Should all colleges switch to online-only classes to fight the spread of COVID? A new survey from Aceable.com claims that the majority of Americans think they should.
According to the 2020 State of COVID-19 and Online Education Report, 56% of Americans believe college classes should remain online for the rest of 2020. The decision to return to campus was a controversial one. Many worried that college students would not take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading the virus. Others balked at paying expensive college tuition at institutions like Ohio State for online classes.
Additionally, broadband connections are not available in many rural areas, making online classes difficult.
Campus COVID Outbreaks
In Ohio, Ohio University, Miami University, and the University of Dayton each experienced significant outbreaks of the virus.
At Ohio University, 203 students at the Athens campus tested positive. Currently, 66 students are quarantined due to possible exposure and 61 are in isolation because of a positive result.
Shawnee State University has reported a total of 12 positive student cases and 4 employees. Students, faculty, and staff who test positive for COVID-19 or who are experiencing symptoms are required to self-report to the University. Shawnee State students returned to in-person learning on August 24 with precautions like mandatory masking and social distance in place.
Going Online
According to the Online Education Report, 35% of Americans said COVID-19 caused them to take an online course. Nearly half of respondents said if they took a college class, they’d be fine with taking it online.
Even those who aren’t big on online learning for themselves, think it’s the wave of the future. A full 72% of those surveyed said online learning is the future of education. The move to online learning even includes driver’s ed. Thirty-two percent of people said they’d take driver’s education online.
Not everyone is keen on online classes. Last spring, students at 25 colleges filed lawsuits demanding refunds in tuition and other fees because they missed out on the full learning experience due to COVID restrictions.
