Online lectures increasingly used to cut costs: Student unions

Colleges and universities increasingly use online education as a cost-cutting measure instead of due to the coronavirus rules, student unions ISO and LSVb said to BNR. They want the Ministry of Education to set limits on using online education to prevent Teams and Zoom from becoming a stopgap in the future.

Students increasingly tell ISO that they are getting more online lectures even though in-person education is possible under Covid restrictions. "For example, because of capacity problems or so that students abroad can follow lessons more easily," ISO chairman Lisanne de Roos said to the broadcaster. "Then you are actually abusing the coronavirus crisis."

LSVb chairman Ama Boahene also raised concerns. "It's not always ab ad thing that more education is given online," Boahene said. "But if saving time, money, or space is the motivation, we find it undesirable."

ISO wants Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf of Education to implement an assessment framework to determine when online education is allowed. 

The umbrella organizations for higher education institutions told BNR that the coronavirus crisis indeed accelerated the move to online education but that they only make use of it outside lockdown when it benefits the quality of education. "The past two years have also shown the good sides of online learning," Jos Steehouder, spokesperson of the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, said to the broadcaster.

The higher education institutions aren't enthusiastic about an assessment framework for when online education can best be used. The universities don't consider such an assessment framework as desired, said Ruben Puylaert of the Universities of the Netherlands. "It is best for lecturers and study programs to make this assessment themselves." The Association of Universities of Applied Sciences agrees that lecturers are much better positioned to make this assessment than parliamentarians or ministers.