Online programs, both remote and hybrid, are capturing a wider share of higher education across the world. Much of the growth in recent years was driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced campuses to close suddenly and switch to remote classes. But many students, especially those trying to balance work with study, are gravitating toward online learning because of its greater convenience and accessibility compared with traditional classroom instruction.
Indeed, new McKinsey research finds that most higher education students want to continue to incorporate at least some aspects of online learning into their education. However, a significant share of students are dissatisfied with the online experiences their universities offer, signaling that higher education institutions could benefit by evolving their online learning models.
To ascertain which learning models higher education students prefer and why, as well as what they find satisfying about online education and which elements of the online learning experience they value most, we surveyed 7,000 students across 17 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East (see sidebar “About our research”).
The research covers eight dimensions of the online learning experience encompassing 24 attributes, thereby providing a broad view of what higher education students want (Exhibit 1).
This article outlines our findings and offers a three-step action plan that higher education institutions can use to build and improve their online learning programs. Our aim is to help these institutions deliver better experiences and, we hope, outcomes for the students they serve.
What students value—and don’t value—in online learning
All students we surveyed had moved to online classes during the pandemic, and almost 65 percent of them said they want aspects of their learning experience to remain virtual. Even in France, which had the lowest share, more than half of students said they wanted some learning elements to remain virtual.
Students say they appreciate the flexibility and convenience. When asked to rank, in order of preference, 11 learning features that should remain or become virtual, students identified these as the top three: recording classes and making them available to watch later, easy access to online study materials, and flexibility that enables students to work and study.
On the flip side, many students still hesitate to enroll in fully remote programs, and students globally cited these top-three reasons: fear of becoming more distracted by studying online, getting bored if the learning experience is not motivating, and lacking discipline to complete the online program. Although these perceptions may in part be preconceived, they seem to indicate that for a segment of students, online programs have not been able to generate an engaging learning experience (Exhibit 2).
Social aspects also shape attitudes toward in-person, hybrid, and fully remote models. Students who prefer hybrid learning say they like the combination of flexibility and peer-to-peer interactions, whereas students who prefer in-person learning say it offers them more support and peer-to-peer opportunities. In 80 percent of the countries surveyed, students said the top reason they prefer face-to-face education is that getting help from instructors is easier through in-person rather than online learning.
Room to improve
Notably, our research shows that students’ satisfaction with online learning at their universities varies significantly across countries (Exhibit 3). When asked whether they would be less or more likely to recommend their university to a friend or family member, students from the Americas were much more inclined than students in other regions to make the recommendation. That finding does not necessarily indicate that educational institutions in countries where students are more dissatisfied offer a poor learning experience, but it could signal that, in general, they are not meeting students’ expectations, which vary based on cultural aspects, previous education, etcetera.
Our research suggests that higher education institutions can increase their online learning, identifying a correlation between higher satisfaction levels and growth in online learning.1 The two countries in our survey with the largest growth in their online higher education student base—the United States and Brazil—had relatively higher levels of student satisfaction, on average, than other nations. This finding suggests that in some countries, educational institutions have generally been able to develop online-program experiences that both attract and engage students.
Core attributes that matter
To help higher education institutions evolve and create more satisfying online programs, we asked students to rank 24 attributes that shape their online learning experiences. Despite important nuances within some regions (see sidebar “Key differences among regions”), three tenets of successful online programs emerged:
Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletter
Designing an engaging online experience for students
In our work with higher education institutions, we have identified three steps that help them successfully transform their online education programs to boost student satisfaction and engagement.
In addition to compiling a comprehensive dataset of student preferences, institutions can collaborate with other internal stakeholders to determine their target transformation goals—for example, increasing retention, completion, or employability rates. They also can assess how they currently perform on those specific goals compared with other online education providers.
Institutions can then establish an implementation strategy by analyzing which initiatives to outsource and which to build with internal capabilities. They can also assemble a team whose members have complementary roles, with the aim of breaking down silos and ensuring that initiatives account for the entire online student experience and are fully adopted by instructors.
Our research findings are clear. Most higher education students who were forced into remote classes during the pandemic want aspects of their education to remain virtual. Many, however, are reluctant to enroll in fully online programs, and some are dissatisfied with the online experiences their universities offer.
Institutions can ask their students what they do or do not find satisfying about all learning models. Then they can design and implement strategies to ensure that their online programs deliver better experiences and, ultimately, better outcomes for students.