Poll: HUGE majority of college students say online classes are worse than in-person learning
A new poll by Axios and College Reactions shows 90% of students do not have positive views of online learning
The poll also showed students are concerned with the economy and employment as many responded they have lost jobs and internship opportunities from the coronavirus.
A new poll by Axios and College Reaction is showing just how students feel about online learning, which has now become the norm across the country because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A whopping 90 percent of students held negative views of online classes. More than three out of four students said “distance learning” is “worse or much worse” than traditional in-person learning, and 13 percent of students said they would take gap time from higher education if online learning continues next year.
[RELATED: Harvard doesn’t rule out closing campus until 2021]
The same poll shows how students have been economically impacted by the virus. Nearly 40 percent of students who had previously obtained summer internships or post-graduation employment said they’ve now lost their jobs, and nearly another 40 percent said their job opportunities were moved to remote work or postponed.
[RELATED: College students share how coronavirus has affected campus employment]
Ninety percent of students polled say they’re concerned with the U.S. economy, and approximately 42 percent say they are experiencing “a good amount” or a “great deal” of financial distress due to the crisis. Another 65 percent said they “need” or “desperately need” the $1,200 coronavirus stimulus checks from which many students were excluded.
Many of those students could still be eligible to receive direct cash assistance via the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, however.
[RELATED: These 10 colleges are receiving the most federal bailout money]
Students also said they relied on on-campus resources they no longer have access to, such as meal plans, healthcare services, academic support, and federal work-study.
As Campus Reform previously reported, some schools including Harvard are not yet ruling out the possibility of not reopening campuses until 2021. These universities would continue with online classes and campus closures in the fall.
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