Remote learning — Our continued evolution

Not too long ago, the thought of doing something online that could be done face-to-face was not generally desirable. Pre-pandemic, online shopping may have already reached mass appeal, but most of us did not want to interact “personally” online. We wanted more personal contact. This was especially true of higher-value services such as health care, education and professional networking.

But, here we are, as recently illustrated in the Rochester Business Journal article, “Hybrid, hyflex learning models may be here to stay.” To our disgruntlement, both consumers and suppliers are thrust into our socially distant world. We have been forced to find ways to move forward. No longer are we able to self-select remote options. As cited in a 2016 article by Bravetta Hassell in Chief Learning Officer, “By its very methodical and measured nature, academia is not agile or adaptable enough to meet C-suite executives sophisticated development needs.” Or arguably, like the Titanic, not agile enough to adapt quickly. Initiatives like MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and edX are making progress, but still struggle with completion rates falling below 4 percent in 2017-2018, per Inside Higher Ed.

This has created a moment in history we often refer to in strategy and entrepreneurial courses as a disruption, joining the ranks of other disruptive innovations such as Netflix, Uber and Tesla. Disruption can be painful, but opportunities exist in chaos for those of us who are agile. And with resiliency comes innovation. More people are now open to remote learning as resiliency prevails. As evidenced at RIT, where more than 90 percent of pre-pandemic online learners came from within 50 miles of campus, convenience has been more of a critical factor than location.

We are, in fact, becoming more remote. In health care, for example, Rochester Regional Health reports telemedicine visits exploded by 162,000 percent. Health Informatics Vice President Matt Phillips shares, “It has been reversing a paradigm. When there was a lot of resistance to telemedicine visits before the pandemic, they are now becoming preferred with very high satisfaction rates.” And perhaps more efficient too, where routine follow-up visits online can save patients from driving hours for a short visit. Phillips adds, “We are also looking for other ways to leverage the technology.”

Emmi, a patient education tool, allows RRH to send updates proactively by matching health care advances on conditions targeted to those who experience them. These messages have been well received, as engagement is as high as 20 percent, relative to industry averages of 8 percent.

Meanwhile, universities nationwide have been struggling to keep campuses open and courses engaging. Thanks to an abrupt need to pivot 100 percent online in the spring, faculty got a head start on the fall and gained additional experience in delivering online courses. Neil Hair, executive director of Innovative Learning Institute and associate professor of marketing in Saunders College of Business at RIT, indicates that, based on his previous research, we have developed an understanding of key variables needed for success in delivering engaging remote learning experiences. These include providing a good structure that helps guide students, but also gives them some level of control. Students prefer options that allow for flexibility in pace and structure, different modalities, customizable options offering different learning pathways and choices between visuals and lectures. We know that aesthetics matter, too. Look no further than Steve Jobs and the Apple empire, built on intuitive, customizable, interactive designs.

More obviously, we know the importance of community and connectedness — the ability to interact and engage with professors and other students can help add to the subject matter and enhance learning. Also, as with on-campus programs, the university’s reputation and its professors make a difference in the quality of remote learning and how it is received.

In practice, we know remote learning experiences can be vitally different. We have learned that synchronous offerings, where the experience is shared by a faculty and student cohort in real-time, are highly valued. Asynchronous methods, such as recordings and videos, offer less connectedness and interaction, but can offer significant flexibility. In general, offerings that deliver a combination of synchronous and asynchronous methods provide the best of both worlds. One professor even highlights short videos on key financial concepts and topics. Discussion posts that can be used in support of various modalities challenge students to explore case studies and business topics while applying their personal experiences, research using outside resources and articles to elevate study topics. Irrespective of the modality, structure is important and ensures that students are guided throughout their experience. As this disruption creates innovation, we are hearing anecdotal feedback from students and faculty who are adjusting to these new learning methods and utilizing additional online learning tools that seek to optimize their learning environments.

Now through our collective need to adjust, we can execute on these findings. Technology needs to keep pace with these innovations, above and beyond basic equipment like webcams, microphones and reliable internet bandwidth. Consumers and service providers have leveraged new tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and adopted new processes to utilize those tools. Fears of low-quality experiences were justified due to the sheer scale of how many people needed to adjust to delivering and receiving remote experiences. Again, the executive education perspective forecasted this position on delivery saying, “Provider range and flexibility is one among a handful of things especially essential to find executive educational offerings that are worth the investment. Other things include customer centricity, agility and creativity” (Hassell, 2016).

It is also important that we recognize and embrace innovations from across various industries in support of effective online interactions and networking. As business and industry innovates, we can share learnings to optimize interactions for all. For example, the strategies and processes used to create highly effective business meetings might be applied to enhance virtual conferences or alumni networking. Alternatively, educational methods and technologies might be leveraged in support of corporate executive education.

Today, working and interacting remotely have become the way that business gets done. As university leaders, we would be remiss if we were not training our students to engage in, thrive and survive in this evolving business environment.

Jacqueline Mozrall is dean of Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology.