Teaching the teachers: why online learning training will be crucial for higher ed talent prospects

Just as many college students have struggled to adapt to the online learning systems necessitated by the pandemic, so too have many professors and instructors. These instructors were asked to quickly adapt long-established teaching methods to technologies many had never used before, trying to maintain consistent contact with students facing a mix of uncertainties — from housing to internet access.

While these groups should all be commended for the resilience they’ve shown under these circumstances, the results from and reactions to this rapid transition to online learning have been understandably mixed. Students are frustrated with a remote learning environment dependent on virtual interactions; they miss the in-person access to professors and other campus resources, as well as to other students. Many instructors are equally frustrated, and, frankly, many are overwhelmed with trying to keep students engaged and motivated to continue with their coursework, as they themselves struggle with learning the skills to adapt to this new way of teaching.

Both are a concern for schools, as some form of blended learning is likely to continue well beyond the pandemic. If these frustrations are allowed to linger, the dissatisfaction students and instructors are feeling could limit academic institutions’ future recruiting options, as potential professors may look to other fields for greater certainty and a better skills match. This is important to address at a time when recruiting and retaining strong instructors is even more crucial to academic institutions that are facing a more limited menu of options to draw in students and revenue streams. Colleges and universities have the opportunity now to invest in accelerated online learning training for their instructors.

The swift pivot to remote learning and the continued uncertainties of these past two semesters left little time for in-depth training. According to research conducted by Barnes & Noble College Insights, 54 percent of students have expressed concerns about the quality of teaching during the pandemic, saying their instructors are not trained to teach effectively in this environment. In a subsequent survey, 53 percent of students said the overall adjustment to online learning had negatively impacted their academic confidence. They cited various factors for this — lack of engaging class content, lack of access to instructors and lack of consistency course-to-course. The latter has been especially frustrating to students, who wonder why their professors aren’t all using the same means for video conferencing and testing. Still, they express sympathy for their instructors, saying they “truly feel for the professors, who are just as unfamiliar” with these systems.

In a time marked by uncertainty, students are looking for consistency in their courses and degree programs so they can focus on learning content instead of various new tools related to online learning. Rather than continuing with the stopgap measures necessary for the quick transition, this is an opportunity for colleges and universities to bolster training that can help instructors grasp the full functionality of the online learning tools available to them and, in turn, create a more engaging virtual environment for students.

We’ve seen from the past year that successful student engagement doesn’t necessarily happen when you port in-person lectures into online systems. If instructors have proper training on how to build their lessons around the virtual classroom and a deeper understanding of how information is absorbed through a screen, students will be much more likely to participate, learn and be successful in their virtual environment.

Instructors also need a deeper understanding of how to best manage the remote learning process that happens off the screen. Much of the learning challenges faced by both faculty and students these past semesters have been because of the stress associated with the transition. Early this fall, nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of students said online classes had a negative impact on their stress levels, and at least 60 percent had increased anxiety over academic performance, feeling isolated and burnt out. In addition to redesigning their courses and keeping classes going, instructors have become the front line for potential student mental health issues. They are looking to their colleges and universities to get the training and tools necessary to identify and address potential mental health concerns with students before they snowball. This is also guidance that can help instructors manage their own wellbeing and help them stay in their positions. Many instructors who left teaching this year cited higher levels of stress and burnout as part of what drove them out.

We know from conversations with both administrators and faculty members that instructors want to learn how they can be more successful with online and blended programs. In fact, more than half of faculty members (61 percent) surveyed at the end of the fall semester said that universities need to provide more training for instructors to continue to improve online learning.

With a longer-than-usual period between the fall and spring semesters, this may be the perfect time for colleges and universities to invest in training and make online learning a stronger part of their offerings.