Professors in doubt over value of distance education | Higher Ed - Education Dive

"A new survey suggests that a majority of college faculty members are not confident in the rigor and reach of online learning." continues Higher Ed - Education Dive.

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Dive Brief:

• A new survey from Gallup suggests that a predominant number of college and university faculty members, about 55%, are not confident in the outcomes of distance education when measured against traditional learning models.
• Of a respondent pool of more than 1,600 professors from all private, public and for-profit institutions, 40% said they have taught at least one online class, and 32% believed that learning was possible through digital and traditional classroom settings at any institution. 
• More than 60% of professors with no online teaching experience believe that positive outcomes are possible in either academic setting. 

Dive Insight: 

It is natural that perspectives vary among the experience levels of professors in digital teaching and learning space, but what is most interesting is that a majority of professors still have no online experience to begin with.
Considering that nearly all colleges and universities have some form of distance learning, or at a minimum, digital communication methods between teachers and students, campuses would seemingly emphasize more investment and participation in digital learning platforms. 

For those campuses which have not taken the step, they should immediately look to adopt a digital learning plan that recognizes the future of the industry and the revenue it could create from enrollment and student engagement.

Source: Education Dive