What do college students want from online learning? (2023)

online program,Both distance and hybrid studies are capturing a larger share of higher education around the world. Much of the growth in recent years has been fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused campuses to suddenly close and transition to distance learning. However, many students, especially those who want to balance work and study, turn to online learning because it is more convenient and accessible compared to traditional classroom instruction. In fact, a new McKinsey study finds that most college students want to continue incorporating at least some aspects of online learning into their education. However, a significant proportion of students are not satisfied with their universities' online experiences, suggesting that universities could benefit from evolving their online learning models.

To find out which learning models college students prefer and why, what makes them happy about online education, and what elements of the online learning experience they value most, we surveyed 7,000 students in 17 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and more. beyond the Middle East (see the About Our Research sidebar). Investigationcovers eight dimensions of the online learning experience with 24 attributesand therefore provides a complete description of what college students want (Figure 1).

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This article summarizes our findings and provides a three-step action plan that higher education institutions can use to build and improve their online learning programs. Our goal is to help these institutions provide better experiences and, we hope, better outcomes for the students they serve.

What students appreciate about online learning and what they don't

All of the students we surveyed switched to online courses during the pandemic, and nearly 65 percent of them said they would like parts of their learning experience to remain virtual. Even in France, which had the lowest ratio, more than half of students said they wanted some elements of learning to remain virtual.

Students say they appreciate the flexibility and comfort. When students were asked to rank eleven learning characteristics that should stay or go virtual in order of preference, they identified these as the top three: recording lessons and making them available for later viewing, easy access to online learning materials and flexibility, allowing students to work and study.

On the other hand, many students are still reluctant to enroll in programs that are completely remote. Students around the world cited these top three reasons: fear of becoming more distracted by online learning, boredom when the learning experience is not motivating, and lack of discipline to complete the online program. Although these perceptions may be partially preconceived, they seem to indicate that online programs have failed to create an engaging learning experience for some students (Figure 2).

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(Video) What Students Want in an Online Course

Social aspects are also shaping attitudes towards face-to-face, hybrid and fully remote models. Students who prefer hybrid learning say they like the combination of flexibility and peer-to-peer interactions, while students who prefer on-site learning say they have more offerings of peer-to-peer support and opportunities. In 80 per cent of the countries surveyed, students indicated that the main reason they prefer face-to-face classes is that face-to-face classes make it easier to get help from teachers than online learning.

room for improvement

In particular, our research shows that student satisfaction with online learning at their universities varies significantly across countries (Figure 3). When asked if they would be more likely or more likely to recommend their university to a friend or family member, students from the Americas were much more likely than students from other regions to make this recommendation. This result does not necessarily mean that educational institutions in countries where student dissatisfaction is highest provide a poor learning experience, but it could indicate that they are generally not meeting student expectations, which vary depending on culture, educational training etc.

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Our research suggests that higher education institutions can increase their learning online and finds a link between increased satisfaction and growth in online learning.1Growth rates calculated from public databases, not McKinsey survey data.The two countries in our survey with the fastest growth in their online student bases (the United States and Brazil) on average had relatively higher levels of student satisfaction than other countries. This result suggests that educational institutions in some countries have generally been able to develop online program experiences that attract and engage students.

Core attributes that matter

To help universities evolve and create more fulfilling online programs, we asked students to rate 24 attributes that shape their online learning experiences. Despite important nuances within some regions (see the "Key Differences Between Regions" sidebar), three tenets of successful online programs have emerged:

1. The basics are still important.Features that have always shaped the learning experience, such as new content, course structure, and faculty relevance, are very important to students in every country we surveyed. For example, students in 16 out of 17 countries indicated that a well-organized online course with a clear path and step-by-step instructions on how to achieve your goals is one of their top five elements (Figure 4).
2. Expensive features are not necessarily appreciated.Online attributes that are expensive to implement, such as virtual reality (VR), simulations, and rich visual content, are not highly valued by most students. This result may indicate that educational institutions and students are still figuring out how to use these technologies effectively. However, investments in them are increasing. According to one estimate, the global educational VR market is expected to grow from US$6.37 billion in 2021 to US$8.66 billion in 2022.2 “$32.9 Billion Global VR in Education by 2031: Identify Growth Segments for Investment,” Business Wire, June 9, 2022.Networking elements such as "peer learning in online environments" and "student-led or institutional networks" also ranked in the bottom quartile of importance in most countries.
3. The age of the students and the type of program do not have a significant impact on the perceptions of the quality of the online learning experiences.Our survey found that what students value most about online learning does not vary significantly by age group, field of study, or level of education (bachelor's vs. master's). While there are minor variations, the consistency of perceptions across groups within each region can guide institutions in developing learning experiences without needing to tailor them to specific groups of students.

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Create an engaging online experience for students

In our work with higher education institutions, we have identified three steps that will help them successfully transform their education programs online to increase student satisfaction and engagement.

1. Hear from students, set transformation goals, and assess the bigger picture of online learning.The successful development or advancement of an online program often starts with finding out what students like about all programs at a university: hybrid, fully remote, and in-person. Using our 24 survey characteristics, institutions can survey their students to find out in which specific areas online programs are performing well and in which areas they are performing poorly. In our experience, this type of analysis also allows institutions to learn more about the types of students that are attracted to different learning models and which groups of students are most likely to enroll in online learning programs.

   In addition to collecting a comprehensive data set of student preferences, institutions can work with other internal stakeholders to set desired transformation goals, for example, increasing retention, graduation, or employability rates. You can also assess how they currently stack up against those specific goals.other online education providers.

   (Video) What ONLINE College is really like *classes & misconceptions*

2. Combine the basic functions of an online program with differentiating elements.Once institutions have set specific goals, they can strategically assess which features to target to increase the value of their online offerings. Four specific questions may be helpful:
   • Are there alternatives to add or improve a feature?
   • How complex would it be to design and implement this component?
   • What are the relative costs and benefits of adding or developing the new item?
   • How does this effort differentiate the facility from other online education providers?
3. Design an action plan and a governance structure for its implementation and adoption.Once institutions decide which features to add or evolve, they can design an action plan that aligns with six criteria: size, talent, regulation, customization, speed to market, and investment (Figure 5). This process often begins with identifying and prioritizing quick wins that have high student impact, are easy to implement, and do not require significant new investment. Institutions can then determine an implementation strategy by analyzing which initiatives to outsource and which to build with in-house capabilities. You can also create a team whose members have complementary roles, with the goal of breaking down silos and ensuring that initiatives take into account the entire online experience of students and are solely owned by faculty.

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The results of our research are clear. Most college students who have been forced to study remotely during the pandemic want parts of their education to remain virtual. However, many are reluctant to enroll in degree programs that are offered entirely online, and some are dissatisfied with the online experiences offered by their universities. Institutions can ask their students what they find satisfactory or unsatisfactory about all learning models. They can then design and implement strategies to ensure their online programs deliver better experiences and ultimately better outcomes for students.