Dive Brief:
- A survey of 250 college students taking online courses found that they miss the personal interactions they enjoy with professors during in-person classes.
- The study was conducted at Kent State University, which has 16,000 students — 40% of the total enrollment — taking 1,200 classes online. The survey also included 60 professors.
- One conclusion from the survey: Professors should make sure that they communicate more with students in online classes and reach out proactively, instead of just uploading assignments.
Dive Insight:
Students also missed the social interactions with their peers from in-person classes. Another drawback for online classes, according to the study, is that they require self motivation and self teaching, and the classes are much more difficult than the students thought they would be. Online students perform best when their instructors make a personal connection with them, even if it’s just through a video introduction when the course begins.