The Exhausting Debate: Why Quality, Not Modality, Should Be the Question

“Distance education isn’t as good as face-to-face.”
“You have an online degree? That’s not really a degree.”
“You went to an online school? Your degree must be a fake!”
“Online schools aren’t as rigorous as ‘real’ colleges.”

If you’ve been around digital learning since the late 1990s and early 2000s, you likely remember hearing disparaging comments like these. The myth that online education was inferior to face-to-face learning was so prevalent that it was used to deny online learners access to Pell Grants until 2006. That year, the Higher Education Act was amended to eliminate the 50% rule, which stated that if an institution offered 50% or more of its classes online or had 50% or more of its students enrolled in online classes, it was ineligible for Title IV federal financial aid. It’s remarkable that only 20 years have passed since the federal government formally recognized the legitimacy of online learning.

Yet we continue to hear the same tired critiques of online learning that not only belittle the modality but also assume that face-to-face learning is some kind of gold standard. The reality is that online education is held to a higher standard than face-to-face learning through requirements to meet regular and substantive interaction regulations. We’ve worked hard to develop a culture of quality that serves different populations of students — rural students, working adults, single parents, family caretakers — many of whom might be unable to access educational opportunities were it not for online education.

The Numbers Tell the Story

If we look at the most recent IPEDS data as reported by Phil Hill, we find that almost 55% of students were enrolled in at least one online class, versus 45% that were enrolled in no online classes. Although this number is less than what we saw at the height of the pandemic, it is still much higher than pre-pandemic levels. And increasingly, the new norm is the on-campus student who is also enrolled in online classes. They’re making that choice because of course availability, convenience, or just a preference in modality.

We know from Quality Matter’s most recent CHLOE 10 report that 60% of traditional-aged undergraduates, 66% of adult undergraduates, and 74% of graduate students expressed interest in online learning. The reality is that learners continue to choose online education at rates greater than what was anticipated. Online education is no longer the exception; it is the rule.

Quality Must Be Intentional

This explosion in online learning makes discussions around quality even more critical. One of the many lessons learned from the pandemic is that when online learning is not deliberately designed, courses and students suffer. Online learning success is impacted by several factors, including:

• Student preparedness
• Deliberate pedagogical choices
• Solid student support services
• Instructor professional development

Quality digital learning cannot be an afterthought. It must be central to course development and faculty preparation. That’s why WCET is so pleased to partner with Quality Matters this month to offer our joint virtual summit, Policy to Practice Summit, on February 26. During this one-day virtual event, we’ll explore topics including:

• Accountability in online programs
• Accessibility in digital learning
• AI policy, practice, and quality
• Accelerating completion by developing high-quality learning networks between institutions
• Demonstrating value
• Building better short-term programs
• Essential accessibility tools for inclusive learning

At WCET, we’re serious about envisioning a future where high-quality digital learning fosters success for educators and learners. We know the work you’re doing as digital learning professionals is changing lives, and we’re here to help. Join us this month as we examine digital learning quality. Together, we can challenge those persistent digital learning naysayers and help stakeholders understand the critical role that high-quality digital learning plays in today’s colleges and universities.

WCET Members: Join us for a Closer Conversation on February 20 and access our Member-only Fact Sheet. Not a member? Join us!

Author: Van Davis, Executive Director, WCET & Vice President, Digital Learning, WICHE

At WCET, we believe in being transparent about our AI usage. Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4.5 was used to review and provide minimal stylistic edits to this blog post.