16.08.2021

Brookings Institute: How does virtual learning impact students in higher education?

In an article by the Brookings Institute, reference is made to a study by Christian Fischer et al.

In 2020, the pandemic pushed millions of college students around the world into virtual learning. Now, many colleges are willed to bring students back to campus, but uncertainty remains. Some institutions will continue to offer both: online and offline classes. At the same time, low vaccination rates, new coronavirus variants, and travel restrictions for international students might mean a return to fully online instruction for students around the world.

Dealing with that subject, the Brookings Institute, one of the most important public policy websites in the US, makes reference to a study by Christian Fischer et al. The study pushes beyond near-term outcomes, like grades and scores, to consider longer-term outcomes, like graduation and time-to-degree, for bachelor’s degree-seeking students in a large public university in California. They find reason to be optimistic about online coursework: When students take courses required for their major online, they are more likely to graduate in four years and see a small decrease in time-to-degree relative to students taking the requirements in-person.

Read here the full article of the Brookings Institute.