How Did Remote Teaching during the COVID-19 Crisis Affect Faculty’s Attitudes and Beliefs about Online Teaching?

Abstract

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning was a contested issue within higher education. Advocates of online higher education saw it as a way to make college more accessible and affordable and bring high-quality education to those who might not be able to attend in-person classes. However, many faculty were skeptical or reluctant to teach online and in particular expressed concerns about increased workload, inferior learning outcomes, cheating, and losing connection with students.

When the pandemic began, some argued that it would accelerate the acceptance of online teaching by faculty, while others argued the pandemic would reveal the weaknesses and limitations of online teaching. Overall, this study shows more support for the former than the latter. A plurality (49.3%) of faculty surveyed report that following the pivot to emergency remote teaching they have a more positive view of online education while 27.5% report no change and only 22.9% have a more negative view. Further, 55.1% report that they are more likely to want to teach online when their campus reopens.

However, many faculty who expressed a more favorable view of online education also expressed reservations, for example that certain courses do not work well online or that certain students do not do well online. The concerns cited in the pre-pandemic literature including cheating, lack of connection and engagement, and increased workload for faculty all surfaced in this study. These are complex and challenging issues that can never be fully solved but should not be ignored if online higher education is to reach its full potential.