Online courses present unique challenges for both students and faculty. We’ve been teaching and learning in person for millennia, and we know a lot about how to do it well. The same is not true for online education. This modality has existed in its current form for only about 20 years. We’re still learning what works. We’re still getting familiar with what a good online classroom looks like—where the front of the room is, where the desks are, and where the light switch is. Indeed, many students and faculty today are relatively inexperienced in online learning environments, especially considering that we’ve taught and learned in physical classrooms for years.
