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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Medical Education in Saudi

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Medical Education in Saudi

Summary of Study

The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a significant influence on medical education and healthcare institutions. To support the learning objectives during the pandemic, several learning management systems were used. In Saudi Arabia, the majority of colleges adopted the online teaching methods. There is considerable similarity between online and traditional education. While several research have concluded that there are no substantial differences between traditional and e-learning, some have found the opposite. One of the most serious drawbacks of e-learning is the lack of clinical access. In Saudi Arabia, e-learning is not the favored mode of teaching in medical schools. The majority of the students thought of e-learning as an interactive system that allows them to learn.

Background

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China-pneumonia-like symptoms characterize the virus. The disease spread rapidly globally, resulting in an outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) declared it a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.1

Since March 25, 2020, over 150 countries have temporarily shut down colleges and educational institutions, affecting more than 80{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of the world’s student population. According to the Saudi Ministry of Education, health authorities have recommended “preventive and precautionary” measures to ensure that students and staff are appropriately protected.2

This has led to a shift in education in most academic faculties, transforming learning from traditional to online. Consequently, colleges provided students with several learning management systems.3 One of the most suggested approaches is scheduled live-online video lectures with interactive discussions using different applications or self-study online recorded lectures.4,5 Virtual clinical experience was another approach to the suspension of clinical clerkship rotation. This idea supports the concern of the Ministry of Health regarding medical students’ exposure to the virus during training as well as their potential to act as spreaders of the virus in the community.6 They were limited patient care and bedside learning opportunities during the pandemic, as doctors and other healthcare workers were required to focus on COVID-19 cases. Hence, students were safe at home, complying with social distance guidelines; they learned about the dynamics of patient interaction by interviewing patients, collaborating with treatment planners, assisting with paperwork, and counselling patients.7

Online and traditional education shares several similarities. Students still have to attend class, learn new topics, submit assignments, and participate in group projects. While many studies have found no significant differences between traditional and e-learning, others have reported opposing results.8 E-learning offers more program choices, compared with traditional face-to-face learning. It is classified as synchronous or asynchronous. Synchronous e-learning allows live interactions between tutors and students, such as live-video conferences and chats.9 Asynchronous e-learning can involve e-mails, recorded videos, etc., where there are time lags between the tutor and their students.9

With traditional classroom education, students are confined to taking courses at specific centers on a fixed schedule. Thus, e-learning helps save up to 60{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of traditional learning time, with the only requirements being an adequate computer, internet connection, and basic computer skills.10,11

In contrast, online classes involved an absence of in-person, face-to-face classroom, or office interactions. For many students and programs, interpersonal communication is crucial. For example, consulting lecturers in person and discussing matters in groups is an essential motivational activity and learning strategy; however, it is not easy to practice medicine online.12–16

Additionally, the on-campus atmosphere and the opportunity to meet many people face-to-face is another motivation for students; moreover, it has an essential impact on student performance and understanding lectures. Nevertheless, in e-learning, online classes depend on personal factors, such as: student’s home environment, socioeconomic factors, and parents’ level of education. Unfortunately, conducive surroundings are not always available to many students.

Another essential factor in students’ comprehension; online teaching can easily create a sense of boredom while listening to a monotonous lecture, devoid of interaction and visual stimulation. This reduces students’ motivation to attend future lectures.17

The perceived benefits of both teaching methods must be thoroughly outlined and assessed to determine which medium generates better student performance. Both approaches are generally beneficial; however, we still need to examine whether one is more superior compared to the other. Hence, this study aimed to measure the effect of online classes on medical students’ comprehension attending campus classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Study Design

We conducted a cross study using an online survey between 2020 and 2021. Data were collected from medical students in their basic and clinical years in the western region of Saudi Arabia using a questionnaire. Questionnaires with incomplete or missing data were excluded from the analysis.

Questionnaire Tool

The survey was adapted from previously validated assessment scales.3,18 The survey involved 45 multiple-choice and multiple-answer questions, including primary demographic data, such as age, gender, academic year, and the name of the school they attended, without recording any identifying data for confidentiality. Additionally, the survey included general questions about the students’ knowledge of e-learning and the status of the technology tools used during the education process. It also had questions to assess the students’ attitude toward the e-learning system as well as their evaluation and suggestions for improving online teaching. Finally, specific questions were asked to appraise the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students.

Sampling Strategy

A convenience sampling method was used. All medical students in the Western region of Saudi Arabia were invited to participate in the study. The inclusion criteria were clear in the invitation letter and sent along with the survey link. There was no incentive was provided to the participants to be involved in the study. The survey was conducted online using the Google Forms© and was distributed through social media platforms such as: WhatsApp, and Twitter. A total of 922 respondents were included.

Study Outcomes

The primary outcome was measuring the effect of online classes on medical students’ comprehension of attending campus classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary outcomes included comparing the level of medical students’ morning excitement for attending lectures before and during COVID-19; further, we also assessed medical students’ attendance rate before and during COVID-19 and the effect of students’ limited clinical exposure on their knowledge. A copy of the questionnaire will be found in Supplementary Section.

Statistical Analysis

Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data and synthesize a report of the variables. The data description includes proportions and frequencies, for continuous variables. The statistical analyses were carried out using S.P.S.S. (version 27).

Results

Demographics Characteristics

Of the 3700 questionnaires, we collected 922 completed online questionnaires from students of 11 medical schools in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Participants were predominantly women; the sample included 693 (75.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) women and 229 (24.8{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) men; their mean age was 22 (28.3{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) years. Umm AL-Qura University had the highest response rate with 232 responses (25.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}), followed by King Abdulaziz University with 186 responses (20.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) and Taibah University with 112 responses (12.1{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}). Two (0.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) of those who completed the survey were not included in the western region of Saudi Arabia. A more significant number of respondents included medical students who had finished their fourth year with a response rate of 325 (35.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}), followed by those who completed the fifth year with 310 responses (33.6{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}). Finally, 33 (3.6{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) responses completed by prior-year students or interns were not included in the sample size. For details see Table 1.

Table 1 Demographic Data of the Study Participants

Students’ Experience About e-Learning

Approximately 49.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} students started online classes during the first week of lockdown. The majority of institutions preferred Blackboard and Zoom as video-conferencing platforms for e-learning. A total of 624 (67.7{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students used Blackboard, whereas 612 (66.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) used Zoom. Microsoft Teams and Webex Meet were less preferred, as 237 (25.7{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) and 128 (13.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) used Microsoft Teams and Webex Meet, respectively. Overall, 727 (78.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students had five or more online classes per week, 30.3{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of them had live classes (synchronous), 6{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} had recorded classes (asynchronous), and 63.8{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} had both (synchronous and asynchronous) (see Table 2).

Table 2 Students’ Experience About e-Learning

Effect of COVID-19 on the Medical Education Process and Evaluation of e-Learning

A total of 395 (42.8{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) had experienced suspension of their education by the faculty, and 529 (57.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) had suspended their clinical training. In addition, 17.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} students suspended their education program by themselves due to social status and personal responsibilities. Thus, 410 (44.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students stated that the COVID-19 pandemic did not affect their career plans and future interests, but 331 (35.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) reported the opposite. Moreover, owing to the lockdown students had more free time than earlier. Overall, 490 (53.1{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students spent their time resting and relaxing, 456 (49.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) spent time with family, and 386 (41.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) spent their time watching television. However, our study showed that many students invested their time wisely, as 619 (67.1{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students participated in programs related to medical education. Further, approximately 396 (43{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) participated in medical research activities and 401 (43.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) in volunteering activities; for details (see Tables 3 and S1).

Table 3 Effect of COVID-19 on the Medical Education Process

Student’s Attitude During COVID-19 Pandemic

Regarding students’ attitudes toward e-learning, 391 (42.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students were worried about losing opportunities to apply for specialty training due to the lockdown. Regarding the students’ perspectives on e-learning, the study shows that a majority of students, that is 451 (48.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}), believed that e-learning depends on the comprehensive digital electronic environment displaying educational curriculum through electronic networks. In comparison, 423 (45.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students believed it was an interactive system that provided an opportunity to learn information and telecommunication technology. Moreover, 367 (39.8{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students believed that e-learning provides digital multimedia content (ie, written text, audio, video, and images). Less than one-third of the students, that is 255 (27.7{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}), believed that e-learning in the medical field is not less expensive than conventional learning. A total of 248 (26.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students considered e-learning as a type of tele-education, and for 207 (22.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) instant feedback from the instructor was a benefit of online-learning. E-learning has benefits and drawbacks that affect students’ lives differently. Overall, 603 (65.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students agreed e-learning helps save money and energy, that is typically expended during commuting; moreover, they believed it was a more straightforward learning method.

Furthermore, 365 students (39.6{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) believed that it limits the consequences of social contact and 355 (38.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) thought it causes fewer absences than traditional teaching, whereas 296 (32.1{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students believed that e-learning caused more absences. A total of 232 (25.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students believed that it resulted higher academic achievement, whereas 230 (24.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) agreed that results in better student interaction in classes. However, as Table 4 shows, 555 (60.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) of students believed the limitation of clinical access was one of the biggest disadvantages of e-learning. Moreover, 466 (50.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students disliked the absence of direct contact with a lecturer in e-learning, whereas 386 (41.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) believed that technical requirements were a disadvantage of e-learning. In contrast, 323 (35{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students did not have a conducive environment in the house during online classes. Approximately one-third (32.8{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students believed that e-learning courses lower academic achievement; moreover, 160 (17.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) felt that online classes were not safe, whereas 280 (30.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students were unable to adapt to e-learning. Regarding student attendance, 727 (78.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students attended five lectures or more per week, and 376 (40.8{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students were able to participate in more than 80{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of the classes per week. Moreover, 409 (44.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students attended only 50–80{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of the classes, whereas 137 (14.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) were able to participate in only less than 50{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}. For details see Table 4.

Table 4 Student’s Attitude During COVID-19 Pandemic

Status of Educational Technology Tools During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Table S2 describes the students’ proficiency with using various electronic devices: 108 (11.7{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) reported themselves as proficient, 171 (18.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) were perfect, 371 (40.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) were good, 228 (24.7{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) had an acceptable level, and 4.8 (44) had an inadequate level. In medical education, the students’ computers varied between tablets (683 [74.1{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}]) and smartphones (457 [49.6{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}]). Further, 543 (58.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students used personal computers. Around, 698 (75.7{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) were dependent on the university’s lectures for their study, 619 (67.1{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) were dependent on self-study and utilized various educational sources, whereas 254 (27.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) attended extra courses provided by private education centers.

E-Learning Improvement

Finally, the students could help assess e-learning, as shown in Table S3. Overall, 518 (56.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students did not want to continue using e-learning on its own in the future, whereas 668 (72.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) wished to use e-learning in combination with traditional learning.

Discussion

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a remarkable shift in education and learning methods. Additionally, some medical colleges have adopted open-book examinations, which have shifted toward an entirely new online teaching and examination system. Therefore, studying the effects of e-learning using several parameters on medical students is imperative e-learning. This study aimed to measure the impact of online classes on medical students’ comprehension of attending campus classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, we compared the different changes in medical students’ levels of excitement and rate of attendance in e-learning before and after the pandemic.

According to medical students’ responses, our findings revealed that the advantages of e-learning vary among students. Of the students, 423 (45.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) thought e-learning to be an interactive system that provides a learning opportunity. In contrast, a minimal number of students agreed that they had interactive classes. Consequently, 232 (25.2{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) believed that it offered high academic achievement. Likewise, in the study conducted by Cicha et al, the majority of participants demonstrated a positive feedback about distance learning.19 In contrast, when asked about the disadvantages, most students believed that the limitations of clinical access were one of the worst disadvantages of e-learning. Moreover, 466 (50.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students disliked the absence of direct contact with the lecturer during classes. In contrast, 323 (35{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students did not have a calm home environment during online classes. Finally, 280 (30.4{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) could not adapt to their online environment. Compared to our study, similar advantages and disadvantages were found in many reports in the literature.17,19–22

Technology knowledge is one of the most important factors for easy transition and success in e-learning.23–25 In our study, the participants reported the need of technical knowledge was one of the major disadvantages of e-learning.

Based on the previous responses of our survey, we noted that medical students believed that e-learning has far more disadvantages, compared with traditional methods that allow for clinical exposure. These disadvantages are considered critical parameters that facilitate each student’s comprehension and understanding. A total of 302 (32.8{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) students believed that e-learning lowered academic achievement.

The survey results indicate a change in the attendance rates during the pandemic, compared with those recorded before the pandemic. A total of 376 (40.8{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) of students could attend more than 80{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of classes per week. In contrast, 137 (14.9{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) attended less than 50{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of the classes. The underlying reasons behind their absenteeism include poor internet connection, inappropriate class timing, and discomfort with virtual teaching.

Several studies have supported the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education using different perspectives. A study that took place in United Kingdom has identified the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on final year medical students’ examinations, electives, and assistantship placements and the subsequent impact on preparedness and confidence. Many students felt less prepared to begin work as doctors. This study shows that disruptions to student assistantships significantly impact preparedness, which results in lowered academic achievement.26

Another study investigated medical students’ perceptions regarding the role of online teaching in facilitating medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study suggests that most students prefer face-to-face teaching.27 This study reported that the cancellation of clinical examinations and the conversion of written examinations into open book ones reduces student engagement, which was in line with the findings of our study.

A few limitations of e-learning mentioned in this study was related to technical issues. Moreover, many teachers are inadequately prepared and face many technical difficulties. The quality of the sessions delivered may have been affected by several factors, such as poor internet connection, family distractions, and the timing of the tutorials, as demonstrated by our results.

Students’ mental health is impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be adversely affected by the lack of interaction with friends and colleagues, leading to an increase in anxiety.18 As mentioned in the same study, the main advantages of online teaching are the time and money saved from the lack of travel, flexibility, and the ability for students to learn at their own pace.27 This is similar to our results.

Another study conducted in Jordan,3 which assessed students’ class experience, lecturers’ interaction, and e-learning advantages and disadvantages. Their results show that the e-learning experience was not favorable for most medical students due to limitations with regard to technology, and that traditional face-to-face teaching method is preferred for various reasonse-learning. Furthermore, the non-direct contact between lecturers and students is a significant obstacle, as students and lecturers have had on-ground interaction during regular lectures prior to COVID-19. Finally, the lack of clinical access to medical students is one of the most significant disadvantages due to the essentiality of patients’ exposure to medical students in clinical years.3 In contrast, their students’ online attendance rate was lower than ours. Thus, the cause of this difference in attendance rates required further investigation.3

Another study evaluated the comparison between face-to-face learning and e-learning modalities in teaching an environmental science course and additionally evaluated factors of gender and class rank.11

The results of this study did not show significant difference in performance between online and traditional classroom students by modality and gender. Further, as there is no significant difference in student performance between the two mediums, higher education institutions may gradually shift away from traditional instruction and implement web-based teaching to capture a larger worldwide audience.

If administered correctly, this shift to web-based teaching could lead to a higher cost efficiency, and higher university revenue.11

Many hospitals have suspended medical student clerkships during COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, in our study, student clerkships in the hospitals were suspended or postponed in about 50{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of participants. This is can be a major defect in their medical education journey and needs to be compensated as soon as applicable (12,J).

Our study had some limitations. First, the design of the study is cross-sectional in nature, some missing data could limit the conclusion of the study. The independent variables were not adjusted for real-life accuracy. Furthermore, students have different skills, abilities, preparation, and familiarity with online instructions. Experienced traditional classroom students who take online-based classes and lectures may lack the technical requirements of e-learning. Therefore, they may not be prepared to use e-learning efficiently, thus leading to lowered scores. Second, some medical schools may have been disproportionately represented with more significant numbers of responses from some schools. Finally, some aspects of our survey depended on students’ memory, which may have influenced their reporting.

Implications and Recommendations

Our study is relevant as it explored a crucial educational topic. Simultaneously, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the widespread use of electronic learning in medical education without pre-preparations. This fast acceleration should be investigated to determine its advantages and disadvantages. The results of this study will help make critical decisions for the future of medical education. Moreover, it would help improve electronic education and adapt it to the needs of medical education and medical students by considering all the benefits. According to the student’s responses, as shown in the results, 72.5{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} (668) wished to use e-learning in combination with traditional learning. Face-to-face learning is essential to increase the academic achievement of medical students and has higher clinical exposure. Additionally, online-learning helps save time, money, and energy. Additionally, we recommend that medical students should be prepared for online applications and platforms to improve their knowledge and experience.

Future studies are needed to investigate the same topic in the broader field of medical education, including the basic years. Moreover, further examination is necessary to find alternative models of clinical exposure that would be effective in compensation during situations similar to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, additional studies are needed to investigate an appropriate and effective way to use e-learning alongside traditional learning.

Conclusion

This study found that advantages of e-learning vary among students. Most of the students thought e-learning to be an interactive system that provides a learning opportunity. In contrast, many of the students believed that there were many disadvantages regarding online teaching methods. These findings has been seen in many reports in the literature recently and indicates that further studies are needed to identify the potential causes.

Ethical Statement and Institutional Review of Board Statement

The study was approved by the Faculty of Medicine at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia (NO. HAPO-02-K-012-2021-06-696). This study was performed in accordance with the principles stated in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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Demand for online education is growing. Are providers ready?

Demand for online education is growing. Are providers ready?

Interest and participation in online learning continues to grow: 2020 saw record enrollment,


and universities have launched new online programs to meet this increased demand.


From doctoral students to lifelong learners, people are increasingly accessing online tools to learn and acquire new skills. Though the increase in demand is undeniable, creating compelling offerings that appeal to prospective students is an ongoing challenge for many providers.

Many players are vying for a piece of the online education market, from local and national universities to emerging online education giants and newer nondegree providers. The magnitude of these market shifts and the increasing competition they herald suggest that online education providers may be compelled to go beyond incremental improvements and initiate big, bold moves to survive, grow, and thrive.

Major market forces

Four core market forces are reshaping the online education space, including increased competition, consolidation by a handful of big players, an influx of investments, and rising standards for quality (Exhibit 1).

Exhibit 1




Core market forces are shaping the online education space.





As demand for online education has grown, the market has become increasingly competitive, with providers vying for attention from a broad set of prospective students.

From 2011 to 2021, the number of learners reached by massive open online courses (MOOCs) increased from 300,000 to 220 million.


Between 2012 and 2019, the number of hybrid and distance-only students


at traditional universities increased by 36 percent, while the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 rapidly accelerated that growth by an additional 92 percent.

Against this backdrop of growing student interest, the market for online education has consolidated around a handful of dominant online-degree players. A recent analysis of Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) total enrollment data showed that while the overall market for degree programs decreased approximately 3 percent from 2019 to 2020, four of the largest open-access online education providers—Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), Liberty University, Western Governors University (WGU), and Grand Canyon University (GCU)—grew their total enrollment by 11 percent on average.

But online degree-granting universities have newer, digital-native entrants nipping at their heels and targeting the same student segments. Numerous digital-education start-ups are disrupting the space, driven by a rise in venture capital funding. US venture funding for education technology (edtech) grew from $1 billion to $8 billion between 2017 and 2021.


In 2021, the public appetite for these investments was evident in the successful IPOs of multiple edtech companies, including that of Coursera (valuation of more than $4 billion).


Edtech investment could be poised for more growth as online offerings surge and as institutions continue to shift toward blended learning grounded in cutting-edge digital technologies.

The forces propelling demand have been accompanied by rising standards for online education quality. For example, new offerings are blurring the lines between degree and nondegree learning, creating a new category of educational competitors. Google’s Grow with Google program, in partnership with Coursera,


offers courses in high-demand areas such as user experience design and data analytics and has made significant gains in enrollment. These programs give prospective learners cost-effective, expeditious options beyond a degree program. Traditional digital-education providers that are primarily degree-focused may want to consider including such offerings in their strategies to compete and grow in the online education space.

Greater demand and rising quality standards also suggest that students are growing savvier about the returns of their educational investments. For some prospective students, especially those moving into high-paying fields such as IT, the opportunity to learn high-demand skills is more important than a program or institution’s brand. Nearly half of respondents to our learner segmentation survey said they would only consider paying for education programs that have an expected positive return on career outcomes, while 21 percent indicated they would consider attending a school to get a degree only if the school was “top ranked.”

Five strategic moves that could unlock opportunities

Amid these market forces are potential growth opportunities for online education providers, but successfully unlocking these opportunities may require providers to make bold moves in adapting and pivoting strategies.

Employers in fields from healthcare to cybersecurity are struggling to find qualified workers,


and online education can help adults of all ages quickly gain the skills needed to fill these positions and improve their career trajectories. At the same time, workers are reevaluating their career opportunities and looking to enter better-paying fields.

To meet these needs, capture the attention of prospective students, and distinguish themselves from competitors, online education providers could consider five strategic moves (Exhibit 2): integrate skill building and degree attainment to meet student and labor market needs, transform career planning and coaching services, revolutionize employer relationships, deliver a distinctive learning experience, and build a bold and distinctive brand.

Exhibit 2




Online education institutions can capture opportunity through five strategic moves.





1. Meet student and labor market needs

Educational institutions have traditionally focused on learning and knowledge building first and careers second. But students, especially prospective online learners, are focused on the ROI of their degree—specifically, what jobs their degree will prepare them for.


Moreover, labor market needs are rapidly changing. As a primary pool of talent, institutions could align themselves with these shifts by rethinking program development and degree attainment to better prepare their students for a dynamic work environment. Institutions have three actions to consider:

Align programs with the needs of the market. At many institutions, including nontraditional online institutions, programs are developed through an outdated and often drawn-out process that is frequently divorced from the needs of employers and industries. This process not only leads to a mismatch in graduates’ skills but also rarely allows for the rapid development of new programs to meet current needs.

Institutions could stay ahead of the curve by adopting an iterative ‘learn and design’ program creation process that includes understanding current trends across industries, identifying shifts in technical and nontechnical skills, and revamping current programs or designing new ones to best prepare students.

For example, a university in Mexico found that new programs drove 34 percent of all new enrollment between 2016 and 2019. This institution focused on new-program development by identifying changes in job market trends and in-demand occupations, evaluating whether competitors were offering relevant programs to meet these workforce shifts, and making rapid decisions about which new programs to offer based on these factors. The creation of new programs was then centralized through an agile content development team (rather than spread across different “schools”) to ensure efficiency and speed to launch, enabling new programs to be built in less than three months.

Institutions could stay ahead of the curve by adopting an iterative ‘learn and design’ program creation process.


Integrate degree and nondegree offerings. The education sector has traditionally treated degree programs and nondegree certification programs as wholly separate. Each is valuable, and each has its shortcomings. More recently, a broader set of education programs have been gaining acceptance among adult learners, with certificate providers increasingly being considered equivalent to more traditional institutions of higher education.


This suggests that institutions could most effectively serve the student population by removing barriers between degree and nondegree programs and by offering an integrated package that incorporates credit-bearing credentials and certificates into the broader journey of earning a degree.

Universities don’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel to build such integrated programs. To develop an end-to-end solution for students, traditional institutions could partner with established nondegree players such Udacity or Grow with Google. Conversely, nondegree providers could seek to partner with full-degree programs so that their students could earn credit for their work and move toward a degree if they chose to.

City University of New York (CUNY), for example, partnered with the New York Jobs CEO Council to launch the EverUp Micro-Credential Program, which offers 100-hour online intensives alongside traditional degree programs. Shaped by input from the largest employers in New York City, these credentials aim to better prepare students for jobs or internships by helping them master specific job-related skills.

Offer multiple models for degree attainment. Respondents to the McKinsey learner survey identified a lack of hands-on experience as a top concern with online learning, with 30 percent saying it was their biggest frustration. Many learners in online-only degree programs are adults or traditional-age students from nontraditional backgrounds who cannot wait until the end of a degree program to apply their practical technical skills in paid or part-time roles. By offering stackable credentials with clear “on-ramps” and “off-ramps” that allow concurrent or sequenced work experience opportunities, programs could meet students’ unique needs and support their overall skill-building trajectory while keeping them engaged and driving completion rates.

2. Transform career planning and coaching services

According to McKinsey’s learner survey, 35 percent of respondents said their top motivation for considering additional education was a stalled career or a stalled career search (Exhibit 3). To provide learners with stronger and better-aligned career outcomes and increase job placement potential in high-paying positions, online institutions could proactively and consistently engage with students to set specific goals, work toward those goals, and adjust programming as needed.

Exhibit 3




Career setbacks are key events that trigger individuals to consider additional education.





Historically, students have started their career journeys by choosing a major in the first year or two of a degree program and trying to find a job in a related field sometime before graduation. This model assumes that learners are well informed about which programs or courses to pursue and does little to actually support learners throughout their journeys. Merely providing an educational experience with little connection to a learner’s postgraduation context is likely not enough to help students achieve career goals, especially in digital environments where networking, information sessions, and other forms of exposure to careers may lack in quality and quantity. A Strada survey revealed than more than a third of adults would change their field of study if they could do it all over again, with lower levels of regret among higher earners.

Provide up-front opportunities to explore interests. Before selecting a major, students could take a survey or assessment that captures their passions, skills, and experiences and points them toward multiple majors and related career options that align with their profile. Some institutions, such as Dickinson College and Boston College, have begun to integrate strength and interest exploration into summer orientation sessions to encourage students to think about majors and careers before they even start classes.


Equipped with data and information about students’ passions and interests, institutions could help students create personalized studies and skill-building plans early in the program. Unlike degree maps that direct students to follow a predetermined path, personalized plans could break down the process of acquiring a degree and show students how they could accumulate skills over time.

Offer integrative exposure to career pathways. It is important for learners to know whether the careers that are aligned to a prospective major are a solid fit. Institutions could expand and prioritize student access to immersive career experiences, including project-based learning, research opportunities, shadowing, and career-aligned mentoring.

Wake Forest University has garnered attention for its revitalized approach to career services. The institution emphasizes career exploration and customized exposure to careers early in the student journey by using profiles on Handshake (a job search and matching platform) to connect students with organizations and companies based on their interests and qualifications.

Other institutions help students build digital portfolios of work that they can show to potential employers during interviews. This allows firms to see precisely what skills students are learning and how those skills relate to specific job roles through, for example, an employer-facing dashboard that links courses, student activities, and work experiences to specific skills and industries.

Adjust and iterate on studies and career plans. As a student progresses through the educational journey, institutions could perform check-ins, advise, and reevaluate personalized course plans more frequently. For example, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Program in Exploratory Studies provides personalized attention to help undergraduate students discover their interests, realign on a major and potential career paths, and adjust course plans accordingly. When the program launched in 2019, about 40 percent of Boulder students were switching majors after realizing a new one might be a better fit. The new advising approach gives students the ability to shift plans with ease.


Some other institutions also offer the ability to flex major requirements or stack credentials when pivoting to another field.

3. Revolutionize employer relationships

Online education providers are uniquely positioned to develop close B2B partnerships with organizations looking to upskill their employee bases and attract new talent. The ability of these providers to rapidly adjust their curricula, combined with their history of serving adult students looking to advance their careers, suggests that such partnerships could be a strong driver of growth.

A recent study by Udacity found that roughly 60 percent of employers said talent gaps are having a major or moderate impact on their business, while a majority of younger people across all regions believe their employers should invest in their future by giving them skill training.


However, few educational institutions have made B2B a meaningful source of enrollment growth. Traditional B2B strategies often fail to sufficiently address the talent transformation needs of corporate partners. With employers facing unprecedented talent challenges and prospective students looking for career linkages, the moment may be ripe for rethinking how digital educators pursue B2B partnerships. While the nature of B2B strategies may vary across institutions, we have identified a few emerging, innovative approaches that could help institutions build strong B2B partnerships.

With employers facing unprecedented talent challenges and prospective students looking for career linkages, the moment may be ripe for rethinking how digital educators pursue B2B partnerships.


Focus on career-specific skills that can quickly address employer pain points. Many online institutions offer a broad range of certificate and training programs and seek to show the general value of their education to a potential partner instead of focusing on the skills needed for a specific industry or job function. By researching certain industries or roles, online education providers could identify very specific and practical skills that may meet the most acute talent development pain points. A skills-based approach often requires institutions to develop new content, bundle it, and sequence it in new ways while incorporating project-based learning. Scarce resources can make it difficult for universities to modularize all content simultaneously. Focusing on specific industries and professions can help them get started.

Develop comprehensive enterprise plans for upgrading and adding talent. Online education providers could differentiate their B2B offerings by thinking of themselves as talent development partners or as part of a “corporate academy.” By partnering with learning and development (L&D) teams to offer value-added services such as enterprise-wide assessments for talent transformation, these institutions could increase the value of educational partnerships and help ensure that it results in meaningful ROI for B2B partners. Once a business is enrolled, online education providers could develop personalized plans for each employee and create enterprise-specific reporting platforms that track and display the collective progress of the company’s talent pool. Moreover, providers could offer select student support services that are tailored for a given partner. In addition to developing existing talent, online education providers could innovate go-to-market approaches for attracting new talent to fields with significant labor shortages. For example, they could develop degree and training programs in partnership with employers who promise tuition assistance and jobs for students who complete the program. Talent attraction and development are more important than ever; by solving these problems, an online education provider could become integral to the core business instead of simply a benefit for employees.

Measure impact and ROI. Deeper partnerships that meet the specific needs of employers could drive real business value by filling talent gaps. However, very few, if any, online education providers have measured that impact or demonstrated the full ROI of upskilling employees. This suggests there is a unique opportunity for a nimble, forward-thinking provider to structure partnerships in which ROI is front and center. Measuring the impact of programs that build digital skills could also help unlock more B2B partnerships and greater enrollment growth.

4. Deliver a distinctive learning experience

The COVID-19 pandemic has further influenced consumer behavior and expectations across industries,


including education. Approximately 20 percent of respondents to our survey of US learners said their biggest frustration with online learning was “engaging in real-time conversations through a virtual medium.” About 18 percent of respondents said their top frustration with online learning was “getting the technology to work.”

To meet evolved student expectations, online institutions may want to upgrade their overall digital experience across core content delivery, build supporting tools and infrastructure, and apply best practices in customer experience. In our recent article on improving online higher education,


we share the findings of our survey on academic research as well as the practices of more than 30 institutions, including both regulated degree-granting universities and nonregulated lifelong-education providers.

To deliver an outstanding learning experience and better outcomes for students, institutions could focus their efforts on three overarching principles (Exhibit 4):

Exhibit 4




Leading online higher-education institutions focus on eight key dimensions of the learning experience across three overarching principles.





Seamless journeys. Exceptional delivery includes a user-centered learning platform that is easy to navigate and highly interactive. Elements could include movie trailer–like course previews presented by top instructors, real-time progress dashboards across programs and courses, and integrated, timely alerts that let students know when they are not investing enough time on a topic and offer suggestions for study resources.

An engaging teaching approach. While top-notch faculty and teachers, interactive lessons, and high-quality content are all critical, exceptional delivery also includes supporting a variety of learning settings to adapt to different learning needs. Enabling students to choose a learning format they prefer is one example. Real-time collaboration via group work, breakout rooms for discussion classes, Q&As with professors, and free, embedded access to external resources—such as professional-association standards and newspaper articles—could also help strengthen learning.

A caring network. Strong networks offering both academic and nonacademic support could help institutions accelerate learning and foster the well-being of students. This could include easily accessible, 24/7 troubleshooting support via a live service desk for urgent learning and teaching problems. Other initiatives to consider are program-specific opportunities to enhance student life online, such as personalized meet and greets, special academic invitations, and thematic social clubs, as well as using the right technologies to allow for just-in-time community or adviser support where needed.

5. Build a bold and differentiated brand

In today’s highly competitive market, building a distinctive brand is more important than ever. Our independent analysis of the fastest-growing online universities revealed that their success was due, at least in part, to investing marketing dollars in raising broad-based awareness of their educational offerings. By sustaining these efforts over time, they were able to increase awareness and inbound interest, which ultimately helped drive enrollment. Through our work and our research, we’ve identified three marketing and branding benchmarks providers may want to consider:

A compelling brand message. By initiating the four moves listed above, online education providers could lay the foundation for a distinctive brand message that cuts through the “sea of sameness” that typifies most online education advertising. Simply emphasizing affordability and flexibility may not be enough. Successful brands are not afraid to be bold and elicit both emotional and rational responses from consumers. Shaping a brand message that speaks to people’s dreams for the future, and shows how an institution is innovating to deliver on that promise, could help the institution stand out and motivate prospective students to learn more about it. There are many ways for an institution to differentiate its brand, including focusing on a particular student segment (such as veterans), focusing on a particular field of study (such as healthcare or nursing), or focusing on a distinctive student experience (such as through a differentiated online platform or student support network).

A balanced marketing media mix that delivers sustainable student acquisition costs. Many online education providers developed their marketing strategies during a time of ever-growing demand and limited competition. Those strategies tended to emphasize “bottom of the funnel” tactics such as affiliate marketing and paid-search marketing that aimed to convert prospective students who were close to making a decision. Given the marked increase in competition and growing per-click costs, this strategy may not prove sustainable. Our research shows that the most successful institutions invest at least half of their marketing dollars in broad-reach media that drives organic traffic. While investing more in brand marketing does require patience, it could establish a brand that generates sustainable student acquisition costs over time while helping increase conversion rates across all channels and throughout the enrollment process. The use of digital channels such as video, social media, and audio could allow institutions to reach a broad but still relevant audience. These tactics may also allow institutions to track the impact of these broader marketing efforts by looking at organic traffic and search data.

Our research shows that the most successful institutions invest at least half of their marketing dollars in broad-reach media that drives organic traffic.


Use of authentic voices to build credibility. Institutions may benefit from creating opportunities for current and former students to communicate the value of their programs to the broader public. Successful students take great pride in their accomplishments and are often happy to share their experiences. Moreover, they can deliver authentic and credible messages. As more and more prospective students turn to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to research schools, promoting user-generated content could go a long way toward driving interest and enrollment growth.

Institutions may also want to ensure that their branding is sustained throughout the admissions process. Instead of using a rigid, sometimes overly persistent model that focuses on outbound phone calls and cookie-cutter information, institutions can instead adopt a flexible engagement model that provides personalized information and respects the audience’s time.

Admissions teams could also diversify how they interact with prospective students and work seamlessly across SMS, email, phone, and videoconferencing to provide information and answer questions. In this new model, admissions officers become more than a single point of contact, instead connecting students to online information and to people in other parts of the organization, such as alumni or faculty, who could help them make informed decisions.

This new approach to branding and admissions might sound like common sense, but many organizations have optimized their old models over decades. Thoroughly changing a branding strategy often requires a fundamental restructuring of the way institutions work, the skills they employ, and how they measure success.

While making progress in these five strategic areas could yield growth, doing all five in unison is likely to produce the greatest impact.

To compete and grow, digital-learning providers may benefit from moving fast and cross-functionally and making rapid decisions based on data. Executing these five big moves will likely require the investment and involvement of the full organization. McKinsey analysis suggests that for most institutions, this path will represent a full transformation of current operations; lessons discussed in other education insights may be helpful in that effort. This path also requires a willingness to look beyond education for ideas and expertise and to find new technologies from across the digital economy. Blazing the path to a new frontier of online education is daunting, but those that do it could grow their impact while supporting students.

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CLASS101 Online Courses Come With Free Starter Kits

CLASS101 Online Courses Come With Free Starter Kits

Get Free Course Kits from Course101

On line mastering platform Class101 (course101.co) will supply free starter kits to end users who buy select classes now via Thursday, July 28.

UNITED STATES, July 20, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Class101 users can commence understanding on the internet with a totally free class supplies kit sent to their doorstep. Online understanding system Course101 (course101.co) will deliver cost-free starter kits to customers who acquire decide on lessons now as a result of Thursday, July 28.

The starter kits involve supplies necessary for the class and are handpicked by the teacher. The package is valued at up to $257, dependent on the class. The starter kits will be a gift with the buy of pick classes and ship for free of charge.

The 26 decide on classes go over fantastic artwork, craft and lifestyle verticals. End users fascinated in the high-quality art lessons can find out to draw and paint with watercolor, colored pencils, pens and liquor markers. The craft classes consist of embroidery, dressmaking and nail artwork. Programs in the lifestyle vertical include new music output by Groovyroom, property health and fitness by Megan Moon (formerly recognised as Megan Bowen) and baking by Kirkie Kookies.

Nine of the 26 classes are on sale for $30 to $50 off on top of the package giveaway. End users should verify the coupon code for every program and apply the code at checkout to acquire the cost-free course package. The kits are available whilst supplies previous.

Course101 is the largest on the web instruction platform in South Korea that operates around the globe, servicing 119 nations around the world. Its mission is to develop a environment wherever anyone life performing what they appreciate. Customers can get classes with business experts across a lot of life-style and inventive verticals, including new music, dance, digital arts, high-quality arts and crafts.

Course101 helps 3 million end users study from above 2,000 on-need online video programs in South Korea by yourself. In August 2021, the tagline “101 it” was launched by rapper Jay Park as the star of Class101’s advert marketing campaign. Course101 lifted $25.8 million the following thirty day period in the Series B funding spherical.

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National University Grows to 42,000 Students in Merger, Plans Nationwide Online Expansion

National University Grows to 42,000 Students in Merger, Plans Nationwide Online Expansion
Michael Cunningham
National University System Chancellor Michael Cunningham announces the merger and new emblem. Picture by Chris Jennewein

National College announced Monday it will merge academic functions with its local affiliate, the on-line schooling pioneer Northcentral University, and extend educating nationwide.

The merger will develop a combined college with 42,000 learners and increase 24 doctoral degree systems when providing 90{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of training on the net.

Cunningham said the merger will permit the San Diego-based nonprofit university to supply a comprehensive suite of academic courses from the pre-college to doctoral amount with a target on “micro-credentials” and workforce education applications made with input from prime employers.

“The union of these two institutions will make it possible for us to give workforce-applicable, in-demand plans — practically fully in an asynchronously on the internet format — to adult learners in all fifty states,” mentioned Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, chancellor of the Countrywide University System

The merger has been accepted by the Western Association of Colleges and Colleges, the accrediting entity for equally community and personal institutions in the West, and Cunningham also launched a new emblem for the blended National University.

National University’s power has been in giving profession-applicable levels and credentials for grownup learners at the undergraduate amount, whilst Northcentral has perfectly-founded master’s and doctoral choices. Northcentral, which has 12,000 college students, turned portion of the Nationwide University Program in 2018.

“Bringing together the expertise, abilities and motivation to service of these two numerous tutorial communities will help us to deliver towards our shared mission with appreciably greater effects and access,” stated Dr. Eugene Wilkerson, co-president of Northcentral.

In remarks following the announcement, Cunningham stated the merger will maximize efficiency and aid Nationwide College continue being incredibly cost-effective, with tuition toward a diploma in the vary of $12,000 a 12 months.

“This is not a merger for attrition. This is a merger for excellent,” he said, with no personnel to eliminate careers.

He said a crucial goal in the merger is better obtain and affordability, and mentioned that on the web learning suits busy adult students mainly because it can consider spot “anytime, anyplace.”

National University was started in 1971 and has grown to grow to be San Diego’s major private nonprofit college with 190,000 alumni.

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3 Questions About the Scaled Online iMBA

3 Questions About the Scaled Online iMBA

With more students studying for M.B.A.s on the internet than on campus for the 1st time at any time, I’ve been imagining about what will make a scaled on the net degree method successful. Brooke Elliott, executive associate dean, and Nerissa Brown, associate dean of graduate packages at the College of Illinois, graciously shared the lessons they’ve figured out considering that launching the iMBA in 2016 on Coursera.

The application was the initial diploma on Coursera and pioneered the stackable diploma design, which permitted learners to first acquire a program or specialization from the plan. It is also made available at a breakthrough price—$23,000, about a 3rd of the ordinary rate of household M.B.A. applications.

In 2016, the to start with iMBA cohort was about 100 college students, and this academic 12 months, it’s above 4,600. Here’s what they’ve uncovered as they’ve grown the plan.

Q: You’re a single of the early innovators in building on the web levels additional obtainable, inexpensive and work applicable. A massive portion of that good results is your stackable, scalable degree design. Tell me about how you begun with the iMBA diploma, including how you received internalBrooke Elliott, a white woman with light hair wearing a blue blazer over an orange shirt. get-in and how you have ongoing to expand your on the web diploma portfolio.

Brooke: The University of Illinois is a land-grant establishment, and the iMBA started with this mission in mind—to give large-good quality, obtainable and cost-effective education and learning to all who wish it and are committed to pursuing it. The method was made to be online from the commencing each individual aspect of the system from course length, selection of system offerings, synchronous and asynchronous content material variety and length, engineering for shipping and engagement, to the college engaged to produce and provide the written content was intentionally built to serve an online learner who was also a performing skilled. From the beginning, we committed to acquiring our incredibly most effective tenure-observe and specialised school build and deliver the content—this differentiated us early on in the online market and continues to be a essential differentiator for the iMBA system.

In entire transparency, internal purchase-in was tough as we ended up setting up and preparing to launch the method. Several teachers and administrators were skeptical that we could produce and produce a method that maintained the significant-high quality, arduous tutorial standards that the College of Illinois has constructed its standing on even though also creating the system obtainable and inexpensive. Even so, we were dedicated to disrupting the graduate business education house, and our really finest faculty considered in our mission and our capacity to change larger schooling. By way of the commitment of our college, the leadership of our directors and our willingness to believe wholly diverse about how to deliver significant-quality instruction we have been in a position to effectively launch and mature the iMBA.

Nerissa: The growth of our on-line portfolio is grounded in our core land-grant mission of giving obtainable and flexible lifelong studying options. We purpose to meet up with learners exactly where they are, and as these kinds of, our ongoing technique is to establish stackable articles from the ground up. We visualize our portfolio as developing blocks and start at the microcredential level when establishing new material or repackaging existing articles.

For instance, we generally start out with our Capabilities iCademies or Coursera MOOCs when constructing out or packaging new articles areas. Our iCademy and MOOC offerings are short, mastering systems that give in-desire skills that can be consumed conveniently. The information from theseNerissa Brown, a Black woman with straight dark hair. microcredentials variety the main of several our credit rating-bearing, large-engagement programs that learners can pursue possibly as stand-by itself, nondegree programs or as a part of our graduate certificate and diploma programs. It is with this setting up-block intellect-set that Gies turned the first university companion of Increase with Google and the creator of Illinois’ first set of campus graduate certificates.

We are continuously innovating our portfolio to meet up with market desire for upskilling and reskilling. In simple fact, we are building a catalog of certification packages in specialized techniques these types of as analytics, digital promoting, entrepreneurship and innovation, as properly as foundational business enterprise skills in accounting, finance and management. Two certificates in accountancy analytics and strategic management are anticipated to start in August and are now accepting applications. We are also in the approach of creating in-desire written content in disruptive systems.

Q: How do you replicate the superior engagement whole-time, residential M.B.A.s are known for, like networking, at scale and make these courses thriving?

Brooke: When you inquire our iMBA alums to recognize the biggest values offered by the method, they pretty much normally discuss about the exceptional community they have joined and the individuals they have occur to know and befriend. In residential schooling, a little team of persons from numerous backgrounds and encounters arrive alongside one another in a popular spot to have a widespread academic experience.

What is exceptional about the iMBA system is that a substantial number of people from much more various backgrounds and ordeals occur alongside one another to have a popular educational expertise but from places all about the planet. The learners in iMBA are far more diverse in qualifications and expertise for the reason that when you offer education that is accessible and economical you bring in and provide a additional diverse established of learners. And the community that you develop all around the environment is unmatched—some of our learners wake up in Dubai whilst others wake up in Chicago, and they all study with each other! We use know-how and an inside social media–like system to drive engagement and provide possibilities for our learners to produce and develop their networks.

Nerissa: We also provide alternatives for people about the planet to meet up with each individual other in person. We host an in-person networking and specialist improvement event each fall on campus identified as iConverge. In slide 2021, we had just under 1,000 latest students and alums arrive collectively to understand and to meet just about every other and school facial area-to-deal with. You would never ever know that a lot of had never ever satisfied in human being, as they typically embrace 1 a further as lifelong buddies and colleagues. In addition to iConverge, we host a sequence of skilled development and networking events all over the United States and the globe.

Gies Online has numerous, profitable ways in which our learners network and interact in experiential studying. Networking and experiential finding out is a core component of the Gies brand, and this is no distinct when it comes to our on the internet applications. In addition to iConverge, we provide a sequence of impactful immersion systems to our on the net learners. Our immersions are a collaborative networking expertise that you will not see in most on-line M.B.A. packages.

We offer you the two digital and in-human being immersion options, and the expertise is rated superior by our individuals. In excess of the very last two years, we have immersed students in the company and cultural ecosystems of domestic and worldwide places these as Dallas (Tex.), Colombia, Ghana and Japan. We are receiving ready for our to start with in-man or woman immersion to Seattle considering the fact that the pandemic, and attendee interest has been huge. We will go on to provide an yearly collection of digital immersions so that learners who are not able to participate in individual can nonetheless attain firsthand experience of world-wide organization.

Q: What information do you have for college leaders who are making an attempt to start a scaled on line diploma?

Brooke: Be bold and purposeful in designing the program—do not only consider an current residential software and transfer it on the web. Have interaction school in the style of the software from its inception—faculty buy-in and enthusiasm for on-line schooling are crucial to its results. Recognize training and learning talent with experience in pedagogy, assessment and technology—whether this exists within just your very own college or you will need to employ the service of from outdoors. Be obvious about how on-line schooling can serve your academic mission and increase your institution’s popularity.

Nerissa: Sturdy expenditure in school and staff expertise. Gies On the internet has been profitable in attracting talent from throughout the country. For instance, we have been in a position to attract instructors who are marketplace and engineering leaders and who bring their practical knowledge straight to our virtual lecture rooms. We have been also nimble in our talent acquisition by providing remote function arrangements to workers and our school. Versatile get the job done is important to tap into top expertise, and modern university bulletins on remote work arrangements illustrate how significant it is for larger ed establishments to satisfy expertise in which they are—similar to how on-line schooling reaches learners in the site and at the time that is effective best for them.

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Five ways online learning benefited some students (opinion)

Five ways online learning benefited some students (opinion)

“Being back again on campus is actually, definitely great in some ways, but in some methods, it is tougher.”

That assertion, from 1 of my previous students, trapped with me. It was the initial working day of drop lessons in 2020, and Denison University had just reopened just after being shut down and moving to remote mastering in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Up until eventually this moment, most pupils had explained to me how fantastic it felt currently being again on campus and how a lot a lot more they enjoyed having their courses in particular person.

As a sociologist, I was motivated to dig deeper to recognize how returning to campus and in-human being discovering offered troubles to particular students. I realized that the discussion about returning to campus experienced largely concentrated on the effectively-documented difficulties with virtual discovering, these as slow internet connections, worries navigating new studying systems and troubles developing classroom friendships. In truth, though some learners described enduring a lot more worries in the distant understanding context, some college students had actually fared well academically and described beneficial experiences logging in from property.

I began to question my students about their ordeals of what labored well when we went distant. Their solutions surprised me. For some students, in-individual mastering has not often been made to meet their requires. The normal university classroom presumes that most or all students are neurotypical and that the understanding space is culturally, emotionally and cognitively available to each college student. The truth of the matter is that for some learners the in-human being classroom offers troubles that make discovering tough. In this article are five strategies that remote finding out benefited some students.

  1. Remote courses allowed students with disabilities (each documented and undocumented) to be accommodated in methods that the physical classroom has never ever authorized.

Our lessons are developed from an ableist point of view. Learners with disabilities have to find out how to advocate for themselves, which needs the two self-consciousness and the potential to connect with their professors—and, potentially, the incapacity assistance or source office—in strategies they might not have acquired still. Though we have progressed societally in addressing incapacity legal rights on campuses, scholar needs—such as prolonged take a look at time, visual and auditory mastering materials, and widened classroom doors—often go significantly outside of measures at our disposal.

For several, the in-man or woman classroom simply cannot, and normally does not, accommodate diverse adaptive actions both for the reason that of logistics or mainly because the gain of bringing these several supports to the classroom may possibly not outweigh the stigma in the brain of the college student who, at the end of the day, would like to in shape in and not be found as “different” or “abnormal.”

In the digital classroom, some pupil desires had been fulfilled for the first time. For illustration, learners who experienced hearing requires ended up equipped to use assistive and adaptive dietary supplements like Zoom’s transcription functionality that authorized them to totally take part in system discovering in authentic time.

  1. Virtual understanding brought all people to the front of the course, placing learners on much more equivalent footing.

In the remote class, there is no again corner of the classroom. From the professor’s standpoint, each individual college student is equidistant and has an possibility to be entrance and centre in the Hollywood Squares–like Zoom grid. Introverted college students who’d become accustomed to hiding at the rear of the extroverted kinds have been able to obtain their voices extra quickly and safely than they may possibly have in the in-man or woman area.

Meanwhile, students who leaned into their tender skills to advance in an in-human being classroom had been pressured to focus on their academic competencies in an on the web placing. Many pupils who are very good at developing relationships with professors and commanding course conversations devoid of relying on substantive interrogation of the material had been challenged in structured actions that necessary them to provide tangible work goods in team or person assignments.

At the conclusion of a Zoom course, the chat and video transcripts present proof of the get the job done that every student has performed in the course. And the professor does not have to have to rely on memory to assess participation. The distant classroom leaves a tangible history of classroom get the job done in techniques that are not probable in the in-man or woman classroom.

  1. The virtual class manufactured our bodies and the reactions to our bodies fewer evident and impactful.

When we log in to a digital classroom, we cannot plainly see a lot of of the things of identity that have stigma, this sort of as entire body size and conformity to gender anticipations. College students with greater bodies, who may possibly be aware of their physical appearance and how to navigate desk and chair sets designed for smaller college students, did not have these activities attending course at residence. College students who are gender nonconforming or transitioning, who have to grapple with stares and unsupportive reactions from friends, were briefly sheltered from this scrutiny. In a classroom in which carrying the latest styles is a measure of social worth, those pupils who are fiscally unable to meet up with this typical had been ready to come to course with out stressing about getting the proper clothes. Not everyone has 5 shirts to wear Monday as a result of Friday.

1 college student explained to me that the stresses she at the time carried into the classroom disappeared in the digital room: “It was a reduction not possessing to get worried about what to put on. I’m an athlete and I get up to work out and try to eat prior to 8:00 courses. Generally I’m self-acutely aware about coming to course just after a observe or work out. I would typically skip breakfast in get to shower and wash my hair in advance of class.” The difference in gender expectations were lessened in the pandemic for this university student. The pandemic authorized her, as a college student in the virtual classroom, to “be an athlete and not a woman athlete.”

  1. The remote courses felt more inclusive.

Classes at a predominantly white establishment can come to feel alienating for international pupils or college students who are not white. In the distant context, lots of students reported these variations had been considerably less pronounced. English-language learners, for case in point, had been able to obtain language-assistance means in serious time to enable them have interaction much more entirely in classroom experiences.

The digital class is a spatial equalizer since learners cannot sit near those they know and drop into cliques. Group perform assignments typically spring up from self-picked seating preparations of people today who are buddies or associates, leaving these outside the house these informal social networks feeling ostracized. Systems of the virtual classroom, like randomly produced breakout rooms, allow for us to opt for smaller teams in much more equitable techniques.

Pupils might also have felt less social boundaries in the digital classroom. Numerous persons have very little working experience engaging in bodily areas with other folks from diverse backgrounds and are accustomed to observing Black and brown people, these types of as athletes and entertainers, principally in digital spaces like social media. A lot of of the nonverbal gestures that may perhaps inhibit men and women from diverse backgrounds from receiving to know 1 another, this kind of as a prolonged curious stare or an expression of unease, are eliminated in the virtual classroom.

  1. Pupils had more command over their wellbeing in the learning natural environment.

Even though the pandemic was the driving drive guiding remote mastering for most colleges this calendar year, students had been also capable to attend to other wellness desires without having sacrificing finding out. Just one scholar wrote, “I have had colitis for the past 5 a long time. This was the initial yr that my each believed in class wasn’t, Omg I hope that I can make it by this course. Or enable me not eat to make guaranteed that I’m Okay. I was in a position to manage my ailment devoid of the anxiety that I commonly have to deal with.”

College students learned new selections available to very best serve their psychological wellbeing wants whilst retaining equally their dignity and privateness. A person male student shared with me that he’d struggled with stress and anxiety since coming to college. In our digital classroom, he discovered strategies to deal with this stress that would be extremely hard in man or woman. He explained, “I was able to meditate and do my respiratory physical exercises wherever I stretch out on the ground and picture I’m in my preferred beach front location. I did this until eventually the moment right before I turned my digicam on. It aided a good deal. I know I could not do that in class with no persons on the lookout at me like I was odd.”

In Summary

I did not be expecting that transferring to virtual mastering would permit me to glance at in-human being learning in new methods. Of class, I skipped becoming capable to see my college students in man or woman, and I predicted remote discovering to pale in most strategies to the classroom knowledge. But I do not want to go again to how it was in advance of with no thinking of the ordeals my pupils described. Their tales have designed me a far more compassionate, empathetic instructor.

As most colleges and universities have returned to in-person lessons, now is the time to be strategic and take into account what to do with what we’ve learned—and ask how we can get ready for the next party that may force us off campus. Can we feel of remote studying as a curricular and complementary product, and not as some thing wholly separate from in-individual mastering? The classroom is not the making but instead the academic working experience we motivation. We need to not be tethered to the actual physical room at the detriment of discovering.