Leveling the Learning Curve

American universities and colleges are at a crossroads.

Enrollment in US postsecondary educational institutions has declined significantly since 2019. The experience of digitized distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has put additional pressure on universities and colleges to make higher education more flexible. Institutions that don’t respond will almost certainly lose more students and may ultimately fail.

Most institutions scrambled to teach at a distance during the pandemic – largely using PowerPoint lectures combined with Zoom – and students became used to it. After the pandemic, some 70% to 75% of students reported that they want their colleges to offer a mix of on-site and remote learning options; only 53% of professors agreed. Though many faculty members and some students resist the movement, research demonstrates the effectiveness of learning outcomes through well-conceived and well-constructed digital and remote learning.

Digital online learning offers new opportunities and revenues, but only when done well.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs), which can reach tens of thousands...