The rapid pace of AI development is transforming the online experience. More students will access AI tutoring and adaptive learning that create personalized programs. At the same time, respondents predicted declining prominence in full-time faculty and lecture-based instruction as central components to online learners’ experiences, as students rely instead on a mix of adjunct faculty and technology-mediated experiences. “Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed a profound shift: what began as an exception has become a baseline expectation,” Bethany Simunich, vice president for innovation and research at Quality Matters, an education quality assurance agency. “Today’s students—across every age and background—expect learning to be flexible and accessible.”
