Last month the Chronicle of Higher Education reported on one of those stories that make you say, “Of course! Is this supposed to be news?”
The story: Professors think that teaching online courses requires more work from teachers, and they think that students don't learn as much as they learn in traditional classroom settings. The survey was conducted by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.
As the article puts it:
Instructors' extra time and effort aren't being rewarded financially or professionally, and what's more, online education doesn't translate into better learning outcomes, said respondents in the faculty survey.
It's hardly surprising that 70 percent of faculty think the educational outcomes for online learning are lower. But here's a tidbit that was buried in the report: Of faculty who have actually taught an online course, only 48 percent think the educational outcomes for students are lower!
The full study results are expected in April.
