Correction: An initial version of this story contained errors in information. Student enrollment statistics for fall 2021 were 67% online, 3% in person, and 29% in both online and in-person, the original version improperly cited online enrollment as 90% during the fall 2021 semester.
For a student who has become accustomed to an online-learning setting during the COVID-19 lockdown, a return to in-person learning can be a difficult transition.
With the lockdown lasting well over a year, students had to adapt to this new way of life. Despite learning to adapt through devastating means, online learning proved to be possible and a different approach to furthering one’s education.
Prior to the pandemic, in the fall 2019 semester, only 7% of students were enrolled in online-only schooling at LBCC and only 27% were hybrid learners.
It is known that students who enrolled in LBCC during the pandemic are less likely to register and attend in-person classes in the present day, but will continue to stay enrolled as hybrid or online-only students.
Once restrictions were lifted and in-person classes became an option once more in the fall 2021 semester, only 3% of students decided to return to campus fully, 29% were in hybrid online and in-person, while 67% remained fully online. This is due to a multitude of reasons, including COVID-19 fears, mental and physical disabilities, or the simple convenience of online learning.
Of course, there are undeniable perks of attending college in person such as community, and direct contact with faculty, instructors, and peers, but these perks are not applicable nor necessary to all learners.
Zoom, Discord, Slack, and many other services, have surged as social networks for online students creating a strong sense of community and support from their professors, instructors, and peers.
For some, having the ability to enroll in an online curriculum gives them the flexibility to manage all of the additional responsibilities in their lives.
To a student who is also a parent, an online-only college experience can prove to be a major convenience. Having the ability to stay home with their child while simultaneously attending
class and completing all classwork. Without these options, a student who is a parent would likely have to pay for childcare or give up on the concept of higher education altogether.
Similarly, a student-athlete must dedicate hours to training, practicing., and competing. They can also benefit from online and hybrid schooling. This gives them the ability to obtain a college education while continuing to prioritize the sport they are committed to.
While there is a substantial amount of accessibility for online learning, most degrees and programs require some classes that are only offered in person.
The most effective and progressive thing that can be done by the college is to assure all departments have sufficient online-only and hybrid options for all programs offered at LBCC to be completed.