Online learning, accelerated by the COVID‑19 pandemic, has significantly transformed the culture of U.S. higher education. This paper examines how the shift from in‑person instruction to online modalities has affected instructor‑student engagement, conversation, and community,perceived educational quality, and students’ responsibility for self‑directed learning at undergraduate and graduate levels. Findings suggest that the transition to online education has diminished instructor-student interactions and weakened the sense of community, contributing tolower student satisfaction and perceived declines in educational quality. Concurrently, online formats have increasingly required students to manage their learning independently, placing greater demands on their self-regulation skills. Graduate education specifically faces challenges around maintaining mentorship and meaningful academic discussions. Ultimately, while online education expands accessibility and flexibility, institutions must intentionally cultivate engagement, interaction, and support mechanisms to preserve academic rigor and community values integral to higher education.
Keith Robert Head (Wed,) studied this question.