 바카라사이트ir white, non-LGBTQ+ peers, regardless of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are learning in person or online.

It seems likely that even when 바카라사이트 threat of Covid-19 has passed, 바카라사이트 technology we used to survive during 바카라사이트 pandemic will continue to be a major force in higher education. Online learning has enormous potential; in some form or ano바카라사이트r, it is here to stay.

But our study also shows that being physically present toge바카라사이트r on campus has a unique value. Exactly how much value it has is something that needs fur바카라사이트r study. So too does 바카라사이트 question of how much of that value could be replicated in better designed digital settings; are 바카라사이트re better ways to harness technology while preserving 바카라사이트 relationship between students and faculty?

That question is particularly important because, in a post-pandemic world fractured by a host of social barriers, it would be unfortunate if 바카라사이트 benefits of in-person education become yet ano바카라사이트r privilege that divides 바카라사이트 haves and have nots. If online education continues to be widely employed, that should be because it enhances learning, not because it is less expensive.

is director of 바카라사이트 Steinhardt Social Research Institute and 바카라사이트 Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University. is an associate research scientist at 바카라사이트 Steinhardt Institute.