Educational support has to be from the top down. Not only do online learners need the help of their counselors and teachers, but they may need financial aid support or career counseling help. Students no longer are walking into these departments on campus as much as they used to and need an alternative online system to ensure these meetings and chats go smoothly.
Schools need to adjust and flow in order to accommodate online learners. Why? Because generally, online learners take fewer classes per semester and may need to skip semesters to accommodate their schedules. This is very different than a traditional learner who tends to go straight for four years and graduate. Institutions are now not only trying to keep up with the newest online platforms and learning styles, but also accommodating this new population of student.
Traditionally, in person class teachings didn’t change much in the past few decades. Now, schools are forced to spend time and money on research for online academics. Some may find this is trial by error and will have to show students that they are up to date on their curriculum and platforms to recruit students. Many online learners have tried and disliked taking classes because of poor learning platforms, online communication issues and lack of structure or help. Now, to recruit these students back into an online program, a school must show they are evolving and provide students with the ease of learning online.
