The COVID-19 pandemic shifted learning online for students across the world. A year later, as universities like IU announce in-person class plans for the fall 2021 semester, educators are exploring the idea of including aspects of remote learning — such as hybrid models and more online course offerings — in education even after the pandemic ends.
Some IU students said, given the chance, they would consider taking advantage of online courses and the freedom they offer more in the future.
Kirk White, IU Assistant Vice President and temporary co-chair of the IUB COVID Response Unit, said while in-person instruction is expected to continue in fall 2021, IU may think of offering more online learning options post-pandemic if demand arises.
He said online learning has given students more flexibility since they don’t have to be in a physical classroom. Experience with virtual learning is also beneficial for the workplace, he said.
"We’re in a time now where many professional environments have learned to do more things online, and having experience with that, you're going to be steps ahead when you start your career,” he said.
White said he isn’t sure whether on-campus students would hypothetically be able to take entire course loads online without being an IU Online student. While IU Online degrees are typically an option for students who want to pursue a degree completely online, IU Online has long offered the ability for students to take some specific classes online while taking others in-person. IU Online currently offers 171 online programs, but White said more classes could be added in the future if students wanted them.
White said the years of work IU has put into developing and growing IU Online made faculty better-equipped to transition to temporary online learning. This experience could also help with implementing more virtual options in the future.
If demand increases, putting more classes online to give students additional online options after the pandemic may be considered. Smaller classes wouldn’t move online as fast as classes with higher demand such as a finite math class, White said.
Sophomore Anthony Josep said he would be open to taking certain kinds of virtual classes in the future. As a voice performance major, he said general education classes would work better for him online, and music classes better in-person. He said his current asynchronous courses have made him more productive.
“I’ve been able to do more things in my life because of classes being asynchronous rather than strictly ‘You have to be at this place at this time,’” Josep said. “It gives me the freedom to do the work on my own and submit it while I can, and to listen to the lectures whenever I can.”
Junior Kirsten Jacobs, who is majoring in criminal justice and psychology, has been studying completely online since March 2020. While she said being stuck inside all day is detrimental to mental health, she would consider taking one or two classes online next year. Like Josep, Jacobs said she enjoys the flexibility they offer.
“You can just get out of bed and hop onto your Zoom call instead of having to drive to campus, so that’s nice,” she said.
She said she thinks if IU were to offer online courses after the pandemic, they should be synchronous and interactive.
“The online classes that I like, what I like about them is that they’re more discussion-based instead of lecture, and so it’s easier to ask questions and talk about stuff,” Jacobs said.
