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“I Don’t Think the System Will Ever be the Same”: Distance Education Leaders’ Predictions and Recommendations for the Use of Online Learning in Community Colleges Post-COVID
Open accessAbstract
While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the short-term use of online courses, colleges' experiences with COVID-era online course delivery may also affect the way that they offer and approach online courses going forward.We draw on interviews with 35 distance education leaders from the California Community Colleges system to provide insights into how the use of online education may change in the system going forward.Leaders predicted that post-pandemic, colleges would increase their online course offerings, and that many instructional innovations to online courses from the pandemic-such as the use of synchronous courses-would persist.We discuss implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.
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Synchronous learning generally requires a stable internet connection, reliable technology, a quiet and distraction-free environment, and ability to schedule time to attend classes.
“Moreover, synchronous learning generally requires a stable internet connection and access to reliable technology, as well as a quiet and distraction-free environment for effective participation and the ability to reliably schedule time to attend classes (Hart et al., 2021b;Hart et al., 2025a).”
From Online Student Performance Under Synchronous and Asynchronous Instruction in California Community Colleges (2026) · cites this paper as Hart et al., 2025a
In “A game-changer: new techniques to improve engagement in online courses” (page not available), the paper says live sessions take place at set times and that students with unpredictable schedules may be unable to attend. It does not state that synchronous learning requires a stable internet connection, reliable technology, or a quiet, distraction-free environment; searches for those requirements found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredCommunity colleges across California made substantial investments in support for online learning during the pandemic.
“Community colleges across California made substantial investments in support for online learning during the pandemic (Hart et al., 2025a;Kurlaender et al., 2024).”
From Online Student Performance Under Synchronous and Asynchronous Instruction in California Community Colleges (2026) · cites this paper as Hart et al., 2025a
The ‘Implications for practice and policy’ section (page unavailable) says the California Community Colleges system first purchased some software products during the pandemic, and the Discussion (page unavailable) notes online resources and coursework created then. These support pandemic-era investment in online learning, but the paper does not establish that investments in support were substantial across California community colleges. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredInstitutions scaled up student-facing supports such as virtual academic counseling, technology access, and communication/case management tools.
“Institutions also scaled up student-facing supports, such as by adding or expanding virtual academic counseling, providing students with access to technology such as laptops or hotspots, and implementing new communication and case management tools to better track and assist students (Hart et al. 2021b;Hart et al., 2025a).”
From Online Student Performance Under Synchronous and Asynchronous Instruction in California Community Colleges (2026) · cites this paper as Hart et al., 2025a
The section “A game-changer: new techniques to improve engagement in online courses” (page unavailable) describes increased outreach to struggling students using their preferred communication methods, including texts. It does not report expanded virtual academic counseling, provision of laptops or hotspots, or new case-management tools to track students. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSynchronous instruction may offer less flexibility because it requires signing on at designated times.
“On the other hand, because it requires signing on at designated times, synchronous instruction may offer less flexibility in allowing students to access course material whenever it is convenient for them (Hart et al., 2025a).”
From Online Student Performance Under Synchronous and Asynchronous Instruction in California Community Colleges (2026) · cites this paper as Hart et al., 2025a
Colleges invested effort into developing norms around use of synchronous platforms such as Zoom, which may have resulted in improved quality of delivery of synchronous courses during the pandemic.
“In addition, colleges invested effort into developing norms around use of synchronous platforms such as Zoom (Hart et al., 2025a), which may have resulted in improved quality of delivery of synchronous courses during the pandemic.”
From Online Student Performance Under Synchronous and Asynchronous Instruction in California Community Colleges (2026) · cites this paper as Hart et al., 2025a
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Cited by
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Hart, C. M. D., Baker, R., Hill, M., Alonso, E., & Xu, D. (2026) · Research in Higher Education · doi:10.1007/s11162-025-09873-3
“In addition, colleges invested effort into developing norms around use of synchronous platforms such as Zoom (Hart et al., 2022), which may have resulted in improved quality of delivery of synchronous courses during the pandemic.”
InfluentialSelf-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Hart, C. M. D., Hill, M., Alonso, E., & Xu, D.
- Affiliations
- University of California System (US)
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hart, Cassandra M.D.
- Venue
- The Journal of Higher Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2024-05-08
- Volume
- 96
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 436-460
- ISSN
- 0022-1546 (ISSN-L)
- 1538-4640
- OpenAlex
- W4396750393
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4
- FWCI
- 21.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- The Journal of Higher Education (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Scholarly Commons (University of the Pacific) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Brown Digital Repository
- Funders
- Spencer Foundation (202100019)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Online and Blended Learning
- Social Sciences › Education › Education during COVID-19 pandemic
- Social Sciences › Education › Digital Transformation of Higher Education
- Keywords
- online learning, community colleges, distance education, COVID-19 pandemic, post-pandemic higher education, synchronous teaching, instructional innovation, California community colleges
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