New study shows professors’ conflicted relationship with online education

A new study shows that many professors have conflicting views about the future and value of online courses. The study of 4,564 US faculty found that 58% viewed the growth of online education with “more fear than excitement.” 66% of respondents believed the learning outcomes of traditional courses were superior to those of online courses. 39% of online instructors agreed that online courses produce inferior learning outcomes. Professors with exposure to online education were more optimistic than those without, and those with experience teaching an online course were by far the most positive. Despite negative views of online learning, 60% of professors reported recommending an online course to a student or advisee. Inside Higher Ed | Read the Report