As colleges and universities have shuttered their physical campuses in the face of the spread of COVID-19, they have moved their courses to remote and online formats in rapid fashion. And that's prompted many to wonder what the ultimate impact this period of time may have on online learning in higher education. Based on the present situation, where individuals come to stand on online learning will depend on where they sit currently. That is, there will be both positive and negative impacts on the state of online learning in higher education. On the bad side, given that college and university faculty hastily moved courses online without much support, online learning is being done poorly in many quarters of the United States. It's consequently getting a bad reputation at many campuses. Faculty members who have struggled in the online environment and haven't received enough support from their college or university are unlikely to have much enthusiasm for online learning in the future. Even in cases where teaching and learning centers on campuses intervene and help build the courses, they are likely overstretched at the moment, and so many courses have been poor substitutes for the originals (even if the originals weren't terribly inspiring). When colleges eventually resume physical instruction, many will breathe a collective sigh of relief and resume their studies as usual. It's unlikely they will look back fondly on their online experiences and wonder why it is that they ever dragged themselves to a classroom in the first place. If the closure of physical campuses continues into the fall. some residential students and their parents will start asking why they should pay large tuition bills for an in-person experience they are not receiving. If they are going to be learning online anyway, why not opt for a provider that has strong experience with online learning and that can offer it more affordably than can a traditional college or university? Institutions with robust online learning programs, particularly if they are more affordable than a traditional program, will stand to gain ground. Online learning will grow from where it was pre- COVID-19. Universities that offer robust online programs as well as in-person ones and can offer the potential for seamless transfer between the two are also likely to benefit. The longer physical distancing continues - even policies of intermittent physical distancing - the more online learning will benefit. Traditional colleges and universities are more likely to pour more resources into innovating and constructing more robust online experiences. Even if their faculty and current students have soured on the experience, they will have no choice. Granted, many institutions won't be able to afford the investment this will require. But many institutions are also likely to close, merge or declare financial exigency given the financial pressures mounting throughout the economy- so the volume of students will go elsewhere.lnstitutions that are sturdy or have forward-thinking leadership will innovate. https://campustechnology.col1}/ Artlcles/2020/04/30/COVID19s-Ultimate-Impact-on-online-Learning-The-Good-and-the-Bad.aspx?Page=2 Why does the author write the passage?

Question

As colleges and universities have shuttered their physical campuses in the face of the spread of COVID-19, they have moved their courses to remote and online formats in rapid fashion. And that's prompted many to wonder what the ultimate impact this period of time may have on online learning in higher education. Based on the present situation, where individuals come to stand on online learning will depend on where they sit currently. That is, there will be both positive and negative impacts on the state of online learning in higher education.

On the bad side, given that college and university faculty hastily moved courses online without much support, online learning is being done poorly in many quarters of the United States. It's consequently getting a bad reputation at many campuses. Faculty members who have struggled in the online environment and haven't received enough support from their college or university are unlikely to have much enthusiasm for online learning in the future. Even in cases where teaching and learning centers on campuses intervene and help build the courses, they are likely overstretched at the moment, and so many courses have been poor substitutes for the originals (even if the originals weren't terribly inspiring). When colleges eventually resume physical instruction, many will breathe a collective sigh of relief and resume their studies as usual. It's unlikely they will look back fondly on their online experiences and wonder why it is that they ever dragged themselves to a classroom in the first place.

If the closure of physical campuses continues into the fall. some residential students and their parents will start asking why they should pay large tuition bills for an in-person experience they are not receiving. If they are going to be learning online anyway, why not opt for a provider that has strong experience with online learning and that can offer it more affordably than can a traditional college or university? Institutions with robust online learning programs, particularly if they are more affordable than a traditional program, will stand to gain ground. Online learning will grow from where it was pre- COVID-19. Universities that offer robust online programs as well as in-person ones and can offer the potential for seamless transfer between the two are also likely to benefit.

The longer physical distancing continues - even policies of intermittent physical distancing - the more online learning will benefit. Traditional colleges and universities are more likely to pour more resources into innovating and constructing more robust online experiences. Even if their faculty and current students have soured on the experience, they will have no choice. Granted, many institutions won't be able to afford the investment this will require. But many institutions are also likely to close, merge or declare financial exigency given the financial pressures mounting throughout the economy- so the volume of students will go elsewhere.lnstitutions that are sturdy or have forward-thinking leadership will innovate.

https://campustechnology.col1}/ Artlcles/2020/04/30/COVID19s-Ultimate-Impact-on-online-Learning-The-Good-and-the-Bad.aspx?Page=2

Why does the author write the passage?