Point at Issue: Is The Virtual Classroom Worth The Price?
ozgurcankaya
College is much more than taking classes; it is an experience that shapes who you are and validates your career choice. This experience has been altered by the pandemic, with a majority of colleges choosing to go remote. With experiences and services not being provided, students and parents argue for a reduction in college tuition or other choices must be made. Schools are creating a better remote environment to meet students' needs, but is it worth the cost, or should you focus on other efforts?
The biggest issue right now is what the classroom is. Now the "typical" classroom does not exist. Everything that made it into an experience is gone. Conversations consist of a few words in a text box sent to the teacher through a chat. More times than not, teachers and students lose connectivity, and disruptions are constant. Significant interactions with teachers are a thing of the past as they read the lesson and ask questions or two. The lack of intellectual stimulation and other disruptions equate to students suffering educational setbacks.
"The majority of students, 85.4 percent, saw a negative impact on their academic performance," during the Fall 2020 semester cited an OneClass survey of 14,000 students across the United States. The changes in teaching caused GPAs to drop because learning remotely is a problem for some. Not being able to handle the new virtual classroom, students are looking to engage in other options, even leaving college altogether.
OneClass "found that 75% of college students are unhappy with the quality of online classes and 35% have considered withdrawing from school," wrote Abigail Johnson Hess. For those forging ahead with their degrees, the consensus was that it didn't make sense to pay for an expensive college if they were learning remotely. This option is beneficial to those who are experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic.
Enrollment at community colleges is on the rise, with many parents seeing this as a better financial decision. This choice is a popular one now as 40% of students have stated they would attend public college, and 26% have said they would go to a community college, according to a separate report by the College Savings Foundation, a Washington-based research group. Community college is a great place to take all of your 101 type classes and get them out of the way. Even with students transferring, overall enrollment is still declining, causing a financial strain on universities and colleges across the United States.
The American Council on Education cited that there would be a 15% drop in enrollment nationwide because of the pandemic, and this would equate to a $23 billion revenue loss. The cancellation of sporting events, international students, not paying full tuition, and the cancellation of in-person events affect the bottom line. Even though schools are losing money, they still need to work and adapt to the new classroom model.
The pandemic caused universities and colleges to change how they were educating their students quickly. Infrastructures and updated equipment were needed to support the new remote environment that met students' needs. These costs are one of the main reasons colleges are saying that tuition needs to stay the same. Schools are also dealing with mounting lawsuits against them or not providing what they promised with virtual learning and being cut short for the spring 2020 semester.
Class-action lawsuits are in place, with as many as 750,000 students combined. Students want partial reimbursement of tuition and fees and are "continuing to amass nationwide — from Ivy League institutions to goliath state university systems to small private colleges," wrote Kristina Davis. The lawsuit filed by University of San Diego students points out, "They paid for the robust education and full experience of academic life on USD's campus; remote online learning cannot provide the same value as in-person education." Universities and colleges have to contend with s potentially hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. Some students have welcomed the virtual learning experience and are thriving as a result.
For many remote classes, expensive books are unnecessary. There is not a cost to travel to courses by car or public transportation. You also save time not having to get to and from school. Dorm rooms are not required if you are living with your parents which can add $10-to-$15,000 to your tuition bill per year. There is also a cost-saving for meals that you do not have to purchase. You may have to pay for high-speed internet if you do not already have it.
You can take classes from anywhere in the world when you are remote. If you are renting an expensive apartment near your university or college, you can relocate for less expensive lodging. Many students take on a larger class load because they now have the time to focus on these courses and graduate earlier. The online curriculum is evolving, and it promises to offer a better virtual experience.
Educators are trying to pivot and meet the needs of students. Some teachers have "redesigned their courses from spring to fall to achieve those goals, more than half of instructors said they had updated their learning objectives, assessments and activities (61 percent) and integrated the use of new digital tools (60 percent)." It is hard to keep the attention of students in a virtual setting, so "Forty-six percent said they had embedded "more active learning elements (e.g., group discussion) to enhance student learning and engagement," cited a recent study.
The new way that students have to learn requires more effort from everyone. You have to stay focused, be motivated to participate, and practice time management with coursework and assignments. Constant communication with professors and students is required to get tasks completed. These skills can quickly transfer to any job you apply for in the future; if you are lucky enough to land a job.
Graduating students now need to compete with everyone who has lost their job and desperate to get back into the market. "Across the country, recent graduates are seeking employment in one of the worst job markets since the Great Depression," explained Terry Nguyen. The national unemployment rate is at 6.7 percent, and students and the unemployment rate for students aged 15-to-24 years of age is 11.5 percent as of November 2020. This challenging job market is causing students to take jobs at significantly lower wages.
Instead of entering a saturated job market, it may make better sense to continue and get your graduate degree. It shouldn't be to avoid looking for a job and advancing your education in the field you want to excel in. Some schools have extended their deadlines and waved some requirements to encourage applicants. Make sure to calculate the cost of going to school and the benefit to your earning ability. There are not many scholarships available for graduate school, so you have to budget and make sure the benefits outweigh the costs.
Not every graduate school experience translates well to the online format. If you are looking to get into the medical field, for example, not attending labs for research may pose an issue. You should reach out to the program directors to learn everything about the program to make an educated decision. If graduate school is not your choice, then taking a gap year may answer those who do not want to go remote.
"Students say: 'You know what? Instead of trying to navigate online learning that I'm not really accustomed to, I'm just going to sit it out. I'm just going to work. I'm going to take a year or a semester off,'" explained Bill Pink, the president of Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan. There are many positive aspects of taking a year off to learn new skills, understand who you are as a person, and figure out what you want to do in life.
The important thing is not to waste time off and do things that are beneficial to your career. One year can turn into two, which puts you at risk of losing wages because you will enter the job market later. Some people take the time to embark on a passion project like learning how to code or build a YouTube channel. These efforts look great on a resume as it shows how a student has confidence in their abilities and is willing to take the chance to make it work. If you feel that you need experience in your field, it may be better to opt for an internship.
Even with the pandemic, internship positions are being offered by most companies. Now being remote, interns can work according to their schedules and have more balance in their lives. Eliminated is the daily commute, which equates to a significant cost saving. Although you are not meeting with your team in person, you still make connections to help you in your career path.
“University learning can only take you so far. You really only start to sharpen and improve the professional skills related to your career field on the job, explained the Intern Group. It is important to experience the field you want to get into rather than reading about it in class.
If you cannot land an internship, there are still ways to get into the company or field of your choice. Volunteering for a company or within your community has its benefits, but the risk is that you will not be getting paid. Volunteers can also build out connections that can help land a job later on. There are many sites to help you match your objectives with the right volunteer opportunity, such as VolunteerMatch, where thousands of jobs are listed.
“According to the survey of 202 human-resource executives, skilled volunteer work — such as helping a nonprofit with its finances — makes job applicants look more appealing to hiring manager,” explained Anita Hofschneider
The pandemic has changed the college experience for the better or worse, depending on how you view the new challenges on learning remote. For some, it is a great way not to have to travel to school and to live wherever they please, all while picking up some new skills. It is not feasible for others because they cannot absorb the lessons and miss the in-person interactions. The good thing is that there are options for whatever side of the classroom you sit on.